Chris Boyle of Nashville is an art collector. He collects tattoos, and he came all the way to Chattanooga this weekend so that his favorite tattoo artist could add to the colorful pieces already draped across his chest.

“It’s kind of all coming together,” he said of his yellow and blue hues, courtesy of artist Jerry Frost of Indiana.

Jimi Hendrix, dolphins, and Big Boy all came alive at the Chattanooga Tattoo Arts Festival — on arms, chests, and any other body parts ink lovers choose to adorn. The three-day festival, which culminates today, is in its second year at the Holiday Inn at the Chattanooga Choo-Choo.

Organizers said about 1,700 people attended last year to celebrate body artistry and check out the 60 or so artists on hand.

“They’re amazed by the colors, the realism,” said festival founder LaLa Hartline, owner of Evermore Galleries on Shallowford Road. “That itself takes it to another level.”

Evermore Galleries and Atlanta-based Sacred Heart Tattoo are sponsoring the festival.

Ms. Hartline, who said she tattoos representing more than a hundred work hours on her body, said she particularly enjoyed realistic tattoos. Her arms are covered in a graveyard scene and other smaller pieces, such as the Bride of Frankenstein.

Tattoo artists came from all over the nation, and Marshall Bennett, Deano Cook and other well-known artists were discussed today in casual conversation amid the drone of the ink guns.

Customers were sprawled on padded work tables as artists gently worked on stomachs, calves, thighs, backs, and arms. The only visible area of the body that seemed less likely to be tattooed was the head — though there were plenty of inked pates on display, too.

Nearly every festivalgoer interviewed pointed to one thing in particular: tattoos are addictive.

One such art addict was Robby Miller, who got his first tattoo at 19 and was sprawled 14 years later on a table getting work done on a Hawaiian tiki theme. He came to the convention last year and spent nine hours on the front part of the tattoo, and now artists were wrapping up the back.

Tattoos can span generations, and festivalgoers and artists said that an activity born in teenage rebellion can become family friendly. Ms. Hartline said more than 60 percent of people get tattoos when they’re between the ages of 18 and 25. But she noted the number of kids at the festival, and she said the convention is a family oriented experience. She said, too, that she sometimes runs across a 75-year-old who has decided the time is right for body art.

One artist who gave his name as Wolf E said tattoo parlors have “drastically” changed in his 25 years in the business. “We’ve gone from dark rooms with beer and pool tables to upscale, high-end places,” he said.

He praised Mr. Bennett’s work in particular. Mr. Bennett had just wrapped up working on a “new school” black and gray skull as he showed off his realistic tattoos of his father and the car they once built together.

“It’s a lot of fun,” the Detroit-based artist said of conventions, which are common in the tattoo business and help serious artists find serious customers. “It’s like one big family.”

Other than actually getting inked, the contests drew a large crowd. Judges Angi Brooks, Greg Griffin and Kim Kruseman examined tattoos and awarded prizes for best large color tattoo, best overall tattooed female, best full back tattoo, best small black and gray tattoo, and most realistic tattoo, then best tattoo of the day. Today, they’ll pick the best in show.

Jennifer Canipe, of Woodstock, Ga., showed off her leg tattoo to the judges. She described the colorful flowers, dagger, and crown as representing friends and friendship.

Mr. Boyle also entered the large color tattoo competition. His artist, Jerry Frost, displayed a portfolio featuring a variety of artwork including a blue dragon, black and gray skulls, Big Boy, and a life-like Pete Rose.

The body art festival comes at a time when nearly 5,000 visitors are in Chattanooga for a variety of conferences, including the Quality Deer Management Association, the National Association of Negro Musicians, and Chattanooga’s Amerivespa 2008 rally.