Benjamin Lloyd designs full sleeves to spray on to kids arms and body with a non-toxic ink that washes off in the shower. Courtesy: Benjamin Lloyd art collection.

A TATTOO artist is inking sick children to give them a “confidence boost” while they are unwell.

Benjamin Lloyd designs full sleeves to spray on to kids’ arms and body with a non-toxic ink that washes off in the shower, The Sun reports.

The project kickstarted when the artist posted an image of a friend’s young son with a skull and roses design etched on him on Facebook alongside the caption: “50 likes and i’ll go to Starship Hospital and tat (sic) all the kids up.”

The following morning Mr Lloyd woke to 400,000 likes and the post has now been commented on around 11,000 times.

Mr Lloyd, who is based in Auckland, New Zealand, responded to the comments: “Well it looks like i’m off to starship (sic).”

He told One News that the venture started after his stepson, who he used to airbrush, passed away aged seven two years ago.

Now he hopes that the fun artwork will give kids a distraction while they are ill in hospital — and has recently begun painting tattoos on adults too.

“The kids are so amazed. As soon as they get the tattoo it boosts their confidence,” Mr Lloyd said. “The only bad thing is that they don’t want to take a shower afterwards.”

Each tattoo takes around nine minutes to complete and he creates the designs by using a stencil and spraying freehand.

It seems the inker started his career during his childhood, as he confessed that he was also inspired to help youngsters after he was bullied for a burn on his hand at school, the Daily Mail reported.

“I was teased every day at school and so I would draw over my hand and up my sleeve,” he said. “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.”

Several parents of children who are receiving treatment at Starship Hospital posted picture of their kids and asked Mr Lloyd to “tattoo” their youngsters.

One person wrote on his Facebook post: “This is amazing. For a second I thought it was real but great job guy. You are slowly but surely restoring my faith in humanity.”

Sharon Cooper Shelton commented: “From someone who has MS and lives with pain and knows what just a kind word can do.

“I say this from the bottom of my HEART.words can’t Express what you are doing for these children, the joy you are giving to them, the few minutes of freedom you are giving them (sic).”

This story originally appeared in The Sun.