TATTOO artist Michela Bottin-Ackerman is 95% covered in tattoos - and about 75% of her body is coated in black ink. Besides that, she also has several body modifications such as a split tongue, pointed ears and tattooed eyeballs. The 32-year-old currently resides in New York, but is originally from a small town in Italy, where she got her first tattoo as a teenager. Michela started out with very colourful tattoos, which is what she now specialises in as a successful tattooist. But slowly Michela’s cartoon and animal inspired body art made place for big patches of black ink. She told Truly: “I started to black out my body as a last resort for a cover up, and it felt good, I actually liked it, I planned another session for the arms and since then I have gotten more and more.” Having her skin blackened out has given Michela a lot of confidence, she explains that her addiction to this type of tattoo is because she felt uncomfortable being addressed as the “pretty girl” - wanting to erase the superficiality. Michela added: “I felt like people were attracted to me and trying to get close to me, just because that was enough. I have so much more to offer. ” Michela’s husband and tattoo artist Jason also told Truly: “In the beginning I didn’t understand it, but I get it now, and I support her, whatever makes her happy and comfortable.” And there is no end in sight just yet, as Michela says: “I don’t think I’ll ever stop, I think I’m going to go over the black with more black.”