Should I?!?!

[gunslinger_burrito]

So I've wanted to give tattooing a serious shot for a long time, but have never been able to find someone to teach me. Occasionally I spot an apprenticeship, but it's usually offered by a shop where mediocre-to-poor tattoos are made. Sometimes the art is legit, but the tattoos are clearly poorly made, and sometimes it's the reverse. It seems that most of the tattooers who are solid artists and can make a solid tattoo aren't into teaching. I've spotted an apprenticeship on craigslist, but they don't offer a website (only a phone number), and only one of the tattoos they show looks decent. I can't decide if it might be worth it to apprentice someplace where they might not teach me the best. On the other hand, I'd have a certification and portfolio, and a foot in the door. I might risk having to re-learn technique years down the road if they aren't the best teachers (not to mention I'd have to get along with them for who knows how long, and there are a LOT of dumbass tattooers out there).

Thanks for reading and for any two cents you dewds may want to share.

[Bassist_Diver]

Why not swing by shops that you know and respect and ask them if they know any artists or shops that are willing to take on apprentices?

[space6oy]

my immediate reaction is that some of 'em probably don't wanna teach anyone since more artists means more competition.
i'm getting worked on friday if you'd like me to ask my current guy. he might not mind since i don't wanna get into it & we're half the country apart.
another thought is to try to find out about a convention & try to get in on it. all 5 artists in the shop i'm currently working with (& looks like i will be for quite a while since my guy can't get me in again after friday for freaking 5 weeks ) talk about those gatherings a lot...

[gunslinger_burrito]

Why not swing by shops that you know and respect and ask them if they know any artists or shops that are willing to take on apprentices?

I've asked contacts I have in shops around the area, and they either tell me they're not ready or able to take on apprentices, or they just tell me to keep looking because they do have nice things to say about my art.

my immediate reaction is that some of 'em probably don't wanna teach anyone since more artists means more competition.
i'm getting worked on friday if you'd like me to ask my current guy. he might not mind since i don't wanna get into it & we're half the country apart.
another thought is to try to find out about a convention & try to get in on it. all 5 artists in the shop i'm currently working with (& looks like i will be for quite a while since my guy can't get me in again after friday for freaking 5 weeks ) talk about those gatherings a lot...

Thanks man. You're right about the competition. There are a shitload of hip 18 year-olds who think tattooing is the best thing in world for them, so competition is a little tough. It's hard to find a tattooer that:
A: makes good tattoos I like
B: Is fun to hang out with (because an apprenticeship would be for a year or two at least)
C: Is willing to give his/her time and energy to me for free. I can't pay for an apprenticeship, but of course I'd be willing to be at the shop during all my free time.

I think the last one is the hardest and most important one. There seem to be a fair amount of mediocre shops that will teach for money, but a good shop......

I have a good friend in Ft Collins who's done 90% of my tattoos and we've covered a lot of ground talking about this. Unfortunately, he's just not set up to take on apprentices; he works out of a private studio. So that means no walk-ins and no space for an apprentice. I think he wants to open a shop with a street front this coming year, so if things don't pan out for me here in Denver, maybe I'll just move back to Ft collins (again.... ) if he would teach me.

Edit: I've been to some conventions with him. They're a lot of fun.

[Tristan]

Have you got the fake skin, machines, needles and ink to practice with?
In that case you could start off yourself (maybe you're already doing that though).
Show the guys you like the work you're doing and ask for some pointers and stuff, I think you could get something out of that already.
One of the most important things, as I understood from my buddy who's a tattoo artist, is the needles you use and the depth at which you tattoo, lots of guys go way to deep (Chank, this one's for you), resulting in jagged lines and sloppy work, not to mention serious damage to the skin, on the other hand go too superficial and the tattoo won't stay good for long so it's a bit of a trade off.
If you can get some guys to show you a bit of the way this is done and if they can give you some pointers on which materials to use you'd be on the way I think.
I can ask my buddy what he uses too, if that would be of help to you.
Also, get the Jeff Gogue DVD, there's lots of great information and inspiration on there.

[spacelordmother]

If you like the toanz and it's a good deal, then yes. Definitely!

[Ugly Nora]

Yeah, practice on raw chicken breast in the meanwhile.

[ShaunNecro]

From what I've heard and seen, it's about developing a rapport with an artist, and then talking to them about apprenticing. Get a bunch of tattoos from them, bring them business, become friends. Would you teach a valuable trade to someone you've never met before?

[gunslinger_burrito]

From what I've heard and seen, it's about developing a rapport with an artist, and then talking to them about apprenticing. Get a bunch of tattoos from them, bring them business, become friends. Would you teach a valuable trade to someone you've never met before?

This is the route I'd like to take for exactly that reason, it's just that I'm running out of tattooable body space. I'd hate to have somone do my back or something and then not want to teach me.

[tuffteef]

its a really weird game to play to try get an apprenticeship in after watching friends do it
im not even sure how they got theres when everyones like NO APPRENTICES wherever you go

so they just like started tattooing out of there pad and just got noticed that way
admittedly had to do some scratchers along the way
alot of them went to fine art school too which was interesting cause my bud ended up teaching his sensei some stuff along the way too

but if you want to do it id say maybe try that :idunno:

[Chankgeez]

... lots of guys go way to deep (Chank, this one's for you)...

She told me she couldn't feel the needle...

[PetZounds]

I have no experience with tattoos or tattooing, but I'm kind of an unpaid apprentice in a research lab at my school.
I'd say it's sort of analogous, so here's my experience:

My professor was not looking for anyone and never hires undergrads.
I went and talked to him once or twice a week, not to ask him for a position,
but because I was interested in the stories he had to tell and because I was interested in learning more about my desired field.

After a while of this, he invited me to come take a tour of his lab.
We continued talking and I kept becoming more and more interested in the work he did.
Then out of nowhere, he asked me for a resume and to write an essay about myself, and I talked about how more than anything, I wanted to be in a lab.
I said I didn't care if I was helping run samples or cleaning the floors, I just wanted to be in that environment.
That was what convinced him that I was actually dedicated to what I wanted.

Now I'm the first undergrad working there in 15 years, working with 6 PhD students.
I do tons of dirty work and maintenance, but between those times I'm constantly learning.

So, basically, show someone you're interested. Or, heck, lots of people.
Spend your free time talking to them, asking stories, how they got started, etc.
Persistence, dedication, and genuine interest is something that WILL get noticed.
Show them you're willing to work hard as hell and pour your heart, soul, and free time into it.

Someone's bound to take notice of that.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

[D.o.S.]

PetZounds is Virginia Johnson.

[PetZounds]

PetZounds is Virginia Johnson.

Wikipedia gave me four results for that name and one of them was a sex therapist.
Are you saying I'm a sex therapist?

Haha, but actually, I don't catch that reference.
Elaborate?

[D.o.S.]

She was a sex therapist who got into research/laboratory science in a similar fashion.

And when we say "a sex therapist" we should really say "one of the few people who had a real hand in helping us figure out some pretty important stuff about the physical nature of sex."

There's a really good book about her and her partner, William Masters, called "Masters of Sex," that Showtime just turned into a TV show.