The rhythmic hum of a tattoo machine in Rye Lanez studio in South London abruptly stops, and 25-year-old Olivia jumps off the soft couch to examine the fresh work – a black ant the size of a large egg on her thigh. “It’s totally me,” she smiles, showing the result to her boyfriend Sam, who also came for a new star tattoo. Today is a “flash day” – an event where artists offer pre-designed sketches at fixed, very affordable prices. The studio walls in Peckham are covered from floor to ceiling with laminated sheets of designs: here are classic Japanese irezumi dragons, lush pin-up girls, and even an ironic drunk Bart Simpson. To the sounds of 90s hip-hop, the bell on the door rings non-stop – the flow of people wanting to adorn their bodies is unceasing.