you want to be a tattooist?
tools of the trade - my first apprentice machine and my first tattoo machine repair kit
So you want to be a tattooist?
Here’s the deal - I get messages and emails and questions all the time from people wanting to become tattoo artists. I’m an empath, and I honestly genuinely love people. I don’t relish telling people, sorry, I’m not hiring, or sorry, I’m not looking for an apprentice right now. I hate crushing dreams, but I also am an honest person, and I’ll tell you in a straightforward way that I’m not looking for another artist for the shop at the moment. I wanted to write this little post just as a bit of advice I can pass on for anyone looking to get into the industry. Feel free to share and make of it what you will, but do know it’s only one person’s perspective. If you’re meant to do this, you’ll make it happen.
Most of the trade is passed down through oral tradition, a la a by-gone era. There is no “one path” to becoming a tattoo artist (or a shop owner), although some things are pretty standard for most shops that hire artists. We’re looking for people who have good attitudes, who have a solid foundation through a legitimate shop apprenticeship, have professional shop experience, and who don’t bring in “drama.” I always say - no Ds. No drinking, no drugs, no drama, no divas!
Read my prior blog post on how I got into the business, and ask yourself - knowing this can be extremely challenging and take years and years, are you still interested in tattooing? If your answer is yes, read on. Here are four big points of advice from me to you!
One - it’s great if you can draw well, but it’s necessarily not going to make you a good tattooer. Can you trace well? With a tiny felt tip pen, not a Sharpie, evenly? Can you trace a perfect circle or parallel lines? Can you trace those on uneven, stretchy, moving surfaces, with a giant weight attached to the end of your pen, while making skillful conversation and putting people at ease? Drawing and tattooing are VERY different skills. If you want to practice being a good tattooer, hone your tracing skills. And learn your old school artists (not Sailor Jerry, but the old school artists that preceded him). Get yourself some flash books and learn the standard designs.
Two - I’m going to be blunt. You’re going to have to work your butt off and deal with adversity. Can you handle rejection? Can you keep your goal in mind for years while hearing no after no after no until someone finally gives you a chance? Can you handle the “gross stuff?” Oh - you’ll see some things (there’s a VERY good reason I keep a doll on my counter with “nope” written in certain places of the anatomy to illustrate that I simply WILL NOT tattoo certain areas)…I guarantee this. Can you balance drawing, talking to people at the front counter, social media, endless DMs and messages? Are you willing to scrub tubes as well as toilets? Daily? TATTOOING IS NOT GLAMOROUS AT ALL. You'll get to experience blood, plasma, sweaty body parts, interesting smelling feet (everyone has feet that smell, hate to admit it!, but it's just part of the gig), people who pass out...you'd better have a strong constitution if you want to be a tattooer.
Three - this one is of equal importance to me as tattoo skill. You’ve got to be a people person, at least outwardly. If you can’t be nice to clients even when you’re in a bad mood or going through “stuff,” this isn’t the job for you. It’s simply not OK under ANY circumstance to take out your personal business on your clients! If you want to be a good tattoo artist, first learn to be an adult with some class and a sense of professionalism. One of the best parts of this gig - to me - is the daily conversation. Learning about people, hearing their stories, and connecting, can be a TON of fun. It can also be exhausting. Some people tell you way more than you want to hear at times. People open up in the chair. I try to hold a sacred space for each and every client that walks in my door. I promise to treat EVERYONE with respect and dignity. I believe in always observing the “ABCs” of customer service - always be cool. Don’t matter what’s going on in your personal life - be good to your clients!
Four - know that the art is NOT ABOUT YOU. I draw lots of designs and flash, but I expect that the vast majority of people who walk in here have their own ideas. Tattooing is a commercial art. If you are here to make art that makes YOUR heart sing on a daily basis, you’re in the wrong business. If you start to get bitter about tattooing the same things over and over again while people pay you and trust you to put permanent markings on their bodies, well…that’s just not cool. What’s meaningful and “good art” to you doesn’t matter; that is entirely subjective. It’s the client’s body, NOT YOURS. Your job is to translate what they want into something that will stand the test of time. Have some respect, as that marking you put on them will be taken to the grave. No pressure, right? Oh - it's a lot of pressure, and stress. Learn to handle stress well if you're going to be a tattooist.
If you can hang with the four things above, well…go for it...and look for a shop apprenticeship! DO NOT just go buy a kit on amazon or eBay or whatnot and set up shop and cause serious damage to people because you're not sure what you're doing yet. ASK ASK ASK around. Don’t give up on the first "no." KEEP ASKING. GET TATTOOED (professionally). A BUNCH OF TIMES. And get to know your tattooist in a genuine and organic manner! This can be a very rewarding and lucrative career, but you’ll have to work for it. Anyone that’s in my position has. And worked hard!