If you want to be a professional tattoo artist, it doesn’t only use a needle and some ink, you have to do more than that to become a professional tattoo artist. It will take years of hard work and some work without even getting paid. You have to be dedicated to your craft. If you make mistakes while creating a tattoo you have to keep in mind that they are permanent. You don’t need any kind of degree but you can learn from the skill of a tattoo artist. Below are the most important points you should be aware of before becoming a tattoo artist.
Drawing well doesn't mean you can be a great tattoo artist
You need to know that if you are good at drawing that doesn’t mean you can also be good at tattooing. Drawing is something which is done on paper, but these two are a lot different from each other. You should have a natural aptitude for drawing but you’ll take a long time to understand the difference between what you can draw and what you can tattoo. The tattoo drawings will improve with time, you can start with simple designs as a new tattoo artist.
No degree is required
If you want to be a tattoo artist, you don’t need to go to school, you do not need any specific education, which is something very different. But you should get training on how to avoid damaging the skin while you are tattooing. If you want to be a tattoo artist then you have to understand that there is no better school than experiencing at an actual tattoo shop around the professional tattoo makers and clients.
No guarantee that you will make lots of money
After you start making money from your tattoo designs that money won’t be that much, it will be just a salary which is not so satisfying. Always keep in mind that if you want to be a tattoo artist don’t prioritize money. Do it for passion and self-satisfaction. You need a lot of hard work and consistency to build up your style, your voice and to make high-quality tattoos.
Sometimes you will work as a therapist
You will meet with some client who will ask you to make a design that is similar to their painful moments, story, or someone close to them i.e. being a sort of Art Therapist. Sometimes you will meet with some clients who will also share their memories during the appointment. During the making of the tattoo, you need to learn to keep your emotional package outside of the door and you have to be completely there for the person who has taken appointments for that time.
You can also mess things up
When you are starting as a new tattoo artist you can almost see all your lines are crooked or inconsistent, sometimes to make spelling errors if the clients don’t check. We all are aware that tattoos are permanent. You have to make sure that you don’t make some sort of mistake because you cannot reverse it. You have to just apologize and cover it up for free of cost. It’s not that hard to accept your mistake especially when it’s on someone else’s body forever. You have to learn from your mistakes and practice harder to never repeat that mistake.
Being a tattoo artist is fun, but it needs a lot of hard work
If we talk about any career option you have to do a lot of hard work to achieve your goal and to become a professional. You have to keep motivating yourself and also know all the consequences of tattooing someone because some people might get health consequences.
Be financially prepared
You should prepare yourself financially before starting your career as a tattoo artist because you might not get paid at the beginning of your work. Nobody’s perfect until they practice. But there is a thing that you cannot practice on a paper you have to practice on someone. Even after 1 or 2 years, you will not be as fast as other tattoo artists, so you can just give a discount to your customers so that they can visit you and it will be helpful for you to gain more experience.
By: Varsha Yadav
Also Read: Different Career Opportunities which an Artist can Explore
