How to Become a Tattoo Artist

If you’ve looked at any other articles about how to become a tattoo artist, you’ll see that learning to draw is the first step.

Design was create with the shape of the shoulder and bicep in mind

How to Learn to Draw Tattoo Designs

The best way to learn how to create tattoo designs is to emulate famous tattoo artists you admire. Draw their tattoos without tracing them, and try to take note of why that tattoo seems to be working. Over time, you will learn what good tattoos look like and how they’re put together.

When you’re learning to tattoo, remember that you don’t need to “reinvent the wheel.” Learning to draw by modeling a successful tattooer’s designs lets you leverage their years of experience. Instead of figuring everything out yourself, you’ll be using their experience to get the hang of drawing tattoo designs faster. 

Learn to Use Procreate + iPad

Drawing with pencil and paper is a key part of being a tattoo artist. You cannot tattoo better than you can draw. 

However, being able to design digitally lets you work much faster. Drawing with Procreate on an iPad lets you make straight lines and smooth blends in seconds instead of spending hours on perfect pencil drawings. 

With an iPad, you can make more art and develop a style faster while also posting more often and building a following. However, even if their art improves quickly, new tattooers still need to get enough practice on fake skin and friends before moving to clients.

Knowing the History of Tattooing Helps You Understand Tattoo Design

Tattoos are nothing new. In fact, they date back to earlier than 3000 B.C. However, our more modern styles are still evolving today. 

Your tattoo portfolio is a folder with plastic sleeves that display your best work. When you walk into a tattoo studio looking for an apprenticeship or a job, the only thing a shop owner will care about is how good your work is. So, you want to focus on building a solid portfolio. 

Why You Should Also Have an Online Portfolio

An online portfolio is a social media page where you have posted your work. Instagram usually works best. It should not replace a physical portfolio. However, it’s a good idea to be posting your artwork consistently online. 

If you can gain a following and prove to shop owners that people are already interested in your work, they’ll be more likely to hire you because when you make the transition into tattooing, it will be easier for you to get clients. This means you're not having to rely on the shop for walk-ins and taking work from the other artists. Instead of being another mouth to feed, you’ll be an asset to the business.

Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP) Training is a course that prepares you to protect yourself and your clients from potentially deadly infections, which you’ll need to do every day as a tattoo artist. Almost every state requires you to have a valid certification to get a tattoo artist license, so you’ll need to take a BBP training course to legally tattoo in your state. 

Most people you ask will tell you there is one way to become a tattoo artist. This is not true. Tattoo artists enter the industry in many ways. It’s up to you to decide which one is right for your learning style and your life situation.

However, if you decide to learn independently, your end goal needs to be building a great portfolio. If you can show that you’re great at tattooing, you’ll be able to get hired in a tattoo shop without having had an apprenticeship.

Option 1: The Tattoo Apprenticeship

Tattoo apprenticeships are considered the traditional method of learning tattooing. An aspiring tattoo artist will work under a mentor who teaches them how to tattoo in the shop. Apprenticeships usually last 2-4 years and are unpaid. In many cases, the apprentice will pay the mentor around $5,000 and will not be allowed to pick up a tattoo machine until their second year. 

Apprenticeships can be great learning experiences, but most come with hazing and abuse, as apprentices spend their time being the “shop slave.” A good tattoo apprenticeship will act as a ladder toward your future success, while a bad apprenticeship feels like a never-ending downward spiral.

Additionally, apprenticeships can be hard to find. There are only a few open slots in each city, and most get taken by friends or someone who already has a connection. Just like any business, it’s not always about talent, it’s about who you know.

Option 2: Self-Taught

The potential waste of time and money scares a lot of talented artists away from the industry every year. Additionally, for beginners past their teens and twenties, having an income is not optional. Instead, they decide to become a tattoo artist without an apprenticeship. 

Reading books about tattooing, watching YouTube videos about technique, and spending time on tattooing forums can help you piece together the information you need to develop your skills. The major downfall to learning on your own, however, is that not all the information you’ll find online is correct, or even safe.  

Option 3: Online Learning

The biggest challenge for self-taught artists researching how to become a tattoo artist is the amount of information available online. It’s difficult to wade through a million Google searches trying to pick out little bits of helpful information. On the other hand, while aspiring artists in apprenticeships might receive clear information, they have to work for years with no income. 

These are both incredibly time consuming options that force talented artists to abandon their passion for tattooing.

This is why we created the Artist Accelerator Program. We break down the entire process of learning how to tattoo into 9 easy-to-follow modules. Learn how to tattoo in a structured way proven to guide complete beginners to becoming professional tattoo artists in as little as 90 days. 

The course contains a proven structure that teaches you how to tattoo in the most systematic way possible. Over 2500 successful students have been through this program. Taught by instructors with a combined 40 years of experience in the industry, students get personalized feedback from professional tattoo artists, a supportive online community, and the ability to pursue their passion on their own time.  

FAQ: How long does it take when becoming a tattoo artist?

This depends on the person. If you’re an apprentice, your apprenticeship can last anywhere from six months to four years. 

This is why it’s best to have a contract when you’re going into an apprenticeship. Unfortunately, it is normal for shops to take on “apprentices” who are used for free labor in the shop. Here’s a few questions to consider asking before accepting an apprenticeship:

Not all apprenticeships are free. Some tattoo shops will require you to pay them in order to teach you. In this case the last question can help you establish milestones with your mentor. If they want $5K, offer $7.5K but only pay $2K up front. You can then pay in increments as you achieve the milestones you have both agreed on. For example:

Paying in milestones ensures your mentor will be invested in your progress and success as an artist. 

Your tattoo machine will be your main piece of equipment, and you’ll be using it every day. (Check out our suggestions for Beginner Tattoo Machines). Every artist will do things just a little differently, so you need to decide what works best for you before you begin tattooing other people

You must be able to do these 3 things confidently on practice skins before you move onto tattooing people:

All other tattoo techniques build off of these three skills.

How to Practice Tattooing

Remember to treat the fake skin like a real client. Wash the skin, wear gloves, and follow any sanitary measures you would for a real person. This will help you build up good habits. That way, when you move to real skin, you have no doubts about how to keep yourself and your clients safe.

Each state has different licensing laws. Some states require artists to be licensed as individuals. Others just require the shops to be registered and for artists to have Bloodborne Pathogens Training. If you’re not sure how to become a licensed tattoo artist in your state, you can find the requirements here. 

If you’re looking for an apprenticeship at a tattoo shop, you should always go in person. If you ask for one online, the answer will always be no because it makes you appear less committed than someone who takes the time to go to the shop in person. 

If you want to work as an artist in a shop, it’s best to go in person if you want to be taken seriously. If you are an established artist or if you are from out of town, you can email about an open spot, but those are the only two exceptions. 

Before you talk to a shop owner, make sure you have your BBP certification, license (if required), and portfolio ready to go.

Consider What You Can Offer the Shop Owner

Shop owners want to hire artists who bring in money. If you want to work in a particular shop, being able to show that you bring something other than just your ability to tattoo makes you a better candidate:

Understand the Shop Experience and Where You Stand

You’ll be spending a lot of time at the shop. You want to tattoo in a place that is drug and drama free. (Google reviews will often clue you into the general atmosphere of the shop.) 

Know Your Worth as an Artist

Lots of artists get taken advantage of at their first tattoo shop and agree to making less money than they should. As a tattoo artist, you should either be on a 60/40 split (where you keep 60% of the money you make on a tattoo, and the shop gets 40%), or a 50/50 split. If you’re only keeping half your money, the shop should be providing disposables for you and doing marketing to get you clients. 

If a shop wants to take 60% of the money you make, it’s time to look for another shop.

Starting Your Own Shop

For many tattoo artists, the end goal is owning their own studio. While you’ll be responsible for additional tasks like marketing, hiring, and keeping the shop in line with local health codes, you also get to keep 100% of your earnings and receive commission from the artists in your shop.

Become a Tattoo Artist With the Artist Accelerator Program

Having a career in tattooing is not only fulfilling, but it’s also the most stable way to make a living as an artist. However, for decades, the process for how to becoming a tattoo artist has been notoriously difficult.

The apprenticeship process requires aspiring tattoo artists to work 50-60 hours a week without pay for 2-4 years. That, combined with the toxic culture of abusing apprentices, makes getting into the industry almost impossible for newcomers.

That’s why we created the Artist Accelerator Program. Our online course provides a simple, structured way of learning to tattoo that has been proven to work by over 2500 successful students, with many of them having gone on to open their own studios and tattoo all around the world.

Inside the program, we’ll take you through every step of becoming a tattoo artist in 9 clear, easy-to-follow modules and support you along the way within the Tattooing 101 Mastermind online community.

Inside, you’ll collaborate with other students, get answers to your questions, and receive personalized video feedback on your artwork and tattoos from professional tattoo artists. With this friendly community of both new and experienced tattoo artists, you’ll never be stuck again.

When you join the Artist Accelerator Program, you’ll have instant access to the full course and the Mastermind community, as well as our 30-Day Flash Challenge and recorded interviews with tattoo artists from all over the world.

Join the Artist Accelerator Program and begin your tattooing journey TODAY.

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