A steady hand and a passion for body art? Become a tattoo artist!
Old Hollywood movies romantically depict tattoo studios as murky, smoke-filled basements with questionable clients and even more questionable artists, along with Harley Davidsons parked on the scruffy street outside. The 21st century reality is law-enforced scrupulous cleanliness, tattoo designers with business acumen as well as imagination and talent and clients from every profession from banker to rock star!
Once a sign of clan or even Mafia loyalties, tattoos are now high fashion, with designers presenting themselves as artists first and foremost. Clients will often have decided on a subject for their tattoo and expect to spend a good deal of time with the designer on drawings, colours, styles and the position of the tattoo before agreeing a final design and price. More complicated and larger designs often require more than one tattooing session.
The majority of tattoo artists are self-employed contractors working at one or several specific studios. Essential personal skills apart from artistic talent include strong communications abilities, as the designer needs to relate well to the studio owner as well as to his clients. As a self-employed person, basic small business skills are also essential. Artists represent the studio at which they work, with word of mouth in this field a major contributor to new business. One slip of the needle while working on a difficult client and the studio takes the rap along with the artist!
Tattoo designers often create their reputation by focusing on individual styles such as monochrome, authentic tribal or multilingual designs. The job is not for the squeamish, as the dyes need to be placed in the dermis rather than the regularly renewed epidermal levels of the skin. This, as everyone knows, hurts!
The best way to break into this field is via a type of apprenticeship at an established studio, for which you will need a degree in art or graphic design as well as an extensive portfolio of original, unique designs. There’s a great deal of competition for positions in well-known registered studios, especially in the USA, but an inspiring portfolio and a pleasant personality will put you well ahead of the pack.
Training under an established designer can take several years, and is often unpaid, with many studio heads expecting a fee as well. If ‘get-rich-quick’ is your goal, this career is not for you, however strong your talents. Your mentor is expected to train you in the all-important aspect of cleanliness and hygiene, most aspects of which are proscribed by law to prevent disease transmission.
Once your training is complete and you’re working for yourself, your entry-level salary is up to you. With an innovative approach to design and client-centred motivation, tattoo designers can build up their reputations and become fashionable as providers, ensuring financial success. As a general guide, starting salaries as an entry-level professional in a managed studio are around £25,000 ($40,000) per year, dependent on locations and your experience as a trainee. So if your looking for an interesting career that will allow you to develop your artistic talent on alternative medium, perhaps you should consider being a tattoo artist.
