How Hard Is It To Become A Tattoo Artist?
10 Things You Should Know Before Becoming A Tattoo Artist –
- If you’re good at drawing, it doesn’t mean you’ll be good at tattooing!
- Becoming a tattoo artist doesn’t mean you’ll become rich; at the beginning of your career, you’ll probably work for free!
- You don’t have to go to a tattoo school to become a tattoo artist!
- Prepare to invest heavily into a tattoo machine and tattoo equipment!
- No one can guarantee you success in the industry; you may or may not become successful and have a profitable business!
- Don’t expect your every tattoo to be perfect; there will be times when you mess up, badly!
- You’ll have to learn to say NO to customers’ bad tattoo design ideas!
- You’ll have to learn to be extremely focused on tattooing only, for hours!
- Expect to start having back issues, pain in the arms, and neck after only a few years of tattooing!
- Becoming a tattoo artist will take a lot of hard work, and we’re talking about years of dedication and commitment!
Contents
Can I be a tattoo artist if Im not creative?
Do You Need To Be Good At Drawing To Be A Tattoo Artist? – Yes, but the great news is if you aren’t, you can learn. Some people may have more established artistic talent, but anyone can learn to draw. Take a look at our Drawing Tutorials and you will see how easy it can be.
Drawing doesnt have to be complicated and a lot of the flash tattoo designs most tattooists make a living from are fairly basic line drawings. Flash designs in general will be made up of a basic line drawing that you can then add colour to.
You will need a steady hand though and there is no better way to learn than from a good tattooist. Most tattooists dont want the extra work of teaching an apprentice. To impress them enough to give you a chance is more likely if they can see evidence of your artistic talent.
How long does it take to get good at tattooing?
Remember: first impressions count – Just like any job, especially when you are making a first impression, you need to put your best effort forward. You are expected to always be doing something productive. “If you aren’t talking to clients and getting them set up to be tattooed by an artist in the shop you should be honing your skills and drawing flash, the term for popular tattooable imagery—mostly in the American traditional style, meaning strong outline and solid coloring,” says Kantner.
If you aren’t doing that you should be cleaning. “An apprenticeship in the tattoo world is still done how they have been for the last 30 years,” says Kantner. It will be tough, but the payoff is one hundred percent worth it.
If it feels like the shop you are visiting is giving you a hard time and are being tough on you, don’t take it personally. This is all part of the learning process. They are tough for a reason, to weed out the people who aren’t completely serious about progressing the craft of tattooing.
“You may not even pick up a tattoo machine until you are a year into your apprenticeship because your drawing and technique needs to be adapted to tattooing,” says Kantner. “If your art is there and you have the drive then tattooing is a great way to make money in the arts.
Just know that the path is not an easy one when done correctly. ” Ultimately, be prepared for a long journey. No one becomes a tattoo artist overnight and it’s a lot of work to get to the place you want to ultimately be. Becoming a tattoo artist takes between one and three years of apprenticing under a master tattooist.
And that’s time you will need to be working hard and also be working elsewhere to support yourself: Tattoo apprenticeships are earned and are unpaid internships. But ultimately, it’s going to be so worth it.
You’ll be the tattoo artist you admire. Related: Here’s Everything You Need to Know Before Becoming a Tattoo Artist.
Is tattooing stressful?
Stress awareness is a very important topic of discussion and has recently been brought into the limelight by the COVID-19 pandemic. People have been trying to find out various ways to relieve their stress for centuries, which has created many therapeutic procedures like acupuncture, exercising, mental health management, and many more.
Tattoos are famous for being a way of self-expression for years, but did you know that they can help keep the body healthy and safe against microbes and stress? The tattoo needle, ink, and the placement of the design on your body can mean many different things personally, but it could even alleviate tension.
Let’s have a look at the various ways how your new tattoo helps your body in reducing stress and pressure: Therapeutic effects: There is evidence found on human fossils that some tattoos were created in areas that correspond to the points of acupuncture, used in Eastern medicine.
- Acupuncture is popular all over the world even today as it helps to heal some ailments, notably arthritis;
- Some cultures, even today, use medicinal tattooing to cure diseases;
- The oldest mummified body found in the world, the 5,000-year-old man Ötzi, also had tattoos along the acupuncture meridians, as his group must’ve believed that it would help cure his many diseases;
Tattoos can also be used to diminish the pain caused by stress and strain. Multiple tattoos improve your immune system: A study published in the American Journal of Human Biology asserts that when a person gets a tattoo, the body’s immune system sends out antibodies to combat the foreign material injected in the body, which causes the area to swell a bit and scabs to form.
After consecutive tattoos, the body has ready antibodies formed to combat the foreign materials and hence does not have as major a reaction as it did just after the first tattoo. Reduced cortisol levels: The same study mentioned above reveals that during the tattooing procedure the production of cortisol, a stress-relieving hormone , and an immune response suppressant, are reduced.
Cortisol is produced when the needle punctures the skin and creates pain in the area, but after subsequent tattoo, the production reduces, hence also reducing the production during actual situations of tension. This is particularly beneficial for humans as this hormone causes many symptoms that are usually associated with stress, like headaches, high blood pressure, weight gain, and many others.
- Tattoos help improve fitness: Many people who have stress-related issues tend to exercise, as it causes the body to release ‘feel-good’ hormones like endorphins;
- The hormone cortisol also hampers the body’s ability to heal and recuperate after exercising;
This is why many athletes try various methods to keep their cortisol levels low, which can be achieved by getting many tattoos gradually. This is why we can see many footballers and cricketers with tattoos, such as David Beckham, Lionel Messi, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, and many more.
- A good way to hide body imperfections: Many people are shy or stressed to show their scars, birthmarks, and stretch lines, hence they elect to cover them with tattoos;
- This is generally seen with patients of cancer or violence and sometimes even self-harm, who show that they have accepted their past and are ready to move on;
They are also used to cover up previous tattoos if a person wants a change or wishes to hide an ex-significant other’s memories. Getting a tattoo feels good: The tattooing process is painful for many, but the human combats the pain by releasing endorphins and adrenaline, which creates a natural ‘high’ and makes the person feel euphoric.
This is why many people don’t stop after getting just one tattoo! Many people also get tattoos about memories or people they have lost, and the option of carrying those moments with them everywhere they go makes them happy and content.
Boosts confidence: Tattoos are the ultimate form of self-expression. They portray a person’s personality and likes in the form of an open book. Tattoos are also a great conversation starter, as people can bond over their designs and tattoos they would want in the future.
For those who have experienced unfortunate times, a tattoo can be a symbol for what they have experienced and how they fought those situations. According to a study, a tattoo can magnify a person’s self-image for a considerable time after they have got the tattoo done.
There you have it: some of the most important health benefits of getting a tattoo! If you want to get one, there’s no better place than Aliens Tattoo Studio. We have our branches in Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Vizag, Bangalore, and Ahmedabad, and upcoming new branches.
Walk-in today for a free tattoo consultation with our award-winning artists, and create memories for a lifetime! All these benefits would quickly be lost if you don’t take proper care of the tattoo. We at Aliens have created the Aliens Tattoo Cream: A homemade ointment-based tattoo aftercare cream.
It is a chemical-free, fragrance-free, antibacterial cream specially made to keep your skin moist and healthy, allowing your tattoo to heal faster. With our 12+ years of experience in tattooing, we have tried and tested tons of aftercare products before coming up with Aliens Tattoo Cream.
Do you need talent to be a tattoo artist?
Becoming a tattoo artist is easy! Doing so requires no formal education. If you have a talent for drawing and design, the equipment and the will to put in the work, you can get started tattooing others right away. However, many professional tattoo artists go on to become licensed tattoo artists.
What are the cons of being a tattoo artist?
How to become a tattoo artist: where do I start?
Can you make a living as a tattoo artist?
How Much Do Tattooists Earn Annually? – According to the ZipRecruiter ‘s latest update, it is believed that tattoo artists in the United States have an annual income of $99,956. This means they earn on average $48. 06 an hour, or $8,330 as a monthly salary.
Of course, this is just an average estimate. Some tattoo artists can earn as much as $300,000, while others earn as low as $12,000. To be more specific, currently, the highest-earning tattoo artists make annually around $260,000, while the lowest-earning tattooist in 2021 earns approximately $39,000.
But, why do these numbers vary so much? Why is the discrepancy between low- and high-earning tattoo artists so significant? The reason for this lies in factors like the state where the tattoo artists work, opportunities for economic or wage advancement, even how much people tip them after a completed tattoo work.
Of course, there are things like the quality of work, reputation, location of the tattoo studio, the cost of owning the studio as well as the tools and equipment, and so much more. We do have to mention that the majority of tattoo artists don’t own their own studio at the beginning of their careers.
They have to work for someone else, which means they do not receive their full earnings. The shopkeeper generally collects up to 70% commission for every tattoo completed at their shop. This means you’ll only earn between $30 or $40 for a $100 tattoo since the shopkeepers take the commission of up to $70.
However, with enough time and experience, even a beginner in the industry can improve their earnings by gaining and growing the clientele. As the customer number grows, especially the number of regular and valuable customers, so does the cost of the tattoo increase.
As a result, the commission lowers, especially if the tattooist decides to go solo. This gives the tattooist an opportunity to charge more, earn more, and build a stable business.
What certifications do I need to tattoo?
How do I get started as a tattoo artist?
What are the hardest tattoos to do?
The most difficult form of realism in tattooing is probably portraiture, because it requires the artist to capture both the likeness and character of a real person. Realistic tattoos can be created using colour, or in black and grey form.
Is tattooing addictive?
– Tattoos have increased in popularity in recent years, and they’ve become a fairly accepted form of personal expression. If you know someone with several tattoos , you may have heard them mention their “tattoo addiction” or talk about how they can’t wait to get another tattoo.
Maybe you feel the same way about your ink. It’s not uncommon to hear a love of tattoos referred to as an addiction. Many people believe tattoos can be addictive. (There’s even a television series called “My Tattoo Addiction.
“) But tattoos aren’t addictive, according to the clinical definition of addiction. The American Psychiatric Association defines addiction as a pattern of substance use or behavior that’s not easily controlled and can become compulsive over time. You might pursue this substance or activity regardless of the problems it might cause and have trouble thinking about or doing anything else.
- This description generally doesn’t apply to tattoos;
- Having a lot of tattoos, planning multiple tattoos, or knowing you want more tattoos doesn’t mean you have an addiction;
- Many different reasons, some of them psychological, could drive your desire for multiple tattoos, but addiction probably isn’t one of them;
Let’s look more closely at the factors that could be contributing to your desire for more ink.
Do tattoos mean low self esteem?
Low self-esteem in women with tattoos – A significantly greater distance between the present self and the ideal self was found in women with tattoos compared to women without tattoos. This greater distance between the present and ideal self represents low self-esteem [ 60 ].
We found more negative cognitive and emotional aspects of self-esteem in women with tattoos as compared to controls without tattoos. Our results correspond with previous studies [ 16 – 18 ]. The notion that those with low self-esteem tend to tattoo their bodies, is consistent with the phenomenon of self-mutilation in teenage girls.
It is well-known, that those with self-mutilating behavior have low self-esteem [ 61 ]. It is noteworthy that a study by Varma and Lanigan [ 62 ], showed that in 48% of the cases the main reason for tattoo removal was the desire to improve one’s self-esteem.
The hypothesis is supported by other studies showing greater maladjustment in persons with tattoos. For example, suicide victims were twice as likely to have tattoos compared to a matched sample of accidental-death victims observed in the same clinic [ 63 ].
Indeed, the higher scores on the various indices of maladjustment [ 8 ] may suggest the role of low self-esteem in predicting tattooing behavior. However, others found no differences in self-esteem between people with tattoos and those without tattoos [ 26 , 27 ].
- Moreover, some researchers [ 5 , 23 ] found an increase in self-esteem after tattooing that was related to increased acceptance of one’s body;
- Pajor et al [ 24 ] suggested that an increase in self-esteem in persons with tattoos stems from a feeling of being unique, and the presence of an exceptional pattern on the body which represents an emphasis of individuality;
Higher scores in only two out of nine aspects of self-esteem, namely, Competence and Personal Power scales, were detected in people with tattoos [ 24 ]. Another study [ 8 ] reported that tattooing behavior is not associated with low self-esteem, but associated with a negative attitude to one’s own body.
How big should a tattoo portfolio be?
Most tattoo shops won’t even consider you if you don’t bring them a portfolio that demonstrates your artistic ability. The first thing you need to do in order to put together a portfolio of your best work is decide what format you want to display the art in.
Nowadays, many tattoo artists not only have a hard copy of their portfolio, they also have an online presence. One of the benefits of the online portfolio is that it’s a lot easier for a potential future boss to share your work with some of his industry friends to get their opinion and the exposure can open additional doors for you.
Of course, seeing a piece of original art on a computer doesn’t always do it justice, so to maximize effect, you may well want to have your portfolio available as a hard copy and also online. That way, anyone has the option to check out your work in any fashion they desire.
The most popular way to display artwork is in a slim case designed for such purposes. These are available at any art supply store in many different sizes and colors. Just make sure you purchase a big enough one to allow you to display your art properly.
You certainly don’t want to have to cut or minimize your art in any form or fashion. So, now you have the display choice sorted out, what exactly should you put in your portfolio? You will certainly want to show plenty of diverse styles, because while specializing in one or two specific genres is nice, you don’t want to have to turn away a potential client because you can’t achieve the look they want.
Be sure to include samples of the main categories: realism, tribal and lettering. You might also want to include a few original pieces to showcase your inner creativity. One thing your tattoo portfolio shouldn’t include is samples of tattoos.
Your portfolio should demonstrate your ability as an artist, while showing your potential future as a tattoo artist. Professionals will want you to learn tattooing skills during your apprenticeship, not learning bad habits beforehand. Finally, you’re going to want to make sure your portfolio contains 50 to 200 COMPLETED and COLORED drawings.
.
Do tattoo artists just trace?Creating the tattoo stencil – When a client selects the design they want tattooed, the artist will trace the image onto transfer paper (thin paper with an additional carbon sheet attached) or use a pen with stencil fluid on tracing paper. The special ink acts as a vehicle for a carbon copy of the design to be placed on the skin with the help of lotion or another stencil application product.
Technology is a wonderful thing.  |