If you haven’t already noticed, now is definitely the time to jump on the tattoo train. With tattoos less taboo and more popular than ever, you can’t go wrong with a little fresh ink. But what do you do if you want to level up from canvas to artist? Here are some tips you can use to plan your future tattoo education and pave your way to tattoo artistry.
To become a tattoo artist, you first have to land a tattoo apprenticeship. These entry positions are designed to help future tattoo artists learn the ropes. Some artists are very selective about their apprentices, and with good reason; it takes a lot of practice to be able to work on skin! Many artists train their apprentices on things like fruit and synthetic skin. (Creepy, but cool!)
Before you look into which shops/artists you’d like you apprentice with, make sure you get together a decent portfolio. While the most popular tattoo designs are usually pre-drawn, being able to create custom designs is what really separates the good from the great. So brush up on your illustration skills, and keep an eye out for figure drawing classes in your area. Learning how to draw from life will help make your tattoo ideas come alive.
You don’t necessarily have to go to school to learn to tattoo, but it would be a great opportunity for you to further your tattoo education. You’ll learn about important elements, like what to do when caring for a new tattoo, or the science behind which levels of skin hold the ink in place. Check out what kind of tattoo schools are available in your area, or brush up on your tattoo science trivia out in the world wide web!
There are more resources than ever that you can use to obtain and design amazing tattoos. So quit thinking and get inking!
