Lately I've been questioning which path I want to take in life because right now I am not happy working an office job.
And after thinking about it, and talking about it with some friends and other people I decided that I might be interested in being a Tattoo Artist.
I've designed some tattoos for friends and myself and I really want to see if I could make a living doing this because I feel it's something I would really love doing.
So my questions is:
How does one get started?
I would love to hear any advice from people who do have this as their job and how it's going!
Thanks!
I too looked into tattooing as a career for a time. Things to know:
-your artwork
has to be professional quality. Specifically your line art. Start by sketching out basic drawings and then tracing the lines with lining pens (Staedler is my brand of choice). Be honest with yourself when you look at finished products and ask yourself "is this good enough? Would I want this on my body?" Come up with a portfolio and take it to tattoo artists in your area. They're pretty harsh critics (assholes), but they'll tell you exactly what you need to make your work tattoo quality.
-tattooing is MUCH different than simply drawing. Pens don't vibrate the way a tattooing needle does and paper doesn't have nerve endings the way that people do. As well, different parts of the body react differently to tattooing (example: skin on the inside of joints, like elbows and knees, can split apart when you use a lining needle on them). Be aware that while basic art skills will get you in the door, you are going to have to learn how to do art all over again, almost from scratch.
-actually learning to tattoo: There are two ways people learn. The first is through an apprenticeship. You'll get taken under wing by someone who's done the trade for years and they'll teach you what they know and how they ink. Most apprenticeships last 2 - 4 years, depending on who you're learning from and how quickly you pick it up. Depending on your mentor, they may also charge you for it. Most reasonable rates run about $3000, but I've known mentors who train for free. You may also find tattooing courses or schools in your area. Incidentally, I dropped the tattoo artist thing because every studio in Toronto is booked solid and nobody has time to train anyone.
-the other way to learn to tattoo is to buy a gun, some ink, some needles and to do it yourself. Tattooing guns run between $200 - $500; ink and needles are extra. Start by looking up a local butcher shop and ask for some discarded pig skin to practice on. Pig is closest to human skin you can get legally (ie: not a monkey), so it will react to the ink and needling almost the same way. Once you're comfortable with pig skin, it's time to start on humans. It is here that it helps to have very brave friends who won't sue you if you screw up. Most other artists recommend you tattoo your own thighs, as they can be easily covered up by pants if necessary.
-when you get into a place, be aware that you are not going to start by inking people. You'll more than likely start by working the desk primarily (office work) and practice your art by doing the stencils for the artists (tracing line art). Once they start you inking, you'll start with black work; basic, solid, one-colour shapes. They'll start you on more complex designs and shading as you're ready for them, not before. That's simply the nature of the beast.
-the other nature of the beast is that this IS a people job. You get to draw for a living, but you won't be drawing what you want. You'll be drawing what your clients want. And many of these clients will bring in designs that mean the world to them, so they complain when your design isn't their idea of perfect. They'll complain about booking times and how much it hurts and all that crap, and for the most part, you'll have to deal with them.
-the last piece of advice I can give is; get more tattoos. I'm looking at the picture above and there's a LOT of boring skin there with very little pictures on it. Find an artist you like and have a rapport with, and get ink done. You come back often enough and show enough interest, they'll start teaching you things. As for what to get, people who have a lot of tattoos have the first few "truly mean something that defines my soul". Afterwards, they get tattoos because they think the design looks cool or it sparked an interest with them. Don't think of it as you defining yourself as much as a scrapbook of your interests and personality throughout your life.
Wishing you all the best on this!
SS
