This Book's Pages Are Made of Skin — But Don't Let That Freak You Out

Impact

This bizarre creation could end terrible tattoos once and for all.

Brazilian publication Tattoo Art magazine teamed up with ad agency Lew'Lara TBWA to create the SkinBook, a little black Moleskine-esque sketchbook for tattoo artists. It's filled with dozens of pages made out of a synthetic skin. It imitates a human epidermis, giving aspiring artists a space to practice tattooing.

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No, really:

The idea for the book came from the complaint that newer tattoo artists don't often have the means or resources to practice their craft. Because they're starting out, they have trouble finding volunteers willing to serve as guinea pigs. And when amateur artists do get a test subject, well, we've all seen what kind of nightmarish "workmanship" can happen.

SkinBook

The SkinBook, on the other hand, puts a no-consequence canvas into the hands of tattoo artists looking to improve their skills. Instead of pissing off a friend with a bad design or misspelled word, they can simply take their tattoo gun to a page of synthetic skin.

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The book includes pages with images of fingers, chests and buttocks for ample design options. Once they've filled up the skin, tattoo artists will have a portfolio of work with which to show off their wares. 

"Tattooing has the power to turn away beginners," one tattoo artist says in the video. Case in point: One novice, who said he practiced on a few oranges before turning his attention to a friend — who ended up with a tattoo that resembled a radish because he accidentally did it upside down.

Lew'Lara TWBA

Between this and those new-fangled bioelectric tattoos, inkheads have a whole host of badass things to work with. 

h/t Gizmodo