Customer Rating:  
Summary: what a joker
Comment: secrets of masters how on earth did they come up with that name for this book you can learn more from a six year old than from this book another rip off merchant cashing in.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Definitely NOT what it says on the tin !
Comment: This book describes itself as containing detailed photos and instructions from inside 10 studios. It calls itself 'advanced' and says it contains tips from the masters. It deliberately leads the buyer to think that [at least] 'some' advanced tattooing techniques will be described within the book.
The book is NOT what it says it is.
It is more like at look at the work of an artist in photograph format. Notes to accompany the pictures are usually one liners at the most, such as ... here the tattooist adds what is known as shading. No attempt is made throughout the book to explain anything.
I have numerous tattoos on myself [done over many years] and have used a tattoo machine (on myself only) a few times too. I have read a few tattoo books and watched a number of videos. I have read a lot of books/literature in my lifetime (goes with my profession) but this book is simply NOT worth buying ... not even second-hand for 10 pence at a local jumble sale - sorry.
The phrase within the books own description of itself - 'detailed instructions' - is a blatant lie in my opinion. From beginning to end, there are NO instructions at all in this entire book whatsoever - detailed or otherwise!
The book seems as though it is created by a total 'outsider' to the world of tattooing - seems like it is written by perhaps a news reporter, who has just had his first EVER look inside a tattoo parlour, and is utterly awe-struck at what he has seen (as he repeatedly keeps on telling us). The narrative reads more like a child's bedtime story. E.g. " ... and as the incessant buzzing stopped and the needles finally stopped their endless stinging, the area was wiped to reveal the most fantastically impressive coloured shading". No attempt [at all] was then made to say how the shading was done.
The ten tattoos are shown in good quality photographs as they are built up. But the accompanying labels to the photos are on a par with ... now this first bit of black ink is called the outlining. Now [in this photo] he adds a bit of blue. Here [in this next photo] she adds a bit of yellow. Etc etc
Perhaps the author(?) genuinely [but very mistakenly] thinks that he really has shared some insight to the world of tattooing.
However, almost anyone who has ever had even a single tattoo themselves [or possibly even just visited a tattoo parlour a couple of times] will probably already know much of that which is shared in this book. It is of no real use to anyone who has ever actually held a tattoo machine. I truly do wish I could say otherwise (after all, I wasted my hard-earned cash on a brand new copy of this book).
The only input [at all] from anyone with even the slightest knowledge of tattooing is in the interviews with each of the ten tattooists. However, don't get your hopes up. The 'reporter' does not ask questions such as which brand of inks do you prefer for which technique or how do you dilute inks to do subtle grey shading [e.g. in photorealistic work] or how do you achieve this [e.g. layered] effect or that effect. Oh no! Instead, the 'reporter' asks what school did you go to, how old were you when you started tattooing, what was your first tattoo and what is your favourite tattoo style. I couldn't give a monkey's about those questions ... I bought the book coz it said it was an 'Advanced tattoo Art' book with detailed instructions and 'tips from masters'. Sadly, it [very much] isn't !
A very VERY disappointing book
Do NOT buy this book ... please. You have been warned!
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