So You Want to be a Tattoo Artist?
There are a lot of jobs in this world that you can kind of fudge your way through. Tattooing is NOT one of them. Simply due to the fact that you have to be skilled enough to draw permanently on someone else’s skin. So, basically you better be pretty damn good at it. We’ve talked with some of our favorite tattoo artists to get the low down on how they got into the industry and what steps you need to take to be prepared to enter the world of tattooing.
Image by @Tattooartistrybyjenna
I think first and foremost you must be inspired “I got into tattooing because I fell in love with Instagram tattoo models and how beautiful heavily tattooed people are” says @tattooartistrybyjenna.
Image by @Alexandersonink
@Alexandersonink says, “what inspired me to start tattooing is simply the fact that since very small I would draw and even at school some teachers saw my notes of my drawings rather than my work.”
Alex leads me to the next step of becoming a tattoo artist. You must have an affinity for drawing. Even if you are an incredible artist, it’s always good to take art classes to expand your skills and learn different approaches to creating art.
Image by @klax.tattooer
@klax.tattooer actually went to school for product design, but quickly reoriented towards drawing. He began to draw fully realized illustrations and posted them online. He also began following artists who specialized in dotwork for inspiration. After creating and posting his own artwork he was approached by Karbone Studio that came directly to him and offered him training to become a tattoo artist.
It’s important as an aspiring artist to create a professional portfolio of your artwork. This can be an actual book, a website or as most do now an Instagram profile. You’ll need to show this to anyone you would potentially work for. Or, if you’re like @Klax.Tattooer they’ll see what amazing work you put out in the world and come to you. But, that is definitely rare.
Apprenticeship seems to be a reoccurring theme with the artists we spoke with. The Alliance of Professional Tattooist suggests at least three years of an apprenticeship. During which you will shadow an artist, learn to design tattoos, get the low down on sterilizing equipment, and figure out how to operate the machinery. Some health departments and agencies also require you to get classroom experience.
Image by @Maxlowetattoo
@Maxlowetattoo got his start when a close friend of his, Jason Dorrier opened the door to an apprenticeship and guided him along the way. “I worked hard to learn as much as I could, and like many apprenticeships it’s a process of navigating some challenging stepping stones which all lead eventually to a new career.” Through his apprenticeship he was able to truly immerse himself in the career and learned about “high level tattooing” from Dave and Kim Kruseman who he worked for at Olde Line Tattoo.
@tattooartistrybyjenna Traveled to Toronto to learn the business at Phat Buddha. With the knowledge she gained from this shop she was able to open her own private studio in 2018! She told us, “it’s still surreal to me that I make a living by permanently marking people with my artwork!”
It does vary by state, but you may be required to get a license to be a tattoo artist. In doing so, you must take an exam and are required to complete a certain number of hours apprenticing under an approved artist.
Most importantly, be prepared to work hard! “This job requires a lot of inner energy in order to express myself on the body of people” says @alexandersonink.
We’re going to leave you with advice from @maxlowetattoo “to anyone looking to become a tattooist, it’s wild out there you better have some fight.”
xx, The OCDivas
November 24, 2019
by The OCDivas
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