I am often asked advice on this subject so I thought I would write a little something. Because there is so much to write about the subject I have decided to break it down in to steps. 

STEP 1 

'Things to think about before you even entertain the idea'

Firstly you should notice the title 'Becoming a Tattoo Artist', to start with you have to be an artist. Long gone are the days when all you had to do was be a good 'copier/tracer' you only have to pick up any reputable tattoo magazine to see evidence of this. Even if you are a mediocre artist there is probably no point in even entertaining the idea of becoming a Tattoo Artist. Competition is at it highest and getting higher every day. If you can't compete then this is not going to be a career that can pay your bills. It really helps now a days if you have studied art and have a mind blowing portfolio.

If you do not wake up in the morning and virtually the first thing you think about is tattoos, then step no further. Being a Tattoo Artist is not only a way of life, it will take over your life! You will alienate friends, loose contact with people as a result of being so absorbed in your work and probably piss off your spouse because it will practically be all you talk about.

Be prepared to work damn hard! It is not the rock and roll life style that most people expect! I can tell you that when I get home, although I'm on a natural high from the days inking and meeting new clients, I ache! The first thing I do is make a cup of tea and get in to my P.J's and then I continue to work. I'll be sat at the computer uploading and cropping photos, doing paperwork, doing research and drawing up new client designs (the list goes on). Which leads me to my next word of caution........

You will probably pay out a fair amount of money fixing your back/neck/bones. Arthritis and Rheumatism are a common complaint in the business so also are collapsed discs, lumbago the list goes on.

Think, 'How am I going to pay my bills?'
To do it right (and in my opinion the only way to do it) you should get a Apprenticeship. Most Apprenticeships are unpaid and you will be living on the breadline for quite some time. Even when you start to tattoo paying clients and you start to see the benefits it can be a struggle. EVEN WHEN YOU ARE THE BOSS IT CAN BE A STRUGGLE! As a Tattoo Artist you will live day to day, never sure when the next bit of money is coming in. Tattooing strangely is very seasonal and can go very quite during the winter months. This is when good money management skills come in handy. If you're a good money manager you won't have mindlessly frittered away your hard earned cash whilst you were busy in the summer.

There is no SICK PAY! There is no HOLIDAY PAY! (holiday, HA! what's a holiday?)

If you have read all this and you are absolutely honest with yourself and you still think you have what it takes then you can be assured that this is a truly rewarding career. On your journey you will meet the most interesting, crazy and genuine people ever! You will go home exhausted but elated by the knowledge that someone has such admiration for your work that they have entrusted you to embellish their skin with your art for life! 

I wish you the best of luck on your journey up the ladder to becoming a Tattoo Artist!

In STEP 2 I will be talking about how to get together a killer portfolio and how to approach studios, the do's and don't's.

Choosing your tattoo and finding good reference material
Although it is a good idea to give the Artist some freedom you will need to have an idea of what you want. You would be surprised at the amount of people that come for a consultation with not even an inkling of an idea of what they want! If this is you (without meaning to sound rude) then honestly, go away until you know what you want. Most studios nowadays don’t have a ‘book of tats’ for you to choose from-as the possibilities in Tattooing are endless.

Try to have an original idea. No idea is completely original any more but please DO NOT rip off other peoples tattoos. ‘Google images’ is a great place to start but do not put the word ‘tattoo’ before or after your subject. If you want a butterfly-look up real life butterflies. If you want a unicorn with a rainbow coming out of its backside-find a picture of a real life horse in the pose you want. If you want a portrait then the Artist will need preferably more than one good quality clear photo in a high resolution.

Rarely is it a good idea to give the Artist a drawing your friend has done (even if they are ‘real good at drawing’); as your Artist will probably still need to draw something up from scratch anyway in their style of tattooing.

When you have done this the Artist will probably change a few things, usually because from years of experience, they know what will and will not work. They will often change aspects so that it fits and flows well on the body-therefore making a better tattoo.

Approaching your chosen Artist
Contrary to popular belief most Tattoo Artists don’t bite but I understand that for some people just stepping in to a tattoo studio can break them out in a sweat. As long as you treat your Artist with respect they should return the favour. On that note, if at all you don’t feel comfortable with an Artist then chose again, you will be sat with this person for any number of hours so it is important that you both feel at ease and build a rapport.

All Artists are different. Some prefer face to face contact from the start, some like you to email first, you’ll just have to find this out for yourself.

WHAT EVER YOU DO-DO NOT HAGGLE WITH YOUR ARTIST!!
I cannot begin to put in to words how insulting this is. Remember, your Artist (providing you have chosen wisely) has put in years of training and is putting a permanent work of art on your skin and it is priced accordingly. At the end of the day Tattoos are a luxury item and it is wise to save up some money so you can invest in a work of art that you will be happy with for the rest of your life. If you haggle with your Artist chances are he/she will turn you away (remember what I said about rapport).

PREPARING YOURSELF BEFORE THE BIG DAY
Skin
If you don’t do so already, it is a very good idea to moisturise the area you are having inked every day leading up to the day of your tattoo(but not on the day of the tattoo). This will ensure that your skin is a good canvas for the artist to work on.  Keep your skin out of the sun before and after the tattoo!!! This is soooooo important!!! If you can’t avoid it then wear a high SPF (at least SPF 30).

Food
Make sure you eat well before the big event but don’t stuff yourself silly. You need to keep your energy up but at the same time you don’t want to sit there felling bilious because you ate a gut busting double Full English beforehand. Bananas are slow release energy and are really healthy too. Take a drink with you-preferably a sugary one. NO ALCOHOL!!! 24 hours before OR after your tattoo!!! Alcohol thins the blood and your tattoo will not heal well if your blood is 50% booze.

Clothing
Think about where on the body you are being tattooed and wear something that means you are going to comfortable in and not over exposed. The Tattoo Artist will have seen many body shapes and sizes in various states of undress but they may not necessarily want your arse in their face-because you’re getting a tattoo on your thigh and you wore skinny jeans and a lace thong for the occasion.

Also, the tattoo process can be a bit messy; please do not wear your favourite white linen trousers or favourite anything. Ink will not wash out of clothing-fact!

Mind
It’s all in the state of mind. An old Tattoo Artist friend of mine once told me-‘It’s just mind over matter-I don’t mind and you don’t matter.’ Joking aside just try to stay calm, focus on the positives, it’s an exciting time getting a new tattoo. No matter how many times I get tattooed myself I still get a huge surge of excitement leading up to it. Do not listen to your friends, tattoos don’t hurt that much and you will not die. Remind yourself that for the short amount of time you are sat in discomfort-you will end up with a piece of art embellishing your skin for a lifetime.

So all that’s left is to sit back (very still), embrace the pain and enjoy the results!

Inky Swallows x