"I'm going to get a tattoo" is a phrase that strikes fear into the heart of almost every publicist and model agent going, such is the latent prejudice towards body art that exists in the entertainment industry.

But what would Hollywood's most revered icons actually look like if they were heavily inked?

And would it be such a bad thing?

Seattle-based artist Cheyenne Randall's latest project aims to portray exactly that, by cleverly sketching and digitally enhancing traditional tattoo artwork on to a number of famous images.

From Audrey Hepburn's intricately detailed chest and neck piece, Princess Diana's full sleeves - and even a hipster Marlon Brando - no famous face has been left un-inked.

But, Randall reiterated to the Independent, this isn't a project about "tattooed celebrities", a term he feels so strongly against, he asked for it not to be used in association with any of his work.

"This isn't really about celebrities being tattooed," he said.

"It's an ongoing art project where I take the recognisable icons and transform them into regular people, perhaps if they had taken another path in life or were from a parallel universe," he said.

"It has more meaning to me than just making famous people look tattooed up. I respect the subject more than that."

Once a taboo frowned upon by the entertainment industry, tattoos can be seen up and down the runways on the world's biggest fashion models - like Cara Delevingne and Kate Moss - adorning the arms and chests of One Direction and Rihanna, and covering the torsos of footballers the Premiership over.

- Independent