How I Got My Tattoo Apprenticeship 

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Oh hey dude lol im the kid

Congrats, what a huge accomplishment 👏

Question! I’ve been wanting to look for an apprenticeship but discouraged from what I’m told as far as the length of an apprenticeship, I understand they’re most likely unpaid, but the duration it would take is what keeps holding me back. How do you manage a full time job and apprenticeship?

@@lopezmictech I don't have a full time job. I'm 17. I just finished high school and had 6 months free before college started. And I didn't have a proper traditional apprenticeship. The artist I learned from is in a diff city. He taught me everything on Instagram chat, in detail, over the course of 3 months. He told me to make at least 4 tattoos on myself before I tattoo anyone else. That's how I learned...

@@sameelh959 respect! That’s awesome, and good to know. With everything going on it’s harder to even try and want to look for an apprenticeship, but I follow so many artists online that I’ve kept pushing towards it, just difficult to make that leap of faith at 26. ✊🏽 All Love, thank you

@@lopezmictech imagine having the same feeling with 2 kids at 30 lol

Glad it could help! Good luck :)

I understand paying dues. a friend of mine during his apprenticeship got every shitty idea that the established artists at the shop didn't want to do. He has nightmares about tribal bands to this day. But a shitty idea still is made up of lines, and shades and techniques and he learned from them. And learning the tried and true techniques is important. And people that want simple flash were great to learn the basics on. But he told me something interesting he notices when he runs into new tattoo apprentices from other shops around town, and how they are treated compared to his experience "I didn't feel like they can't stand me, or disliked me at the shop. It doesn't have to be Full Metal Jacket."

@@jrobertlysaght this, to me, sounds like an amazing experience and shows more thst they were interested in pushing your friend and giving him drills (tribal sounds like the best drip for color packing) that would make him better. Cleaning the shop and then cleaning it again, break downs, set ups, drawing the same shitty flash over and over - etc. I am in an apprenticeship group on FB and have heard some crazy shit. One person said her mentor tells her that her art is shit and she is shit constantly. 'Your art is shit and you're shit and you arent cut out for this' because he things character building like that is healthy and normal. Another said he cleaned the bathrooms like 5 times one day, really fucking went at it, without being 'told' and his mentor went in with dog shit and smeared it all over the bathroom because they weren't clean enough. I hear this 'gotta break you down to build you back up' shit and im like 'you're here to teach me the trade and business of tattoo, it ain't THAT serious'. Any criticism of that type of shit is usually met with 'you must just not have what it takes'. Lol Sounds like your friend had an awesome shop exerpeince. Not too different from when I learned auto body. One of the best times of my life I am glad I never have to repeat.

Congrats, that's awesome!

So dope! Good luck with your apprenticeship 👏

What’s your Instagram if you have one

@@ticataco5921 idk if you are talking to me but you can find me on Insta under: danikeeton

literally same

Welp time to commit arson then

Stay persistent! I harassed my shop for 2.5 years before they accepted me.

You can do it, good luck! And that's amazing that you have supportive parents too 👏

Hey tgats maybe a late question but how old do u have to be to make a portfolio and learn from a professional

that’s something i’m very worried about I don’t know how my mother will react to this goal of mine

they probably do it on fake skin. You can Google it cause I don't know much about it tho

As someone who's starting out right now on my own, i use fake skin as well as my own skin. And my friends. But oranges work decently for tattooing

One friend told me bananas are a good substitute but that was years ago. I know pig skin is used in surgery as well as synthetic skin

A friend of mine told be that he used to practice on pig's skin he used to get off a butcher. He said then that a few people practice of lino flooring

I started my apprenticeship this summer, and I don't really see a point in tattooing on fruits, pig skin or fake skin. Best option is your own legs and then other people.

We have a few videos already if you want to check them out - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-l3vTguVboVQ.html

I'm 94% sure that it's an FK Irons Spektra Xion, but I could be wrong.

Hey there! I’m an apprentice myself but my mentor is having me work on a lot of drawing flash and some simple techniques to make the motion of tattooing easier. Take and print out some random fonts in Grey or draw things in pencil and go back over them with a lining marker (like the sharpie pen) basically this it to train your hand into doing an almost rocking motion to you don’t have obvious connection points and each line flows evenly into the next.

Sorry, a bit late, but since no one answered: there's really no formal standards wnhen it comes to tattoo apprenticeships. It's VERY informal, so some people can take 6 months, some people can take 2 years. It depends on a lot of factors like their availability, the mentor, the assignments they get. I'm not sure how it's worked in quaratine, but since it is so informal, people tend to walk in with their portfolios and see if anyone is available to look over it/possibly consider taking them in.

Hey, I know it’s such a struggle but go in the shops in your area and surrounding areas, go in with a clean portfolio of 20 of you best pieces try keep your portfolio to more traditional art rather than digital. Just call up the shops or literally just walk in. If you start tattooing at home you will pick up bad habits and will very quickly get a bad reputation. Anything worth while in life is hard so if you want it that bad then keep going mate :) I got my apprenticeship by just plucking up the courage and just walking in the shops and bugging people till someone took me on.

Also start doing research of the history, all the different styles, how the machines work, what different machines there are etc. Start doing this now and show your research you’ve been doing, this will show them you truly care about this amazing trade :) hope my advice helps :)

Because at a shop you get access to proper tools, sanitization, ppe, and health & safety training.

Think of it like this: you literally contribute nothing, like at all. In fact you’re a burden when you’re a apprentice they’re taking you on teaching you providing you with professional knowledge and equipment for FREE and you expect them to pay you? They’re helping you for free to start a career that earns ALOT of money

How do u think they get a job 😐. Tf

They haze in sororities too and all places where they haze males… females are also hazed. Surprised you didn’t throw in white ppl fault privilege. You most likely we’re picking up on the dominance assertion but that’s not a male trait. There are alpha females of course

Damn that’s so rude 😭 but my thoughts exactly

Yikes incel vibes here my guy