We’ll then discuss priority in a design, where we select what parts of a composition are the most important, and use graphic tricks to give them emphasis.  We’ll talk about reserve, where we choose elements to withhold from the background so we can use them in the foreground, such as certain colors or white highlights.  If every element is used in all parts of a design, it can be hard to read, but if some elements are reserved for just the foreground and others for only the background, the different layers of the design will be more visually distinct from each other.

Next, we’ll go on to talk a bit about the use of lines in a tattoo, and the distinction between a line and an edge.  This includes a discussion of line weight and ways of building up lines; we’ll also cover the techniques of graylining, bloodlining and lining in color.  Just as important is when not to use lines, and how to execute a line-free tattoo, or a tattoo with line-free elements.  We’ll also talk about the simulation of depth, texture and luminosity, which can give a tattoo extra dimension and life.

In Part III of the book we’ll discuss the idea of working in a second artistic medium, such as watercolors or oil paints, since having a second medium seems to keep the mind more limber and can give an artist more technical freedom as a tattooist.  I’ll describe a number of mediums in some detail, compare them with the technical aspects of tattooing and follow through with brief tutorials in acrylic and oil painting.

Next, in Part IV we’ll talk about using reference photos, both with tattooing and with complementary artistic mediums, as a way of broadening your vocabulary and empowering your vision.  We’ll go into how to find the appropriate reference and how to photograph it and prepare it for the tattoo or painting project.  We’ll then move on to making our own reference models and using computer tools to aid in the creation of our designs.

In Part V, we go into much more detail about using the computer for design and archiving purposes.  This begins with a description of the hardware and what it costs, and what software to use.  A brief Adobe Photoshop tutorial is then presented, where we discuss in detail the step-by-step process of scanning, cleaning, balancing and resizing photos, along with strategies for building a better portfolio.  We then use these same methods for more sophisticated design manipulation, including the use of the kinds of models we built in Part IV, and then outline some methods for making the right stencils for these unusual types of tattoo imagery.

In Part VI of the book we’ll talk more specifically about tattooing technique, beginning with a chapter on stenciling and freehanding, then moving on to the various needle groups and their pros and cons.  After that we’ll talk about machine setup a bit, stuff like power, stroke and spring tension, and how these things influence the action of the machine and the way that it interacts with the skin.  An ideal setup should allow for more airbrush-like layering with the magnum and more pencil-like freedom with round needle groups. We'll also get into some detail about the new generation of rotary machines, including their pros and cons when compared with electromagnetic machines.

Next, we’ll talk about the stretch; how experienced tattooists may tend to neglect the stretch almost as badly as novices, and how you should feel the vibration of the needle striking the skin with your stretching hand.  The more clearly you can feel it, the better your stretch is and the more ideal the penetration of the needle will be.  Even though this is entry-level stuff that we pick up on the first day of our apprenticeships, it’s a thing that we always must remain conscious of, no matter how experienced we are, since it affects the outcome of a tattoo at least as much as the machines or the pigments do.

A favorite topic of mine is tightening, the act of going back into a piece with a small round needle group after finishing work with a larger group. This is a way of filling in corners, sharpening edges, adding detail, and cleaning up rough areas. Although this stage isn’t essential to being able to call a tattoo finished, I feel that it is not only an important step in giving your work a technical polish, but also one of the most fun parts of the job.  We’ll also discuss switching between machines frequently in the same the way a painter might switch between brushes, along with the new cartridge-style needles that make this process easier, allowing for greater versatility. There's almost two and a half hours of closeup video material that accompanies the tightening chapter in addition to the shorter clips that accompanied the second edition of this book.

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