9545 Reseda Blvd. unit 2, Northridge, CA (818) 700-2818

Trying to get an apprenticeship? please help. need advice.

So I've got a few questions regarding apprenticeships.

First: heres what i already [think] i know:
1-Do NOT have any habits when it comes to tattooing.
2-DO have a good portfolio.
3-get in good with the artists
4-Get work done.


now to my questions..
Right now i am unable to get ANY tattoos from a professional cause 1-ill lose my bed. the people i live with HATE tattoos. So i have 2 i did on myself [i will put up a picture]
so theres my problem with getting work done.
Now, my fiancé has gotten work done at a local tattoo shop the guy who did his hand piece knows my biological dad [who owns a shop cross country] and he knows thats my blood. so that raised an eyebrow of interest. question here: can i use that to my advantage.

Ive done a few tattoos on my fiancé, and on my friend. The ones i did on my friend look like they were done at a shop she's super happy with them [the gun i was using was working well at this point]

my fiancé's were kinda screwy cause HE had to adjust the gun. HIS fault lol he set it up for HIS use. xD but no seriously though i think i did "ok" on those ones.

now what i have to use:
I have a few pieces of decent art, some tattoo sketches, some font sketches.

Talent

Professionals in my bloodline.

What i have done so far:

Started off doing pick n prick on myself [cuz hell at least i can't sue myself. and if i fuck up i know what i want and i can fix it.]

I moved on to doing ink on my fiancé. first one i did with a gun i did on his arm. I had a problem with the pressure i am still completely novice mindset with the whole tattoo gun deal. I know i don't know jack about what I'm doing. i wing it.

i freehanded all my tattoos. took some red bull to get my adrenaline rushing to therefore cut down the pain. lots of ice water to numb it. I know that once you hit a certain point in time while doing a tattoo the skin will reject it due to the fact your body can't handle anymore poking with needles. the skin starts to get a bit swollen before hand so once an hour a break is good [im guessing due to the fact i sat in while my fiancé got his other hand piece at the same shop the guy had him go outside for a break after 45 minutes.] so i have the basic health knowledge a little bit.

I dont wanna screw this up but i REALLY want to get in to tattooing i know i can do it but i also know that at this point i don't know jack about the techniques all i know how to do is draw and i know not to do any tattoos on people who have been drinking [thins blood]

now i need to know...what else should i do to get an apprenticeship at the place my fiancé got his tatts at? the guys who did them do a lot of horror style art which is what i excell at.

and how big does my portfolio have to be. I was thinking the following as a portfolio:

a timeline thing [images of the tattoos I've done in chronological order [all of an amazing 5 lol] to show progression and improvement.

5 different fonts [with a male and female style for each]

5 band logo drawings

2 horror comic book style [vince lock zombies to be exact] portraits.

2 drawings of people

2 paintings

5 zombie drawings

5 various horror drawings

5 girly girl tattoos

5 sports logos.

5 gangster style tattoos

5 religious tattoos.


anything else? i wanna get this done like asap. so any pointers would be great. ill post my current stuff so you all can glance at it and you tell me that i should do more and how much more.


Replies:

RE:Trying to get an apprenticeship? please help. need advice.

oh and heres the link to my stuff.
http://kamikatastrophie.deviantart.com
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RE:Trying to get an apprenticeship? please help. need advice.

The pics you posted a link to looked pretty rough. I would stop tattooing immediately and start doing some research on correct application, procedure, sterilization, design etc...you aren't going to get an apprenticeship showing anyone those photos. Work on your drawing skills, understanding of color, value, composition....basic artistic knowledge you will need to be successful as a tattoo artists. Work in other mediums and show your abilities thru that. Don't pick up a tattoo machine until you are knowledgable, confident, and ready. And it's not called a gun, it's a tattoo machine. Guns kill, machines create. Any chance of an apprenticeship will come thru either being an artistic badass, knowing the right person, spending a ton on money from a single artists and making friends with them, pure luck, or you earn it and have someone recognize your abilities.... You can be self taught like myself, but I have spent countless hours reading, studying, watching artist DVDs, seminars, etc...you have to be very self motivated.. And knowing the right people or having tattoo artists in your bloodline does help, but you still have to earn it like everyone else... Good luck
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RE:Trying to get an apprenticeship? please help. need advice.

I hate what tattooing has become.
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RE:Trying to get an apprenticeship? please help. need advice.

Honestly, you need to find an apprenticeship before you continue, the tattoo/open infected looking wound is not a good thing to have in a photo, Its possible to teach yourself, I started that way, and ended up with an apprenticeship later, but from what you have in your pictures, you really need to research everything before you tattoo anyone else and seriously hurt yourself or anyone else. I know this wont stop you at all, but atleast inform yourself, take a Blood Borne Pathogens class at your local health department, watch other artist at shops, become a shop rat, buy videos online and watch, study sterilization, and buy Pound of Flesh hand, or atleast oranges
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RE:Trying to get an apprenticeship? please help. need advice.

You did not give a link to an online portfolio of art but honestly-those tattoos are bloody terrible.

No decent tattooist would offer you an apprenticeship/job at the level you are now, and just skipping straight to buying the machine without an apprenticeship shows laziness, lack of dedication and general arrogance.
Look at sketches by decent tattooists like Mitch allenden, Emily rose murray, victor chil, Marcus macguire, james tex etc, and until you see your drawing reach that level I wouldn't even bother trying to get an apprenticeship.
This is because there is so much competition from amazing established artists who now have decided to pursue tattooing.

If you work hard it can be done-it took me two years of constant travelling and applying and I had a portfolio the size of a phonebook to chose stuff from to show.
Otherwise you'll just be ruining skin for years, it's hard enough learning how to tattoo full stop, let alone learning how to draw at the same time.
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RE:Trying to get an apprenticeship? please help. need advice.

holy hell put that machine down and take some antibiotics.
seriously though that looks terrible u should stop and take a step back evaluate what u r doing and listen to the comments above
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RE:Trying to get an apprenticeship? please help. need advice.

please stop scarring people!!!! Put your "GUN" down and walk away.I didn't have any apprenticeship and I have made it to where I am now,but I did not do work like that even starting.I read and researched alot before going to skin.You have no art that I see and theres is no proper portfolio for apprenticeship as I am looking one now.And honestly I wanna see real talent,I dont want to train someone in art and tattoing just tattooing,hell id rather them be better artistically than me anyways,makes my job easier and hell maybe i can learn too..cuz thats whats this all about.
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