So, you want to be a Tattoo Artist?

Yes, I capitalized Tattoo Artist for a reason. The reason being RESPECT. This industry has always been, and always will be, about RESPECT and TRADITION.

Tattooing (derived from the Samoan word "Tatau") has been around for approximately ten thousand years. Each tribe and/or culture uses Tattooing for many number of reasons;

1. Nazi's used them for an identification system.
2. Roman soldiers had them on their hands to make it easier to find them, if they deserted.
3. Egyptian kings used them for therapeutic purposes, much like acupuncture is used today.
4. Different tribes used them to show a right of passage, or to show the position they upheld in their community.

Whatever the reason, Tattoos have long been tradition and have earned the respect of those who choose to mold their lives around this ancient art. Today, we continue the tradition of respect. Those who care so deeply about this art makes his/her life revolve entirely around it. We study, we create. We care about our clients. We bend over backwards for the care, comfort and respect of our clients.This is not something to be taken lightly.

• If you have ever decided you wanted to be a Tattoo Artist, you must first be artistic. If you are not, how on earth will you be able to meet your client's standards?
• You must study. Take classes. Learn as much as you can on how to do different styles of art; be it drawing, painting, sculpting, photography, or all of the above. Each medium only helps to boost your ability; your eye for creating, for flow, movement, feeling, and detail.
• You must develop a portfolio. It should be well rounded, with a knowledge of art history, the different cultures all wrapped up in one. Show every different medium you are comfortable with.
• To become a Tattoo Artist, you should learn the history. RESPECT the art. No decent teacher will ever allow someone to learn this ancient art without having respect and the willpower to dedicate your life to learning it. This is not something you can learn in two weeks. This is something you will learn for the rest of your life. If you believe you know everything about tattoo, that is the time to get the fuck out. Pardon my language, but that is the only way to put it.
• You must find someone you feel comfortable with, someone who will take the time to teach you. Without a good teacher, how are you supposed to learn anything? Yes, this is hard. This is SUPPOSED to be hard, and You have to do all the work yourself. Find a willing teacher, who will dedicate him/herself to teaching you, then show them your portfolio.

When you do, you have to prove to them that this is what you want. What you need. What you desire. What you crave. To prove this, well, you do a LOT of free work. Take on customs for the artist. Draw them up.
Let them critique it for you. If they decide to bring you on, be prepared to do a lot of bitch work. Answering phones. Scrubbing floors and windows. Scrubbing toilets. Going for coffee runs. Get used to it. This is how they want to make sure you DO respect Tattooing. While you are doing all of this, you CAN, in fact, be learning. You watch what they are doing. You ask questions. You WORK YOUR ASS OFF.

This, again, is not something you can learn in two weeks. It takes longer than two weeks to earn your respect. You need to learn about BBP, or blood borne pathogens. Cross contamination. How to prevent diseases. What you need to do for someone with a disease. Or ailment. Where are you allowed to tattoo a diabetic? What happens if you tattoo them in the wrong place? These are only a couple of questions you will have to learn before ever touching skin. This is not a practice to be done out of a basement. Or out in a park. This is something that needs to be contained. Something that needs a medical environment. There is so much to learn, and no where near enough time to learn it all, even in a lifetime.


I, myself, have learned to respect tattooing a long time ago, and I have been wanting this since I was 3 years old. Yes. 3.  I waited until I was 18 to get my first tattoo.  Before that, I took every art class alloted to me.
I studied. I learned different mediums. I started drawing before I could walk. I take in the world around me, astonished by its beauty and perspective.

This is not a job. This is not a career. This is a whole lifestyle and if you are not  prepared to change your life so that it revolves around Tattoos, then this is not the place for you.

I cannot run in the store for milk for my son, which should take an average person no more than 5 minutes to complete. For me, it take an hour. I have people stopping me to look at my tattoos, or ask me questions about it, or looking to get a tattoo. I do not leave my work at work. My work follows me home. I work 50+ hours at the shop, and  turn around and put the same in at home.

I cannot do anything without Tattoos running through my head, 24/7. I lay in bed each night, trying to sleep, but it takes a while, as designs, names, images, and ideas flow through my brain.

I eat, sleep, and breathe tattoos.

If you are not prepared for this, this is not for you.

Kate Connors