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What should I do to prepare myself before I jump into a tattoo apprenticeship?
Incoming freshman in college studying for a BFA with a concentration of painting and minoring in illustration. #art
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Traci’s Answer
Hi Yazmin!
What an exciting and creative career choice you have made! One of the first things to do is continue to practice your art of drawing and build a portfolio for yourself. Immerse yourself in the trade and learn every possible thing you can about it, from it's history to famous artists to modern techniques. Finding a certified tattoo artist to mentor you in a shop that you admire may lead to an apprenticeship opportunity. Obtaining pre-license certification and training after your apprenticeship is important in order to meet your state's licensing requirements. Some states will require you to take health-type courses/trainings before you are licensed.
There is a lot of information online, but here is a good resource that may help you in regard to an apprenticeship specifically: https://www.floridatattooacademy.com/tattoo-apprenticeship/. I wish you all the best!
What an exciting and creative career choice you have made! One of the first things to do is continue to practice your art of drawing and build a portfolio for yourself. Immerse yourself in the trade and learn every possible thing you can about it, from it's history to famous artists to modern techniques. Finding a certified tattoo artist to mentor you in a shop that you admire may lead to an apprenticeship opportunity. Obtaining pre-license certification and training after your apprenticeship is important in order to meet your state's licensing requirements. Some states will require you to take health-type courses/trainings before you are licensed.
There is a lot of information online, but here is a good resource that may help you in regard to an apprenticeship specifically: https://www.floridatattooacademy.com/tattoo-apprenticeship/. I wish you all the best!
Updated
Ellen’s Answer
Hi Yazmin
Sounds like you have a clear idea of where you want to take your art. Congrats. Tattoo art is art, and you should work hard on your drawing, color, and design skills. Maintain a portfolio (paper and online) of your work. Also look at other tattoos: visit tattoo businesses, do Google, Instagram, or Youtube searches to see what style would fit your skills and what you like to do. As with any internship, here are some more general suggestions.
------Keep a list of questions about becoming a tattoo artist; don't give them to your mentor all at once, but just keep a list and bring them up when the time is right. Record the answers to those questions when you get a chance.
------Keep a journal of your experience by day or by week of what you learned, such as, new concepts or skills, feedback or advice you were given, questions you have, or just your feelings, good or bad. I kept one for my student teaching, and it was helpful for me to process what I was doing and learning in the classroom.
------Keep a positive attitude, there will be good days and not so good days, but hang in there.
------Be ready to learn from everyone in the business; they all have something to teach you.
------Stay humble, remember you are there to learn, not to impress anyone. Impress them with your open mind, your willingness to work hard, your willingness to listen and to learn, and your ability to apply what you learn.
------Be polite and remember your good manners. Tattoo artists work on people, and they need to be good at working with people.
------Keep in touch with your assigned mentor during the apprenticeship; let them know how you are doing; don't be afraid to speak up if your expectations are not being addressed, or if anything else is bothering you.
Best wishes! I hope the above suggestions are helpful.
Sounds like you have a clear idea of where you want to take your art. Congrats. Tattoo art is art, and you should work hard on your drawing, color, and design skills. Maintain a portfolio (paper and online) of your work. Also look at other tattoos: visit tattoo businesses, do Google, Instagram, or Youtube searches to see what style would fit your skills and what you like to do. As with any internship, here are some more general suggestions.
------Keep a list of questions about becoming a tattoo artist; don't give them to your mentor all at once, but just keep a list and bring them up when the time is right. Record the answers to those questions when you get a chance.
------Keep a journal of your experience by day or by week of what you learned, such as, new concepts or skills, feedback or advice you were given, questions you have, or just your feelings, good or bad. I kept one for my student teaching, and it was helpful for me to process what I was doing and learning in the classroom.
------Keep a positive attitude, there will be good days and not so good days, but hang in there.
------Be ready to learn from everyone in the business; they all have something to teach you.
------Stay humble, remember you are there to learn, not to impress anyone. Impress them with your open mind, your willingness to work hard, your willingness to listen and to learn, and your ability to apply what you learn.
------Be polite and remember your good manners. Tattoo artists work on people, and they need to be good at working with people.
------Keep in touch with your assigned mentor during the apprenticeship; let them know how you are doing; don't be afraid to speak up if your expectations are not being addressed, or if anything else is bothering you.
Best wishes! I hope the above suggestions are helpful.