1.1 Introduction

In the year 2000 I began my search for adequate materials that
would provide not only comprehendible instruction, but also a
dependable methodology that would work as a beginners guide
to the art of tattoo. I have found a lot of texts that make the claim
of being the “ultimate bible for tattoo beginners”, but it always
seems to be the same story over and over. I found that the most
basic information was always ‘dummied’ down to a point of leaving
the reader feeling stupid. On the other hand, the more advanced
books lacked the detail that one would need to figure out
what the heck the author is trying to show or say…again leaving
the reader feeling stupid.
The 17 year old “me” was in love with the art and hungry for
knowledge. He scoured the internet forums for weeks and
months and years. He saved up and shelled out hundreds of
dollars for VHS tapes and books and tools and anything else he
could find. The 17 year old me used every extra dollar he made
working crappy jobs just to get tattoos in spots where he could
watch the artist and ask questions, because this seemed to be
the only way to get face time with these ‘gods’.
Nine years ago I ended up getting that tattoo “kit” from a well
known magazine ad company, and you know what? I don’t
regret it for a moment. I have heard, read, and seen so many
posts on forums that go something like: “WHAT!!! You got a kit?
OMG! You newbie – go get an apprenticeship or give up, and by
the way, they are MACHINES not GUNS!!!”