Dual Career Question?

Career in tattooing detailed question below?

• hello i want to start working on a career in the tattoo career field when i graduate high school in may.. but right now im doing a research project on the tattooing career field and what it takes to become one .... i would like to figure out the best way to become a tattoo artist were i can get the most knowlege on to prepare me for the career. if anyone has information on college's to go to .. classes to attend .. places to start getting information on .. or just any basic or important information on the topic would be verry helpfull .. thank you

• Answer:

  Its more about pure raw dedicated talent then a degree (though a degree never hurts, and a AA is a great addition to a resume/portfolio). To become a tattoo artist you have to get an apprenticeship under an artist at a parlor. To do this you're going to have to prove you're willing to be the shopbitch for a good while because you're so dedicated to your art. Apprenticeships can also cost a large sum of money ($1000-$10,000) to prove you're in it for the long haul, this should require signing a contract. You want to become a recognizable face in the studio you want to apprentice at. Get a lot of work done and get to know the artists, when you want a tattoo show them a drawing you did to use as a stencil. If you get buddy-buddy with them, ask if they are looking for a person to work at the counter. Its a good chance to sneak a peek at what the artist's days are like. Then ask if they are willing to take a look at your portfolio and maybe take you on as an apprentice. The apprenticeship will last a couple of years. You'll learn how to adapt drawings to work on skin, how to sterilize and set up equipment, all that good stuff. Be prepared to be rejected by the first couple of shops you bring your portfolio to. Use their critique to make a stronger portfolio. Also if you're wondering what they will want to see in a portfolio: keep it 10-15 pieces of a variety of work. Drawings in pencil, paintings, mixed media, hell even ceramics work can show you have a creative mind. Don't put your strongest piece first, put it somewhere in the middle as a nice surprise. Include an art resume with a list of galleries you've been shown at if any, any commissions, any art fairs. Take some classes at Red Cross (first aid, CPR) to add to it. Just remember the three most important things: Raw talent, dedication, and it never hurts to bribe them with homemade cookies.