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Tattoos are becoming more popular these days, and more and more people are getting tattoos or talking about getting one. This is great for the industry and creating career opportunities for those who would like to get involved in the tattoo industry. However don’t think that becoming a professional tattoo artist is easy. There really isn’t any such thing as easy money by becoming a tattoo artist. Many aspirants believe that purchasing a D.I.Y. tattoo kit from the advertisements of tattoo magazines is the starting point towards becoming a successful tattoo artist. Be aware that this equipment is of inferior quality and lacks precision. Furthermore, the kit also does not come with an autoclave. What next? Find a person to practice. And the result is dozens and dozens of people with awful tattoos and terrible scars and who will put you in their hate list forever. Furthermore, a true artist will be reluctant to take you under his wings because he is going to have a hard time trying to guide you back on the right path. The next choice is to pay a fee to a tattoo artist or shop to teach you the trade. So what is the type of fee to pay? As far as I know there are no reputable artists teaching you all he know for a fee. A true artist is not a true blue businessman. If an "artist" is willing to teach you for a small fee, then consider this. Is he willing to part with all he knows for what you are paying? And what quality of work is he producing? In one Asian country, the majority of tattoo shop websites advertise tattoo courses for a very small fee. But the problem is that after completing the course, you will have to come back for a refresher course then another and another. And I understand that after completion of many such courses, you are still not able to tattoo properly. So the chances are you will be paying good money to some quick witted businessmen who are just trying to make a fast buck. Actually the main intention of these businessmen is to get you “involved”in the business so that they can sell you the whole range of D.I.Y equipment that they are carrying. So then, how to become a successful tattoo artist? For starters, you’ll need talent. You will never make it in the tattoo industry by tracing or stenciling, you will need to be able to draw great designs. To even get considered as a tattoo artist, a portfolio is needed. This will require you to draw lots of great designs to build up a portfolio. Your portfolio is proof that you have the skills that are needed to succeed in the industry. Without a portfolio, don’t even bother. I remember one South American guy asking me to train him to become a tattoo artist. And he said money is no problem. I told him that money is not an issue, just draw me a colored dragon and then a reaper. He came back after one week, and said he couldn’t draw a proper dragon or reaper. So end of story. Once you have a portfolio to showcase your talents, you will need a mentor, someone who is willing to teach you the trade and share their secrets with you. Now this is the tricky thing, tattoo artists don’t like giving away their secrets. Simple reason is because many of them have been let down by their apprentices. Just take the case of my mentor. He has taken more than 20 people under his wings (all without any fee), but today only 3 of his graduates still "recognize" him as mentor. What happened to the rest? They have their own shops, but tell their customers that they can do the same quality of work as their mentor (also my mentor), but their prices are cheaper. So you know how much it hurts to be in the shoes of my mentor? If you do find someone good, a real professional who is willing to tell you anything at all about the industry, then be grateful. To train as a tattoo artist, you will need proper, high-quality equipment such as precision tattoo machines, power supplies, shading equipment, needles, medical equipment and sterilizing supplies. You will also need to know about cleanliness and what can and can’t be reused, as well as how to clean and sterilize your equipment and recyclables. The popular professional tattoo artists are successful for a number of reasons, but mainly because they are clean and very talented. You too can succeed in the tattoo industry, but you will need to be talented, self-driven and dedicated. If you want to make lots of money as a tattoo artist, you are wasting your time. Become a tattoo artist because you love the art and love to create breath-taking pieces of body art. Be prepared to work for free and, most of all, if you get someone to stop and share a secret or two with you, take their advice. You will definitely need it. As an apprentice you will work for a tattoo artist for very little or no pay. See? You don't have to pay, and maybe you get paid too. You do this so that he/she can take you under his/her wing and show you how to take your artistic skill and transfer it to the art that is called tattooing. If the master you're apprenticing for is good, then along the way you'll also learn about how to run a shop, what it takes to succeed, and what NOT to do... How long does it take? Well...that depends on how fast you pick it up and how good your master is. It's not uncommon for tattoo artists to apprentice for more than one artist in their careers...and each apprenticeship can last for several years. This is not to discourage you...but the guys on Miami Ink didn't just "decide" to become rock star tattoo artists one day. They slogged and built up their reputation over the years before they became successful...and, chances are, you'll have to, too.
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About the Article Author
Kelvin is a tattoo artist at www.tattoocity.com.my
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