NZ artist's free tattoos give sick, grieving kids something to smile about | Lifestyle.INQ

OCTOBER 27, 2022

This is a classic example on how tattoos can unleash a joyful grin among children.

A New Zealand airbrush artist had an enthusiastic and brilliant idea to make sick and wistful kids in his neighborhood ‘boost their confidence’ and feel optimistic.

Benjamin Lloyd, a native of Auckland, shared photos of his masterpieces on social media site Facebook and his posts went incredibly viral. The phenomenal artist sketches skulls and roses using fake ink and instead of an easel or a sheet of paper, he paints his spectacular drawings on skin.

For him to rub brush strokes on a child’s arm lasts around eight minutes and the skin artwork will be completely depleted when rinsed with water.

Lloyd devoted his time and effort to ‘color the lives’ of young children, as he was once a hapless victim of bullying during his childhood years.
“I was teased every day at school and so I would draw over my hand and up my sleeve,’ he told Stuff NZ. He also unearthed his burning passion for the arts and built on his childhood dream to establish an airbrush company with the catchy motto, “You say it, I’ll spray it”.
“I just got better and better, eventually I had a line up of people wanting me to draw on them, I was doing deals with kids swapping cards and marbles.”
In one post, Lloyd wrote, “’50 likes and i’ll go to Starship Hospital and tat [too] all the kids up.” – and destiny turned 360 degrees when Facebook users bursted his page with 417,000 likes and reactions and 225,000 shares.

He is now spreading the ‘good vibes’ to struggling children at Starship Hospital. Currently, his Facebook page has an astonishing 151, 430 likes.

With the overwhelming number of customers reaching out for his service, Lloyd is scouting for his tattoo sidekicks who can help him illustrate blissfulness to children. Gianna Francesca Catolico

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