Brooke is a “new” artist in every sense of the word – she redefines what a tattoo artist might look like. Not to say that there is such a thing as a certain “tattoo artist look” since we’re all unique, and proudly carry our own style and character; however, Brooke redefines many things. The earliest tattoos yet identified belonged to Ötzi, the ‘iceman’, whose mummy allows us a brief glimpse into the prehistory of the practice. We know that over the more than five thousand years since he was tattooed, countless cultures have performed this ancient practice, and people in every corner of the world have been tattooed. For the most part, these fascinating histories remain stubbornly untold, and the secrets of Siberian princesses, Chinese generals and Victorian socialites have been hidden on the skin, under layers of clothing and under layers of history. Now with access to a wealth of new and unreported material, this book will roll up its sleeves and reveal the artwork hidden beneath them. Julius Caesar himself was fascinated by the culture. Upon meeting them in battle, he recorded that they “dye themselves with woad, which produces a blue color, and makes their appearance in battle more terrible. They wear long hair, and shave every part of the body save the head and the upper lip.” The status of the tattooed has always been in flux. Early modern Europeans rejected tattoos as being indicative of primitiveness or savagery, but tattooing was practised in Europe long before the rise of imperialism. Lodder connects tattoos as readily with royalty as with rogues. Among those to have had themselves tattooed were King Edward VII (with a Jerusalem cross) and an apparently infamous criminal gang whose members identified themselves with a sequence of dots on their hands.

There is little proof even that they really fought naked. Most of what archaeologists have discovered about the Picts comes from the 5th century or later, but by then, at least, the culture had taken to using linen, wool, and silk. They drew themselves dressed in tunics and coats in pictures. I’m pretty covered – maybe about 70% of my body, or slightly less – and have been tattooed for several hundred hours in total by more than a dozen artists. As it would be impossible at this stage to count the number of individual tattoos I have, I’ve taken to saying I’ve got one tattoo, really – I just keep adding to it!"

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Tristan Hughes visits the best preserved military bathhouse in Britain and a famous nearby temple. Watch Now The Romans forced the Picts to coordinate their efforts

Ultimately, since all tattoos can (and do) fade, irrespective of the style, how well they age simply depends on your tattoo artist’s skill and your ability to protect your tattoos.You must be well hydrated and well-fed so that you will have enough energy in going through the process.Most likely it will last for several hours. According to other Roman sources, the only clothing the Picts wore were iron chains around their waists and throats. Iron was considered to them a sign of wealth and a material more valuable than gold. In addition, iron also served a practical use, the Picts could use these chains to carry swords, shields, and spears.

A story can be told when you add figures to your paintings. This beach scene to the right is much more interesting with the couple walking along the shore. Imagine that scene without the people and I think the whole scene would be boring or without character. Painting people takes practice but have fun with it. Try not to be perfect and your figures will be more expressive. Practice these painting tips and techniques in your next painting and I guarantee your artwork will be more interesting and expressive. I hope readers will learn that whilst tattooing is so often thought about as something separate from other forms of cultural production, actually the story of tattooing is the story of everything else. The Picts left no written records but instead their legacy comes down to us in the carved stones that can be found around Scotland. See our guide to the ten best places to see Pictish and Celtic carvings in Scotland. Researchers continue to explore the meaning of the carvings found on Pictish stones, which often feature symbols, animals and people.In Painted People, Dr Matt Lodder, one of the world’s foremost experts on tattooing, tells the stories of people like Arnaq, who was tattooed in keeping with her cultural and religious traditions in sixteenth-century Canada, and Horace Ridler, who was tattooed as a means to make money in 1930s London. And in between these two extremes, he describes tattoos inked for love, for loyalty, for sedition and espionage and for self-expression, as well as tattoos inflicted on the unwilling, to ostracise. Taken together, these twenty-one tattoos paint a portrait of humanity as both artist and canvas.