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adpass · Tattoo lover Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 3

Hey everyone, so here is the deal

Tattoo culture has always fascinated me. It has only been recently that I have really started to get inked myself. Ive gone to art school for 4 years and worked as a freelance illustrator for a year now, been making art all my life. The idea to try and seek out an apprenticeship has become a strong feeling, though at 24, I feel like I might be a little late in the game to start a 2-3 year apprenticeship with no pay. So I would like a confidence booster. For those of you with the experience, let me know about your time as an apprentice; How old you were, how you got the job, where the job was and how you supplemented your no/low pay to pursue your dream of becoming a tattoo artist. Hearing your stories would help give me some perspective on my own situation, and if you guys have any advise to give at all, I am more than open to it. thanks so much!

Sylvias · Tattoo lover Joined: 23 Jun 2008 Posts: 46

hmm well i can tell you myfailure! lol
i tried to get an apprenticeship this summer and everything was going GREAT, they were interested in training me and all was set in place...till they found out i am not 18 yet >.< that sucked! but i still plan on going back eventually..problem is next year i will be in college and need to focus on that so i probably wont even get around to it till im mid 20's. but then i will do the same thing i did this time, go around asking for appreticeships showing my art and seeing where i can get it. for this first attempt i had a part time job in the evening that left my day open and i would ahve been able to apprenticethen. however i am also still living at home and don't have my own bills to pay so that really helped the money situation..whenever i get out to do it again though i will be out on my own and need to have a job on the side...

devilduckie523 · Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 7:57 pm Post subject:

It started when I was in 9th grade...I met my friend Vinny we started talking and hanging out at his brothers tattoo shop....and basically the rest fell into place..

I apprenticed for 4 LONG LONG years that seemed to take forever but when the guys at the shop handed me my first machine I was extremly happy and proud..

Tho Im only 19 and started at 14 Shocked

(the laws in Pa are very leanient(sp) and I fell into being really close with them) I had 5 well experienced artists all over 40 and that had been tattooing for 20+ years teach me different things

Basically the first year all I did was draw and draw some more, book appointments, (I had my piercing certification within 6 months so that wasnt to bad), clean the shop, watch them work, play on the computer, clean up after they tattooed someone and take machines apart sterilize them and put them back together.

The second and third years I basically did the same as above and was allowed to do small tattoos under constant close supervision.

Then by my fourth year they had a new apprentice in so I just got to tattoo medium to large pieces (still under constant close supervision) and pierce.

Then they sent me off on my own Very Happy

It is long and it is hard esp when you first start and you want to dive into doing them but if you want it bad enough youll stick with it and do it.

As far as age another one of the guys that worked there didnt START his apprenticeship til he was 30 and as far as I know he has his own shop now Very Happy

Good Luck

adpass · Tattoo lover Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 3

Wow great stuff guys, especially devilduckie you really lucked out getting them as friends so young and to let you start at 14, that's insane! and that story of the 30 year old starting at that age and now having his own shop is confidence for me. How often did you go to the shop when you apprenticed? Was it an everyday thing or did you have lets say 3 days there and 2 to make money during the week? I always assumed it is everyday since everyone says get a night job. Great stuff though really inspiring for me.

mattrock82 · Tattoo lover Joined: 26 Aug 2008 Posts: 7

ah,

well its never too late to learn anything, as they say

i was invited into an apprenticeship at 25 ,

and being desperate to get out of the retail / big corp scene, i decided to go for it

luckily my boss has a good amount of reason in him ,

as i hear most apprentices wait a long time before they touch a machine

but i learned about the equipment and procedures for a month and a half, did duties around the shop , and after i bought my own machines i went right into it ... pretty grateful it worked out that way , you know, i hear apprentices waiting years before they are able to tattoo . that must suck (i'm sorry )

really, you're not going to LEARN to tattoo unless you start tattooing . i've been tattooing for five months now and i'm no longer nervous to wield a machine, it is intimidating .. but now i'm comfortable with the tools .

also , to get as much practice as possible my boss started me off giving out ten dollar tattoos . i was literally booked that whole time the first two months , but it was a big help .

i still scrub tubes and clean around the shop , as well as set up / break down the shop owner when he tattoos , unless i'm doing one myself

so don't be silly, its not too late to start. i worked seven days a week for a while , splitting my time between the shop and a part time job to earn dollars. good thing about a tattoo parlor is, you'll usually earn lunch and maybe a pack of smokes while you're there (if your coworkers are generous) so you don't spend money on those days.