Are you prepared to practice tattooing professionally?
Some people have a lifelong dream of becoming city tattoo. Others may have developed a more recent fascination with it as a result of getting their very first tattoos. Whatever prompted your desire to learn how to tattoo, there are five basic steps that anyone can take to get started.
Ability and Passion
There are two main criteria that, above all else, determine whether you have what it takes to be a real tattoo artist. Yes, the other stages listed above are crucial, but you won’t succeed if you don’t have both talent and desire.
However, it doesn’t mean that someone can’t learn how to tattoo and even have a career. However, tattooing will never be anything more than a job, which is unfortunate for them. There are far simpler ways to make money if all you want is a paycheck. In addition, you won’t put other people in danger of receiving subpar skin art from someone who doesn’t truly care about what they are doing.
Ability, on the other hand, can be developed. A tattoo artist must undoubtedly possess some natural talent, but art lessons and consistent practice can help them advance. On the other hand, a tattoo artist who is unable to develop the abilities needed to produce quality images is simply unfit for the job. One of the best ways to determine if you have adequate skills to develop in order to learn how to tattoo successfully is to get unbiased outside opinions about your abilities.
Conduct an Observation
Observing a tattoo being done in person is one of the best ways to learn how to do it. The most likely place to begin is with oneself, so get a tattoo or several. Decide where the tattoo will be placed so that you can observe the entire procedure from start to finish and make mental notes of what the tattoo artist is doing. How is he holding the device? Does she follow a specific order when applying the inks? How does the store protect customers from sickness and mishaps?
If you’re lucky, your tattoo artist might even agree to walk you through the procedure as it happens. Make meaningful inquiries, and don’t forget to pay attention to the responses.
Remember that different tattoo artists have various techniques, so you might choose to get your ink done by a few different artists or perhaps at several different shops.
Offer to Work at a Shop
You might need to literally get your hands dirty if you want to demonstrate how seriously you want to learn how to tattoo. Numerous tattoo artists began their careers by offering to work at a shop, frequently for no pay. You won’t be able to tattoo during this type of “internship,” but you might be able to split your time between sweeping the floors and watching the artists at work.
You might use this as an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the tools used in the tattooing procedure. Even the smallest tattoo requires a lot of supplies, including needles, ink, tattoo machines, and safety gear. Working at a shop will help you learn the lingo (such as what “flash” is and how to distinguish between a “liner” and a “shader”) as well as the laws and rules that control a shop’s legal operations.
Get an apprenticeship
Working in a tattoo parlor demonstrates that you possess the initiative and motivation required to truly learn how to tattoo. Some will even advise you to start performing basic tattoos while working in a shop. It’s possible that you’ll be urged to practice on practice skins, friends, or even on yourself. But before you do, ask yourself whether you wouldn’t like to apply for an apprenticeship through the most traditional routes.
Some tattoo artists don’t mind at all—and some might even prefer it—if their trainees have experience performing straightforward tattoos. On the other hand, if you’ve already started on your own, some employers won’t accept you as an apprentice. This is due to the fact that they don’t want to work with someone who has a big ego or who they have to “unlearn” any negative behaviors. Therefore, keep this in mind while you make plans for the future.
Nevertheless, obtaining an apprenticeship is not always simple. To learn how to tattoo from a skilled artist you admire, you might have to wait a long time or perhaps move to another location. It can be difficult to keep from getting disheartened, but if you possess the enthusiasm and talent already described, you have a far greater chance of making this important step toward professional success.
Expand Your Knowledge
You won’t probably start your apprenticeship by learning how to tattoo right away. Instead, you might be required to carry out many of the tasks you accomplished while you were an apprentice before working in a tattoo shop. You’ll probably help with equipment sterilization and cleaning up the workspace.
However, as time goes on, the artist you’re working with will give you progressively greater duties and will teach you strategies and tactics that will help you achieve where you want to go.
There are further ways to broaden your knowledge. While reading a book isn’t necessarily the best way to learn how to tattoo, you can use tattoo books and periodicals to expand on the information you already have. Even just looking at other people’s tattoos may teach you a lot about technique, color theory, flow and design, and other things.
All of this effort may pay off in the form of a successful profession as a tattoo artist. Just keep in mind that the art world is constantly evolving, and the top artists are always eager to develop their skill sets. You may get yourself ready to learn how to tattoo properly by following these five steps.
