Any tattooists in here?

[James42]

I had an epiphany today and thought being a tattoist/tattoo artist whatever you call it would rule. What's the best way to go about it? I can draw somewhat, but haven't done any tattoo style stuff. Do you need a portfolio etc? I just like the idea of scarring people for a living.

[Spidey]

Look up John Devilman. He was a comic art prospect to fairly successful tattoo artist.
He has an aim, myspace and livejournal so he shouldn't be hard to find.

[Spooko]

If you are really serious about it, what you need to do is go find a respectable tattoo shop and try and become an apprentice.

[Paul M.]

I was just asked to be an apprentice, but I can't do it.

My hands shake too much to feel confident.

[Inkthinker]

Well, you don't start out practicing on people... I thought I'd heard from some friends of mine, MANY years ago, that you first start out practicing on something like a ham. Which sounds silly, now that I think of it, but I haven't hung out with tattoo artists for near ten years.

If you can get good at it, there's plenty of money to be made. Tattoos start out at something like $40 for a tiny one, and move on up to mutiple-session masterpieces that cost thousands of dollars, most of which (unlike other professions) might actually find its way into the artist's pocket.

[Huerta]

Ima start getting into this when i finish my book. I need to try something different to keep me going (art wise) plus I do tat designs for people all the time, so why not?

And spooko knows whats up.

[saint manji]

If you are really serious about it, what you need to do is go find a respectable tattoo shop and try and become an apprentice.
Easier said than done.
Last year i tried this exact route and got burned in EVERY tat shop i went to in Los Angeles and Greater LA county.
It's harder to become an apprentice than to actually learn to tattoo.
So what i did is just bought a tat gun online, bought a few stencils, sterilized needles and went to town on honeydew melons. They're good practice for a shaky hand because they're all bumpy and not as smoth as human skin.
The polyurithane fake skin is no good. If you push too hard on it, the needle will go through and will get tangled on the weeve of the fake skin. I recommend fruits, haha. You can even eat them later.

Although things went bad for me, try to grab yourself an apprenticeship. I learned everything myself, but goddam, those first few tattoos i made on people are ****ing embarrassing. I hook them up for free now whenever i see them because of the first botched job. It's good money too, especially if you do it outta your house.
I figured out that the reason nobody wants to teach apprentices they dont know is because tattooing is easy money. It really is. I mean, the really good ones make their money because they're really good, but anyone can trace a simple design. It's not hard and like anything else, just takes a little practice.
Here's how i've made an easy $1000.00 in one day:
Throw a tattoo party.
Invite everyone you know who wants a tat, grab a bartender (maybe one of your buddies who knows how to mix drinks), pull out whatever game systems you've got on, turn up the music and have a set up in the middle of the room. Just start churning them out one by one (with breaks of course). You can usually do 10 small tattoos on people during the course of the party or 5 regular sized ones (only the outline, color and shading takes longer), have them pay you and tell them to goodnight. Hopefully you'll at least break even with the drinks you bought for the nights drinking.

Ps. The above plan only works if you know a lot of people who're willing to get one. It's gonna suck if you throw a party and it's YOU trying to coax people into getting marked.

[jacon]

I learned everything myself, but goddam, those first few tattoos i made on people are ****ing embarrassing. I hook them up for free now whenever i see them because of the first botched job.
heh, all you gotta do now is design a good cover up tat for them and finally call it even ;)

[jacon]

Hopefully you'll at least break even with the drinks you bought for the nights drinking.you just gotta find a bunch of friends that like cheap beer like my friends :D they'll drink anything!

[MC Fumunda]

A dude I know was an apprentice for about a year, I think, and they abused the **** out of him.

And he just had to take it.

I guess it worked out 'cuz he's doing tat's now at a decent shop, but while he was in his apprenticeship stage, the other artists would rag on him all day and make him do all this shitty stuff.

It's like a rights of passage or something.

[DR.MEGALODON]

i dabbeled in this for awhile and still am to a degree, I just started doing designs for my freinds and letting actual tattoo artist do the work eventually by word of mouth people actually trusted me with a needle and like you i had the shakey hand thing going on and was worried about screwing up but it's not that bad as you would think, the real problem you'll have is having to worry about is turning the tat to what my freinds call "hamburger" wich is caused by going to deep.Anyway if you can trace and do shading your good to go. basicaly what Manji said

[James42]

Thanks for the help guys. I called the guy at my local tattoo shop and he's gonna take a look at my stuff and give me some pointers. He says most of the people that ask him for work come in barefoot and on drugs, so I'll just have to lay off the crack and buy some sandals. Check out Paul Booth's stuff if you're into tattoos, he does a lot of the metal type's tats.