HOw can I go into becoming a tattoo artist?

Question

I'm very shy. And I lovce art. But people say my sketching abilities suck. Should I ask a tattoo artist if it's god enough.

Answer 1

In my studio, you would need to come in with an elaborate portfolio of very good work to even talk to someone about an apprenticeship. So-so art does not cut it in this industry. If all you would ever be capable of doing is just being a flash jockey, there are some street shops that thrive off of that, but most of us are all about custom work.

This isn't an arrogant put-down - It's just the facts.

Answer 2

First of all shy and being afraid to show off your art dont work to begin with in tattooing apprentiships. I got scolded very harshly one day when another artist asked to see my work and I didnt hand it over because I was embarrased because at the time I knew I WAS not as good as him and I am sure to this day he is far better at some things than I am. But during your apprentiship you will loose the shyness or loose the apprentiship selling yourself and knowing how to sell your work to a customer is an important skill and dont worry about the drawing if its so so right now do the apprentiship anyways I kept my stuff pre-apprentiship all the way up to now i had good ideas back then but i didnt understand alot about format and what will and wont work in tattooing just because it can be put on paper doesnt makee it an automatic canidate for the skin, I also learned alot about technique and such, until you get the apprentiship spot do yourself a favor, buy a few skin art magazines and some magazines called flash. get a few 11x14 sketchbooks and some tracing paper along with a smaller sketchbook. Also get some hard and soft drawing pencils I prefer the cheap *** yellow roll out mechanicals for general sketching but you will need a soft lead for a transfer to the tracepad then to your large 11x14 once the design is sound. You also need some drawing pens I would get a .05 .03 and .08 and then get a starter pack of 48 berol prismacolors and learn to lay down color dark to lightest. Oh ya after you trasfer your good drawing from your small sketchbook to large one using trace paper use the pens to make your lines bold then go from there with color. Things I can suggest to draw are kanji, leaves,flowers,go so far as to look at the flash mags and get ideas from there. Nature is so full of cool *** bugs and such anaotomy books help. I use and have used Anatomy for the drawing artist for the longest time and am not ashamed to say i also have learn to draw volumes 1-2 they are cheap but the simple stuff they teach will take you a long way the rest is practice practice practice if your sitting still and not cleaning the shop you should be drawing if your not helping customers draw if your alone at home draw if your missing a magazine on the pot and have a pencil and paper draw I cant stress drawing enough the more you do it the more your mind conforms to getting out of normal restraints..........jeez I am long winded.....Good luck on the apprentiship until then ,your guessed it start drawing

Answer 3

Go to a tattoo shop and ask if they take apprentices. Take your sketches with you and ask - to be a tattoo artist you need to have artistic ability - it's not as simple as tracing lines on skin with a tattoo machine. (All the tattoo artists I know can draw very well.)

Answer 4

The long winded guy gave great advise, draw draw draw.. As for finding an artist to appretice you.. thats tough.
I wish you luck though ... I want to be a tattoo artist as well.