Tips for Practicing Your Tattoo Skills

Being a tattoo artist can be a fun and lucrative career, especially for creative types. Do you want to be a tattoo artist but don’t know where and how to start? Below are some tips on how to tattoo.

Develop your skills

The first thing you need to do is o develop your art skills. Don’t worry if you feel that you’re not yet very skilled. Not all tattoo artists start out really well. You can develop your skills by studying and practicing your drawing skills. This part takes commitment, however. You need to spend time, effort, and even money if you want to learn how to tattoo. You may need to enroll in an art class. You can learn how to tattoo through other ways such as watching videos or reading books about tattooing. Some of the art skills you need to develop to become a tattoo artist include doing line work, composition, and shading.

Learn to tattoo at home

As mentioned earlier, you need to be developing your art skills constantly. So this means that even at home, you need to be practicing. You can learn how to tattoo at home by drawing on contoured objects and surfaces similar to human skin. People looking to sign up for a tattoo apprenticeship should look into home practice before asking around a serious tattoo shop. You need to understand that drawing on paper is different than tattooing on an actual body. This is why people who are good at drawing are not necessarily good at tattooing. So after you practice on paper, you need to shift to three-dimensional objects. You can draw on fruits such as oranges or melons or other round objects.

Practice with a weighted pen

Before you try using a tattoo machine, you should practice with a weighted pen or pencil first. A tattoo pen is heavier than a regular pen. The weight is needed to penetrate the skin. It would be best if you acquainted yourself with the added weight to be comfortable holding the tattoo pen. You need to have the right skill and hand strength to use a tattoo pen effectively.

Build your portfolio

When a potential client sees you, one of the first things that he or she will ask is if you have a portfolio. Without a portfolio, it would be almost impossible for you to get a client. This sounds like a catch-22 situation. You’re probably asking how you can build a portfolio without first having clients. There are several ways to go about it. First, you can offer to tattoo for free. People love freebies, so for sure, you won’t have a hard time looking for volunteers.

Another way you can build a portfolio is to become an apprentice of an established tattoo artist. After your apprenticeship, maybe you can even work in the same studio so you can gain experience. But before you can work as a professional tattoo artist, you need to have a license first. Requirements on how to get a license vary depending on the state you’re in, so you need to check your local licensing requirements.

You don’t need to be super creative and talented to become a tattoo artist. But it would be best if you had commitment and dedication. Following the above tips for learning how to tattoo can help you get started.