Mastering Line Work. Line work is the first thing you learn as a tattoo artist, but it can be one of the most difficult skills to master. Creating a line with a
It is relatively hard to become a tattoo artist.
Even if you have natural drawing ability, it does not automatically mean you will be good at tattooing. Tattoo artists often have to work for free initially to build a good portfolio of work. If you can get a paid apprenticeship from the start, consider yourself lucky.
“It requires a lot of hard work and consistency to build a unique style, your own voice, and mostly to make high-quality tattoos that don't just look good at the moment of creation but also heal well with time,” says Martinez. Once you build a robust roster of clients, you can get paid well, but the work never stops.
Tattoo artists use artistic talent and technical knowledge to provide services for their clients. Becoming a tattoo artist requires a variety of training and experience to ensure that they can provide clients with safe, well-designed tattoos.
Good tattoo artists love to answer questions and provide comfort to their clients, from what kind of machines they use to what kind of ink they use to how long they've been at it and what they have a preference for doing. The look and presentation of the shop itself speaks volumes about the artists in the shop.
On average, tattoo artists rate the meaningfulness of their work a 3.5/5. Unlike many careers, tattoo artists have little difficulty finding meaning in their work, and it likely constitutes one of the main reasons people become tattoo artists.
All tattoo artists have different skills, specialities or preferences—which means that not every tattooer is down to do a micro tattoo. Name tattoos, specifically the name of a significant other, are a big taboo in the tattoo industry. Many artists will deny name tattoos and in most cases, it's for your own good!
It takes an experienced artist to ensure that the old tattoo is obscured, and that the new one looks amazing. Not to mention, a lot of thought needs to go into the design. Many tattoo cover ups are the result of an existing tatt that wasn't properly thought-out at the time.
Practice on fruit or pigskin
As we said, it's not uncommon for apprentices to practice on fruit at the beginning – the most popular fruits being oranges, grapefruit and sometimes bananas. Another alternative to human skin when you're practising tattooing is pig skin or 'practice skin'.
Tattoo artists often set their own schedules and are not forced to work traditional hours. In addition to having a large amount of flexibility, tattoo artists can have multiple occupations. This makes it the ideal choice for someone who wants to pursue multiple career paths at the same time.
While no other colour is as hard as white, a few of them can take more time. These include yellow, orange, red and fluorescent colours. Since some of these take too much time, many people opt for fading rather than complete removal. Customised tattoo fading helps them to get a coverup and hide the unwanted tattoo.
Contrary to what you might expect, many people report that the shading hurts significantly less than the outlining of the tattoo. If you've already made it through your line work, pat yourself on the back. You've likely conquered the most painful part already.
Participants told us they regret getting tattoos on these spots: upper back, upper arms, hips, face and butt. Size matters. Apparently, the smaller your tattoo, the more likely you are to regret it. We found that 63 percent of people with a tattoo smaller than the palm of their hand regret it.
The sides of your finger, along with the palm, loose a heavy amount of skin cells on a daily basis seeing as they are our main mode of interacting with the world around us, this makes for very poor healing on tattoos.
Tattoos in the Workplace of Healthcare.
Most hospitals and clinics have strict guidelines on professional appearance, which can often block job candidates with tattoos from being hired. Tattoos are absolutely prohibited for many health personnel who regularly interact with patients.
In addition, the skin on our hands is very fragile and thin which can lead to blow outs. Hands have more nerve endings than an arm or leg – therefore the pain will be higher. All of these factors make tattooing hands very difficult for many artists. Therefore, you'll find artist who refuse to do them.
Tattoo artists can make good money because they do everything from infinity symbols on fingers to stunning full body designs. Gifted artistry, steady hands and raw courage are required when skin is your canvas. Famous body artists can earn up to $500 per hour, or more.
Some artists love to gab while tattooing but others prefer to be quiet. Let the artist take the lead or ask them what they prefer. Do bring a book to read or movie to watch provided you can do it without moving. Do let your artist take the lead on whether or not to talk.
The average pay for a Tattoo Artist is AUD 51,752 a year and AUD 25 an hour in Australia. The average salary range for a Tattoo Artist is between AUD 39,177 and AUD 60,447.
Tattoo artists are artistic and investigative
They also tend to be investigative, which means that they are quite inquisitive and curious people that often like to spend time alone with their thoughts. If you are one or both of these archetypes, you may be well suited to be a tattoo artist.
One of the most important qualities for a tattoo artist is having steady hands. If your hands shake when you're doing something as simple as writing your name, then tattooing is probably not for you.
While it's fine to get ideas from pictures of other tattoos, talk to your artist about what their ideas are for creating it. Tell them what you would like to change so the piece is uniquely yours. Remember, you selected your artist because they have strong portfolio and you are attracted to their style.