So you want to start tattooing?

Hello and welcome back to my blog, it's been awhile!

I promised myself I would be writing a blog post per month but as soon as I went back to work, basically forgot about it completely and got swept away by the rush of tattooing clients again.

Since returning to work a few days a week, I've put most of my time and attention into improving my work and finding a foothold in this new city that I live in-it really felt like starting from scratch after moving 6 hours away from where I've always worked, as well as taking two years off to home-school my kids and travel full-time.

Finding new clients and advertising really is one third of this job and when new artists don't make it, it's in part because that first year of tattooing is much harder than most people assume it'll be and your tattoos just aren't looking quite right, but also because you're probably not reaching out to real-life people in your community who may directly come to you for tattoos someday with effective marketing.

So back to the title of this quick blog post, you probably came here because you're interested in tattooing! We get messages at our studio regularly from people asking how to start tattooing or if we can teach them. It is a highly sought after job and most people aren't really sure where to start.

I used to respond to these messages with some polite information and tips, or even suggesting they come by the studio with some of their artwork and someone at the studio could sit down and talk to them for a bit-but to be honest-there are SO MANY of these messages coming in now in recent years theres almost no way to keep up with all of them anymore. You can go to youtube and find channels with information on the topic, but I dont find many blogs or articles so I thought I'd share my most important tips.

Lets begin!

First thing to know about being a tattoo artist:

Please, PLEASE for the love of god, already be an artist.

Already have a passion for art.

Have an eye for design and beauty and lots of experience MAKING art in whatever form calls to you.

Probably half of every inquiry we get from people who want to be a tattoo artist are people who do not draw or have had no interest in the arts prior to that month. I feel like this should be obvious but apparently it isn't.

You will be drawing EVERYDAY for the rest of your life if this becomes your career even someone who just tattoos part-time will still be drawing far more than you can image.

The tattoo itself is just a small part of the drawing you will be doing.

Drawing done for practice and fun OUTSIDE of work that took around 8 hours to complete.

Second thing to know:

This is a self-motivating and self-directed job, so you will have to be accountable for doing your own work. Not everyone enjoys a job where they make their own schedule and must be accountable to it. There is no work schedule posted weekly that tells you when your shifts are, and you often have to stay late or come in early to clean, order supplies, contact clients, adjust your booked appointments, redraw a design (for the third time), create content for marketing, plus more. You have to make a plan for the days and hours you want to work and stick to it, you need to stay on top of your workload and administrative duties, and jobs like these tend to have longer work hours than most typical 9-5 jobs.

For some people this may sound like a dream to be in charge of your own schedule and workload, and for others it would be a nightmare or impossible, and thats ok. Just know what you want out of your career.

I personally welcome the flexibility this brings me, even though it means I work MORE than typical 40hr work week jobs.

Third thing to know:

You will have to work and draw even when you dont want to. Most tattoo artists went into the profession because they love art, drawing, painting, creating, etc. But every artist has 'art slumps':periods of time where they really struggle to create or motivate themselves to do the art. Just because you love a thing doesnt mean you don't get burn out, and even worse than burn out is a dreaded art slump where it seems you simply can't tap into your creativity the way you usually do.

This is annoying and inconvenient when art isn't your everyday money-maker, but brutal and even terrifying when your day job relies on you getting to the drawing table everyday regardless of how you're feeling. (Colds and flus also! Drawings take time and we draw to keep up with our booked clients no matter what!)

This may sound harsh but if you don't find the determination and inner strength to draw anyways, you are letting down YOUR CLIENT: A paying customer who sought you out, paid you a deposit (ALWAYS take deposits-maybe a blog post on that later), perhaps scheduled time from their job and made arrangements to show up for that tattoo appointment: so they must be treated like gold.

Some quick tips on staying motivated to keep drawing even when you are burnt out or in an art slump:

• Have a dedicated spot to draw in: An art desk, your bed, a comfy chair. Try to draw here often and when you're in a slump, the simple muscle memory of sitting in that spot to draw helps your brain get into the mindset to create again.

• Use headphones and turn on music! This helps shut out distractions and most artists will swear it activates those creative juices!

• Set a timer for 30-60 min while at your drawing space and with your headphones in and focus on your drawing in that time frame with ZERO pausing or distractions! That means no TV nearby, and put your phone in another room! If you need internet access to look something up quickly, make sure you dont get sidetracked by anything else on your phone: pick up the phone with mindful intention to look up the one thing you need, and put it right back down again.

• Remember to take mental breaks. Sometimes it is better to take the night off and draw the next day, even if it means you'll have one less day to draw for a client coming up soon. When you're in a better headspace you usually can draw faster and better than when you're tired, stressed, hungry, grumpy, etc.

Final tip on becoming a tattoo artist!

While there is a ton of information online now about learning to tattoo and improving your tattooing, and the equipment is now available through more accessible sources than it used to be, I will always recommend you find an apprenticeship at a real tattoo studio.

You simply will not be a respected tattoo artist in your community unless you go this route.

There maybe be a 'tattoo school' that claims it will get you started in just one or two semesters, but even if you do learn the basics at one of these schools, no tattoo shop will want to hire you after you're done and you'll basically have to enter your working career going solo or at a private studio.

There isn't anything wrong with private studios, but it is ALWAYS better to have a 'team' who has your back in a real tattoo shop. A real tattoo studio with a group of artists will find you the most clients, get your name out into your local community the best, and be there to help you as you continue your tattoo education-which never ends.

You are not finished learning even your basics after one year of tattooing, no matter what a youtube video or tattoo school tells you-espesically since the industry keeps innovating and changing at a rapid rate.

So how do you get taken in at one of these shops or studios?

The honest answer to this one is simple.

First off remember my first tip? ALREADY be an artist that enjoys drawing and has PLENTY of work to show that you enjoy drawing.

Then, you physically go to shops and studios where you live and meet the people there.

You tell them you are interested in tattooing and are looking for an apprenticeship and see what they say.

You spend time at studios and SHOW that you're interested in being there.

You will almost certainly be told they don't have room for anyone, but do not panic! Use this time to get to know the studios and artists in your community and create connections, WHILE practicing and growing your art. If you continue to do this for months-or even years-THEY WILL eventually take you in.

If you're enjoying the job and the artists there than this route shouldnt sound like a horrible idea, but if you find you arent enjoying this part of the process, maybe find a different studio to 'hang out' at, or.... maybe this career isn't for you.

That may sound like a bad deal since you will be spending so much time in tattoo studios and not hired or making money, but this is what every tattoo artist went through and how you demonstate you are serious.

This really isn't a job to be done lightly since you will be modifying people's bodies permanently. You are not cutting hair that will quickly grow back, and you arent painting walls that can simply be painted over. It is PERMANENT and life changing for the person you are tattooing-for better or worse.

Even if this is something you want to do part-time or on the weekend with friends, I would still recommend going to a tattoo studio and doing whatever you can to learn, ask questions and grow. I realize this way doesn't make you any money, so if you're on your own paying bills-you'll need a 'side job' until you not only get an apprenticeship, but also until your apprenticeship is over.

In conclusion, I'm sure there is much more I didn't address or answer so I would like to take this time to let you know I am happy to answer questions if you still have some!

Feel free to send me a message and I'll get back to you soon.

Further-these tips and tricks are what I know work where I live and where I'm from, which is in Canada.

I realize in other countries the process may be different, for example-in some States they have more official and licenced tattoo schools that go on for many years, include testing and include supervised apprenticeships-and these places do an amazing job. That's not the type of 'tattoo school' I'm referring to in this blog post. Im specifically referring to small predatory pop-up businesses that appear and dissapear quickly all over Canada that promise people that they'll teach you everything you need to know and get your career started, or to online courses that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars to teach you how to tattoo but simply do not replace a real in-person and experienced teacher. I have seen several courses teaching people to tattoo that DO NOT know how to tattoo properly and don't have a proper education themselves.

These courses can be supplemental to your apprenticeship but are absolutely not enough for someone to tattoo properly, safely, problem solve on all body types, or answer real on the job experiences, and start completely on their own after just a few months.

Practice drawing on a banana with ballpoint pen, and also with a tattoo machine!

Bonus tip! I also wanted to add that fake skin is a wonderful tool to practice on, but there are so many steps before you even get to tattooing on fake skin that really shouldn't be skipped. (Fun tip: tattooing on oranges, bananas, and pig skin is just as important a step for new tattooers and should not be skipped! Fake skin is amazing but has a different texture from real skin, so treat it equal to tattooing on an orange or banana when it comes to practice. )

Thanks for reading this and hope this answered some questions!