Tattoo Artistry . . . Help!!!

H

hannahfngrl26

Captain Forehead
Joined
Sep 9, 2008
Messages
873
Age
44
Location
Beaverton, Oregon
So I have absolutely no idea if I am posting this in the right place but hopefully I am. I need help. I live in Beaverton, Oregon and I have decided I want to be come a tattoo artist. I have gone on line and it appears I need to attend school but it is so expensive. I wanted to reach out to my peers and find out if anyone is familiar with the steps one would need to take, personal experiences and how one could come up with the money necessary because I really really want to do this. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!
 
hannahfngrl26 said:
So I have absolutely no idea if I am posting this in the right place but hopefully I am. I need help. I live in Beaverton, Oregon and I have decided I want to be come a tattoo artist. I have gone on line and it appears I need to attend school but it is so expensive. I wanted to reach out to my peers and find out if anyone is familiar with the steps one would need to take, personal experiences and how one could come up with the money necessary because I really really want to do this. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!
Click to expand...

I would believe it is the same as any schooling.

You find the school you want, you go to it and get a job/loan/grant to pay your way through.

Granted easier said, but thats about it.
 
I have thought about that but apparently tattoo school is not covered under any type of grant so I basiclaly would need to get a personal loan. Unfortunately I just dealt with a financially messy divorce and so my credit is no bueno and I have no assets to speak of so I am not sure where to go from here.
 
Angelic Slayer
Angelic Slayer
You're very welcome... I wish you the best of luck with it! You'll have to let us know how it goes.. and I LOVE the bangel banner, by the way :)
hannahfngrl26 said:
I have thought about that but apparently tattoo school is not covered under any type of grant so I basiclaly would need to get a personal loan. Unfortunately I just dealt with a financially messy divorce and so my credit is no bueno and I have no assets to speak of so I am not sure where to go from here.
Click to expand...


Well, when I went to University, I had to pay BUT I didn't want to get a loan.

What I did was contact the school, find out how much it cost PLUS how much the initial deposit was.

Discuss with the school a payment plan (some actually with hold the 'diploma' until it is paid off') and get a job around it to pay the bills.

It would be quite tight financially, and you may need to save up a deposit but it is doable.

First step is finding out how much it costs AND if the school you look at does have a kind of payment plan.
 
Okay, so I'm not sure about the steps in your area, but I do have a few friends who managed a tattoo shop for quite some time. So here's how it works around here, anyway.

Number one is working on your drawing. You can go to art school for this or even just do it on your spare time, but you really need to have a solid portfolio before you go out looking for a place to learn, because that's something that they'll definitely want to see.

And the second step, around here anyway, is to find a professional tattoo artist who is willing to take you on as an apprentice. Usually this means doing a lot of chores, a lot of running around and NOT a whole lot of tattooing-- when you start. The idea is that you really start as a shop helper and work your way up; slowly learning more about the art from the professional you are doing your apprenticeship with. As time goes on, they'll show you the ins and outs to tattooing, and eventually (hopefully!) bring you on as a full-time artist. Bearing in mind that most apprentices are paid little if anything at all (it depends on who you do it with), so remember that if you're thinking of getting into this, too 🙂

That's just one way that I know of. Another great way to find out would be to talk to local tattoo artists around your area and ask them what you need to get started. 🙂

I hope that helps!
 
H
hannahfngrl26
thank you so much for the advice :)
I have no clue as to how to help (I'm pretty useless that way) but thought that this thread might interest you

tats

Just in case you haven't seen it. But mainly cause my tattoo is in there and it's new and the shiny still hasn't worn off for me. I love it.


Whatever you do, don't give up! I think the apprentinceship (sp?) thing would be a good start
 
My tat guy worked in a hospital as an x-ray tech, but he's been an artist all his life. He started out by getting a part-time job at the place he works now & worked the front desk. Gotta start at the bottom!~

He was taught how to "tattoo" by the shop owner. And he practiced on HIMSELF. Yes, that's right, he tattooed all over himself... that helps you get the "feel" for the needles, what kind of pressure to apply & where, etc.

It's not like you have to BE an "artist" in order to be a tattooist, but it helps. And if you ARE an artist, then of course you'll bring your own unique twist to the show, & will, one surmises, be creating your own specialty tatts.

Most of it (according to him) was just the day-in & day-out of practicing, and then convincing people to let him tattoo them. He had to start out charging very little (no way a newbie can charge as much as a seasoned tat vet) and the designs had to be kinda low-key... you know, nothing too intricate or fancy. Just until he really got the hang of it. Took him about a year. Now he's one of the most requested artists at the parlor.

Good luck to you!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom