Learning the Art of Ink

October 12, 2006 9:04 AM

How do tattoo artists learn their trade?

So, I get that most (all?) artists apprentice with an established tattoo guru. But, really, what is the learning process? I know I wouldn't let an apprentice practice on me. How do they get their practice in? Are there such things as tattoo schools? Can a person teach one's self how to tattoo?

posted by AlliKat75 to Society & Culture (16 answers total)

My understanding is that people start out tattooing non-human things like pigs feet or pieces of fruit.
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 9:18 AM on October 12, 2006

One of my exes was studying. She studied by working at a studio, constantly practicing drawing and watching the "masters" there work. She practiced on melons, pigs feet, etc, and also on her friends, who would come in for free work.

The same things with piercings. Practice on non-human things and friends willing to accept the risk.
posted by fake at 9:30 AM on October 12, 2006

alot of tattoo artists practice on themselves.. especially on their thighs.
posted by trishthedish at 9:44 AM on October 12, 2006

Yes, my tattoo artist friend just thirded the pigs' feet and fruit - melons and bananas. The first time she wielded a needle was on her husband, and just to re-ink work he already had that had faded. Simple thin-line designs on customers who are cool with it. No schools that she's aware of.
posted by zoinks at 9:50 AM on October 12, 2006

They cover this issue in the TV series Miami Ink.

Several of the earlier episodes show how one of their acolytes practiced, as mentioned by some of the above posters, on a pig.
posted by owenkun at 9:54 AM on October 12, 2006

I think that most tattoo artists do apprenticeships. There is apparently a 2 week school of some sorts, but it's looked down upon by real artists (as was told to me by my tattoo guy).
posted by denimflavored at 9:57 AM on October 12, 2006

Yeah, first you have to be able to draw. Are there tattoo artists who can not draw?
posted by DieHipsterDie at 10:14 AM on October 12, 2006

Most of the time though a tattooist's trade is in tracing, not drawing, especially for the masses who choose a design and don't want any changes. This is just an observation from watching a tattoo artist friend on many occasions.
posted by sudasana at 10:30 AM on October 12, 2006

There is a school in Portland, Oregon. I know someone who just graduated, and it doesn't sound too bad. Expensive, though.
posted by cmonkey at 11:52 AM on October 12, 2006

Miami Ink may cover it but I'd avoid taking anything you see on there at face value. Beyond the general tv fakery (most of them don't work in that shop most of the year and only come in when filming, supposed walk-ins are all really pre-qualified folk) they've engaged in blatant falsehood like claiming Churchill's Hideaway (a seedy bar in little haiti on the mainland) is a nightclub on South Beach owned by some famous musician whose name escapes me. Why believe the mentor/student relationship is at all as it's displayed?
posted by phearlez at 1:20 PM on October 12, 2006

Miami Ink's coverage of the apprentice process is pretty accurate. Most artists start out as shop assistants, doing ink and needle prep, cleaning up, and just watching what the artists do. Then they work on non-human objects (pigskin, fruit, etc.) Then they sometimes work on themselves, as others have said, or on willing friends/family, or sometimes on the artists in the shop. Only after they have completed this process are they allowed to work on paying clients, and in every shop I am familiar with, they inform the clients that the artist is apprenticing/new and allow the client to make an informed decision about whether to proceed with the apprentice or to go with a more experienced artist.
posted by bedhead at 1:50 PM on October 12, 2006

You might be surprised at the amount of people who will let tattooists-in-training work on them. Free tattoos are a big draw for some people, no matter the quality. It's interesting to watch a person's work progress through different pieces. Not on my skin, thanks, but I've met more than a few people who don't mind.
posted by ruby.aftermath at 2:33 PM on October 12, 2006

Yeah, first you have to be able to draw. Are there tattoo artists who can not draw?

I knew a tattoo artist that couldn't draw anything. He was still an OK tattoo artist (but not great). I never went to him because I want something original that nobody else can get (and a tattoo artist that's just OK will never touch my skin).
posted by bda1972 at 5:52 PM on October 12, 2006

trial & errors?
posted by growabrain at 6:34 PM on October 12, 2006

I got a tattoo from captain jack and honestly, I don't think it was done very well so take that for what little it's worth....
posted by yodelingisfun at 8:50 PM on October 12, 2006

As an aside, I had to take a family member for stitches two days ago. The PA who stitched her up told me that you practice stitches on pigs feet, because of the similar texture to human flesh. And the taste isn't that different, either.
posted by JamesMessick at 7:16 PM on October 14, 2006