How To Become A Tattoo Artist Florida?
Licensure of the tattoo artist requires submission of a completed Application for Tattoo Artist License with the required $60. 00 fee ; a copy of a government-issued photo identification confirming the applicant is at least 18 years of age; and documentation of completing a Florida Department of Health approved, industry.
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Do tattoo artists need a license in Florida?
How to Get a Tattoo License – Beginning in 2013, the State of Florida is requiring all tattoo artists and tattoo establishments to have a license. The licensing is being managed by the Florida Department of Health (FDOH), and you must be 18 or older to apply.
- Successfully complete the online tattoo certification – Any applicant for a Florida tattoo license must complete an education course that meets the requirements set by the FDOH. This education course covers bloodborne pathogens and communicable diseases relevant to the tattoo industry and the standards for operating a tattoo establishment set forth in Chapter 64E-28 of the Florida Administrative Code
- Show proof of completion (for guest tattoo artists) – Tattoo artists who have a license from a different state still must register with the FDOH, even if only to work in Florida temporarily. As part of this registration, a guest tattoo artist must provide proof they have completed a state-approved education course on health matters relating to the tattoo industry. An out-of-state course may satisfy this requirement, but you will have to check with the FDOH to be sure.
- Submit your license application – There are several items required to apply for a license with the FDOH.
- Certificate of completion of a tattoo education course
- Copy of a government-issued photo ID
- $60 for the application fee (if your license is expired, it is a $25 reactivation fee)
What qualifications do I need to become a tattoo artist?
“B lood-born pathogens, air-born pathogens – you can get cellulitis, skin infections. I’ll show you this photo of someone who got tattooed by one of his friends at home,” says Phil Kyle, reaching for his laptop. He shuts down an episode of 1980s horror series Tales from the Darkside and opens an image of a tattoo gone seriously awry – from one stomach-churner to the next.
- “It’s awful, a serious infection;
- ” It certainly is;
- Patches of coloured ink are pooled with yellow-green pus, the actual illustration all but obscured by the infection;
- Poor technique or bad hygiene? “Both,” he says exasperated;
Kyle, 45, is a tattooist and the owner of Brighton’s Magnum Opus Tattoo , the lauded shop he opened in 2007 and where he works with five other artists. It’s a large open-plan space – light, airy and meticulously clean, the walls covered in retro tattoo prints, skateboard decks, punk rock posters, and paintings.
- His private workspace is a tiny room set off the shop floor;
- A red steel sideboard stands next to an adjustable leather chair; tiny pots of black ink, pairs of black latex gloves, bottles of saline and a couple of expensive-looking tattoo machines are neatly arranged on top;
One wall and most of the ceiling are covered in line illustrations on scraps of paper – designs Kyle has created and tattooed over the years. There are hundreds of them, three layers deep, each more intricate and lurid than the last: ships and owls, scenes from Greek and Roman history, runic symbols, a putrefying Christ.
- Most perplexing is a 20cm-wide illustration of Leonard Nimoy employing a Vulcan death grip over the legend “MAMA SAID… SPOCK YOU OUT”;
- Stocky and heavily inked, Kyle appears every bit the old-school tattoo enthusiast;
Raised in Edgewood, Maryland, he became obsessed with tattoos as a child after seeing the designs covering the arms of an English neighbour – “Daggers and snakes and skulls and things – proper tattoo flash from back in the 1960s. ” Being only six, he embraced the next best thing: “I got hooked on the old lick and stick tattoos and covered myself with those,” he laughs.
- He began drawing seriously a few years later, inspired by the punk and skate artwork he found in Thrasher magazine, and got his first tattoo aged 15;
- It wasn’t until he was 21, after three years spent persuading a local shop to take him on, that he was employed on what he describes as a “very hardcore apprenticeship” – a mix of keen observation and intense training in studio hygiene that saw a year pass before he was allowed to touch a client;
“The first guy I did was covered in homemade tattoos, so anything I did couldn’t be worse than that!” Kyle says. The next 15 years saw him working conventions, doing guest spots and holding studio residencies across the US and Europe, before finally setting up shop in Brighton.
Those formative years instilled a discipline and a reverence for the job, and Kyle believes every aspiring tattoo artist should undergo this kind of training. It’s certainly what he would expect of anyone approaching his shop for work.
There are no formal qualifications: dogged persistence, humility, a proclivity for hard work and genuine artistic talent are requisite, but patience is also essential. “It’d be a year before they could even touch one of those machines, aside from cleaning it,” he says.
“It shows how motivated you are if you stick it out. ” Good tattoos do not come cheap, but the idea of a regular wage varies hugely. An hourly rate of around £100 an hour is normal for work of this level, though Kyle takes a small cut from his five resident artists to cover rent and bills.
He’ll happily take tiny jobs as bread-and-butter work, but designs as intricate as those on his walls take much longer. “This would be about three hours, plus a couple on the drawing,” he says pointing to a saucer-sized image of a flaming knight above three hellhounds.
“But a back piece could be a couple of grand. ” Eventually, an artist with a good reputation could earn six figures a year if they put in the hours across shop and convention work. As an apprentice you could expect to earn around 30% of the cost of each tattoo as a training wage.
The work is relentless, though this intensity is born of passion for the job as much as practical necessity. A typical day sees Kyle running errands and dealing with paperwork before opening around midday, holding consultations and tattooing clients until 6pm or 7 pm – and then working on designs late into the night.
Inevitably, it’s a role that transcends being just a job. “When you’re in, it’s your life. You don’t clock out,” he says. It’s this dedication and reverence for the craft that has made Kyle such a respected name, as well as a superlative artist.
The learning, he says, never stops. “Every time you do a tattoo you try and make it your best,” he says. “Magnum Opus is Latin for ‘masterpiece’. It’s about constantly trying to up one on yourself.
Do tattoo artists make good money?
Getty Images/iStockphoto Job: Tattoo artist Role : The responsibilities of a tattoo artist begin long before they pick up a needle, and end long after they dispose of it at the end of the day. While the actual application of tattoos is a vital component of the job, so is consulting with clients, sterilizing equipment, setup, cleanup and homework. “Most artists will draw at home. I’m drawing anywhere from an hour to five hours a night,” said Mark Prata, a tattoo artist and the owner of Toronto Ink Tattoo and Laser.
“Right now, I’m doing a Mayan Aztec half-sleeve on a guy, which is not in my realm. I know nothing about Aztec culture, so I’m actually going home and researching it. ” Salary : The salary of tattoo artists used to be heavily dependent on their location, but Mr.
Prata says that the Internet has levelled the playing field for artists working outside of densely populated regions. Artists today often display their work online, which can be an effective way to encourage people living in other regions to come to them.
“I just had a client two days ago who flew in from Vancouver because he saw me on Instagram and said ‘I need this guy to tattoo me,” said Mr. Prata, adding that if he found out he had fans in Calgary, for example, he could spend a week working from a tattoo shop in that city as well.
With the Internet providing a marketing platform for local artists, salaries are now dependent on skill, reputation and social media popularity. Mr. Prata says that tattoo artists typically operate as independent contractors as opposed to salaried employees, with shop owners paying them between 40 and 60 per cent commission on their overall sales.
He says that most tattoo artists earn between $30,000 and $50,000 a year, while renowned artists can easily earn well above $100,000 annually. Education: There is no formal licensing or educational standard for tattoo artists in Canada.
Since the industry is built on reputation and liability, however, reputable shop owners won’t allow amateurs to operate in their establishment. While there are crash courses and training programs available across the country, many in the industry consider them expensive and often invaluable.
- “There are tattoo schools that exist, but they charge something like $8,000 for a couple of weeks and really don’t teach you anything;
- They’re a bit of a cash grab,” said Michael Longo, a tattoo artists at Artworxx Tattoo & Piercing in Etobicoke;
“If someone says they trained at a tattoo school, people in the industry really look down on it, because they think that person got scammed and probably learned nothing. ” Mr. Prata agrees, calling such institutions “a big waste of money. ” Instead, both he and Mr.
Longo launched their careers by working as informal apprentices, which has become the unofficial standard in the industry. Mr. Prata explains that apprenticeships are often unpaid, and many apprentices leave before the end of their training.
Depending on their skill level, most spend a minimum of six months helping with bookings and consultations, setup and cleanup before they’re given an opportunity to practise with a needle, but only on themselves, close friends and pigskins at first. “It’s about eight months before they touch a client, and when they start working on clients, it’s very simple tattoos,” he said.
- “They’ll do that for another six months, so it’s a year and a half before they really do anything half-decent;
- ” Job prospects: Career opportunities for tattoo artists will depend on their skills and level of experience;
While those who have spent less than five years in the industry may struggle to find work, those who have built a reputation can take their talents anywhere in the world. “People have really gone into niches and developed styles, so if you’re bringing something to the table, you can find a job anywhere, no problem,” Mr.
- Prata says;
- “If you’re a good artist, or you offer something unique, it’s very easy;
- You can go and work all over the world;
- ” Challenges: Since tattoo artists work as independent contractors, they rarely have the luxury of employee benefits and a consistent salary;
While experienced tattoo artists are able to earn a decent living, beginners often work for years to establish a client base. Why they do it: Given that it is a difficult field to break into, those who put in the time to become tattoo artists are often very passionate about their career.
Furthermore, while pay is far from steady, it is still among the most financially secure professions for visual artists. “I can get paid to draw, and I can do something that’s rewarding for me,” Mr. Longo said.
“You get people who come in who want a memorial tattoo for a family member that passed away and they want to get something elaborate that symbolizes their family member. That, to me, is some of the most meaningful art you can do. ” Misconceptions: Both Mr.
- Longo and Mr;
- Prata say many people wrongly believe that most of their customers fall into two categories: bikers and punks;
- “The clients that we get, they’re just the same people you’d meet at a mall; they’re regular people, the nurse or the construction worker or the university student;
You don’t get a client base that’s particularly weird or scary,” Mr. Longo said. “That old-school mentality is still around, but tattoos are so popular now,” Mr. Prata added. “It still has that stigma, and I think tattoos will have that for a long time. ” Give us the scoop: Are you a tattoo artist? Write a note in the comments area of this story or e-mail your comment to [email protected]
How do I start my career as a tattoo artist?
Can I do tattoos at home in Florida?
18. Does my tattoo license allow me to tattoo at a customer’s home? –
- No. Conventional tattooing and cosmetic tattooing, including permanent makeup and microblading, may only be practiced at a licensed tattoo establishment.
Top of Section.
How much is a Florida tattoo license?
Licensure of the tattoo artist requires submission of a completed Application for Tattoo Artist License with the required $60. 00 fee ; a copy of a government-issued photo identification confirming the applicant is at least 18 years of age; and documentation of completing a Florida Department of Health approved, industry.
What are the cons of being a tattoo artist?
How long does a tattoo apprenticeship last?
How long does a tattoo apprenticeship last? – Tattoo apprenticeships typically take one to three years, depending on your progress. Aim to understand the business aspect of running a tattoo shop during this program. You can also use these experiences to learn about the tattoo industry’s standards and technology.
Do you have to be good at drawing to be a tattoo artist?
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.
