Steps in Detail
1. Learn How to Draw
The key to creating a great tattoo begins with a visually appealing drawing, so it’s essential that you focus on improving your drawing skills and illustration techniques before you even think about designing tattoos or attempting to practice tattooing. Here’s how you can get started.
Practice Drawing On Your Own
The first thing you can do to get started is to begin drawing on your own. Keep a sketchbook and a pencil handy to draw in your free time; you don’t need anything else to take that initial step. Draw things you see, things you think, and things other people describe. Get a feel for whether you truly enjoy drawing and creating art, especially art for other people. Since you’ll be drawing requests most of the time, it’s important that you’re comfortable creating art that meets the specifications of others.
Study the Work of Famous Tattoo Artists
A great way to get a feel for the art of tattooing is to study the work of notable tattoo artists. Find famous artists with different types of art styles and explore what they’ve been able to create with ink and a tattoo gun. See what jives with you and what the market feels like for the kind of tattoos you want to do. Popular tattoo artists include Mirko Sata, Chris Nunez,Miya Bailey, Gerhard Wiesbeck,Frank Carrilho,Rit Kit, and Stanislaw Wilczynski.
2. Get an Art Education
If you’re serious about a career as a tattoo artist, it’s important to seek out opportunities to become a well-rounded artist. It’s important to be realistic about your financial situation and to assess your skills as an artist so you can make a decision about whether to pursue a traditional art degree, training at a master tattoo institute, classes at a community college, or the self-taught route. The bottom line is, that the more time you spend developing your skills, the better artist you will be. Tattoo artists aren’t required to have a formal education or even a high school diploma, so this step is a big decision. Weigh the pros and cons of each.
3. Establish Basic Design Skills
While considered by many to be a less traditional art form, tattooing still encompasses all the basic tools of design. It’s important that you have a robust knowledge of how different design elements work together and how they impact each other, regardless of whether you choose to obtain an education or go the self-taught route. You should:
Learn the Basic Elements of Graphic Design
Whether you obtain an education in art or develop your drawing skills through experience, it’s critical to master the basics of graphic design. You’ll need to learn thetheories of line, shape, texture, color, value, and size. You’ll also need to learn how to apply those theories on paper to create the image you want, how to stencil, and eventually, how to execute your designs on human skin.
Learn the Principles of Graphic Design
Other essential skills to master are the principles of graphic design, such as balance, alignment, repetition, proximity, contrast, and space. These principles help to build the foundation of art itself and no drawing is complete without them. How each manifests differs greatly from piece to piece, so it’s crucial to develop a strong ability to manipulate these principles in a wide variety of ways.
4. Build a Portfolio
Anart portfoliois by far one of the most important tools in a tattoo artist’s belt. It allows prospective mentors to quickly look at your best work, so they can decide if your particular art style is what they’re looking for in an apprentice. How you put your portfolio together impacts the impression it has on your potential mentors, so make sure you:
Create a Professional Portfolio
Your portfolio should be both attention-grabbing and professional looking. Don’t use an old binder you found lying around or a single manila folder for all your art. Instead, use a new three-ring binder with sheet protectors, or have the pages matted. The outside of your portfolio should look sleek, uniform, and inviting.
Include the Right Work
Put 25 to 100 completed drawings and tattoo designs in your portfolio; these can be either copies or original works. Make sure that the pieces you choose to include do an excellent job of showcasing your versatility as an artist. Include a few examples of work you have completed in black and grey, even if your strongest work is typically composed of colorful illustrations. Even if the piece may not necessarily translate well into a tattoo, it will demonstrate that you have strong technique and have the talent for designing tattoos.
5. Become an Apprentice
Once you’re confident about your drawing skills and ability to design attractive tattoos, it’s time to gain hands-on experience and to start applying the techniques you’ve learned in a real-world environment. Tattooing isn’t something you can learn from a book; it’s critical to work with an experienced mentor who has been working successfully in the trade for many years and who is able to take you under their wing. Here’s what to keep in mind when finding a tattoo artist to work with:
Works at a Reputable Tattoo Shop
It’s important to do your due diligence when searching for a tattoo artist to apprentice under. Make sure they abide by basic hygiene guidelines and have plenty of clients. Avoid tattoo shops that seem to be empty, who can’t tell you about their hygiene practices, or that you just get a bad vibe in.
Has Mentored an Apprentice Before
Mentoring is difficult even for the most seasoned tattoo artist. Look for someone who has taken an apprentice before, so they have a better idea of what works and what doesn’t. The artist you choose as a mentor should be able to challenge you, hold you accountable, and push you past your limits. Don’t choose a mentor who seems too easy to please; a laissez-faire approach won’t help you in the long run.
6. Earn Your License
After your apprenticeship, you’ll need to get a few certifications and/or go through specific training courses to meet your state’s tattoo licensing requirements. Depending on your state, you may also need to take classes in disease control, health and safety, and other basic health care concepts. These include:
A Blood Borne Pathogen Certification
Since the canvas of a tattoo artist is human skin it is essential that they follow strict health and safety guidelines. Preventing blood borne pathogens from being spread and working to preserve the health of the client and the artist will be a focal point of your training. You will be required at some point during, or after your apprenticeship program, to become certified in how to prevent the spread of HIV, Hepatitis C, and other infections while creating a tattoo, and you’ll need to be able to show proof of blood borne pathogen certification upon request.
Training on Skin Diseases, Communicable Diseases, and Disease Prevention
Manyblood borne pathogen certification programsrequire you to go through classes or seminars on disease management before you can become certified, while others simply require you to pass a test that demonstrates your knowledge. As a tattoo artist, you should have a robust knowledge of the types of diseases that can be spread through tattooing and how to prevent them.
Check Your State Requirements
Licensing requirements often vary by state and local jurisdiction. For example, tattoo artists in Oregon must complete no less than 360 hours of training with an approved tattoo artist and 50 tattoos, as well as pass a written exam and skills assessment to become licensed. In other states, only the shop needs a license. Review yourstate’s requirements for licensure, as well as the requirements for any other state you plan to tattoo in. Like healthcare, you can be licensed to tattoo in more than one state as long as you meet that state’s requirements.
