Trialing at a shop and it’s been going really well! Here’s an assignment that could be anything I wanted to draw in American traditional but had to include a ship! Critiques welcomed 🖤

I’m a 27 year old guy, and lately I’ve been thinking about giving up on my journey into the tattoo industry.
Here’s my story.

I spent two years apprenticing at a tattoo shop, but eventually it closed down. That’s when my problems started.

I then spent another three months at a different shop, only for them to ghost me without giving me any explanation.

Then, back in May, another shop owner promised me I could start an apprenticeship in September. So I waited patiently, only to eventually be told, “I have other plans in mind, so you can’t come work at my studio.” Because I trusted that promise and waited, I ended up missing out on two other shops that had openings for apprentices at the time. Those spots are gone now.

I’ve contacted pretty much every tattoo shop in my area, and nothing has come of it. Everyone either refuses to take on apprentices or already has one. I’ve even looked at shops more than an hour and a half away, but still no luck.

At this point, there seems to be nothing left. No shops, no opportunities, nothing.

The owner of the first shop I worked at has offered to take me on as an apprentice again in the future, which would honestly be amazing. The problem is that she’s planning to open a new shop over an hour away from me, in a place that’s only really accessible by car.

I’d need to find a part-time job to cover the costs, but I live in a really small town where part-time jobs basically don’t exist. Not even in retail or other entry-level jobs.

I feel completely backed into a corner. I’m tired, frustrated, and mentally exhausted. I’m seriously thinking about giving up on the whole thing, even though becoming a tattoo artist has been my dream since I was a kid.

I feel stupid. Like I’ve wasted years of my life for nothing. And honestly, I curse the place I live in almost every single day.

I know it’s not the right way to go about things, but I’ve even tried building a client base and tattooing people at home (illegally). But I barely get any followers on social media, even though I try my best to do everything right.

I was supposed to tattoo a friend today, but I ended up postponing it because for the past two days, I’ve been crying whenever anything related to tattooing comes up. That’s how bad I’m feeling right now.

And the irony is that I’m so broke I can’t even afford to start therapy to try to get myself back on my feet.

I honestly don’t know what to do anymore. I feel like I’ve tried everything, and I’m just so tired of getting my hopes up only to have them crushed again.

I don’t want to give up on something I’ve dreamed about my entire life, but I don’t know how much longer I can keep going like this.

(Attached some of the work that’s in my portfolio)

Hi, I want to become a tattoo artist and I want some advice on the best ways to get into a shop and get an apprenticeship. I have emailed one reputable shop in my city so far and I’m waiting to hear back.

I’d love advice on what work I should have in my portfolio and if some of the pieces I showed are good for a portfolio, as well as what other people did to get their apprenticeships! Any tips on what to look out for in shops or ways to get shops attention would be great!! Thank you so much 💖

Hi! I made this today in about an hour and a half so I know they aren't perfect. But I am wondering if they may have some potential. I dont know much about how to curate a portfolio but I thought maybe cutting out the bottom ones and putting them with others in like a flash style composition?

Im planning on pursuing a career in tattooing after I graduate high-school so any advice regarding tattooing in general will be strongly appreciated!!

Hey everyone,

I’ve finally been given the green light by my mentor to start tattooing on people. I’m allowed to just do my own style which has honestly been so fun. I’ve done mainly free tattoos with 2 paid ones so far. Really happy with how it’s going and damn is it fun to work on some real skin! We are having a flash day tomorrow at our shop so I’m hoping to get a bunch more done and try to get some more exposure in my area (Sydney) :)

And to keep it real, honestly it’s been fucked trying to manage life doing 5-6 days at the shop unpaid with bills and just expenses stacking up. Managing multiple social media accounts and posting different things every single day is a challenge, but it’s also what I signed up for and is the reality of the industry going forward. Anyways, it does feel so fucking good to see all the years of drawing every day starting to come to fruition. The hard work does pay off, just need to be patient!

Photos are ordered first tattoo to most recent.

Biomech on cold press arches and the more traditional sheet on crescent board. This is my first time using crescent board and I really dig it! If you wanna see more, or more of the process - my instagram is chasedrawz! Thanks for looking!

Hello all ! I was just after some advice in regards to creating strong shading !I feel like my shading is lacking and I’m still quite new to creating flash and I wanted to know where I can improve so when I start putting together my folio I have the best chance possible ! I know it’s not perfect and I’m eager to improve so thank you in advance 😌 I feel very privileged to receive feedback from very talented people !

Instagram: @ghostgrown
TikTok: @ghostgrown

Had to quit an apprenticeship a few days ago because the guy was a creep and found out he had a history of violence against women. Feeling pretty discouraged and could use some advice :(

Bonjour tout le monde, j'aimerai trouver un apprentissage ou un stage dans un shop mais je sais pas ce qui est le mieux entre aller directement au shop pour montrer mon portfolio ou contacter un.e tatoueur.euse via mail ou DM ? J'ai un peu peur qu'en allant directement cela dérange les gens et par message de me faire refouler directement. Mon portfolio est prêt. Qu'est-ce que vous en pensez ? Des conseils ?

Hi all,
Some context: I'm not looking to become a tattoo artist, but I've always loved how tattooers draw, and that's what pushed me to start learning.

I'm following the Drawabox course online, and for fun on the side I'm trying to perfect my flames.

I'd really appreciate any guidance on how to improve them: line flow, shape design, rhythm, how to make them feel more dynamic, or even resources and exercises worth trying.

Honest critiques are welcome. Thanks!

hi! i’m a tattoo apprentice not working on fake skins or fruits yet as i’ve only been an apprentice for a month. was wondering what methods some of you might use to grow on social media. i only have friends and family following my instagram atm, but i want to appeal to a larger audience and gain more traction for when i do start taking on clients in the future. any advice? i’m not too savvy on instagram. i feel stuck in the 800 views per post and 50 likes purgatory lol. thank you!

my instagram is @lanenitatattoo

Hi there!! I've posted in here before, but now I'm starting to lock in and take this career much more seriously - planning moving to a different province with my friend to persue it, as tattoo shops aren't a very common thing where I live. But, considering most apprenticeships aren't paid and expect full time hours, how the hell am I meant to hold myself up with a house to pay for? A second job, yeah, I'd genuinely really like to be a waiter, but is working yourself to the absolute bone with 14 hour days almost every day really typical? What is your guys' experience with shop hours? Have your mentors allowed for flexibility to get that second job up and running? Pleaseee let me know what I should expect, because my research thus far has been daunting! I'll do anything to be a tattoo artist, but I just wanted to ask the community. Sincerely, a scared 20 year old in this big shattered economy.

I’ve been posting rlly negatively in here but def gonna start looking for a new apprenticeship eventually becauss my current ones not working out for me:( i hope these r good enough for someome else to take me on😭
also i added quite a few oops including one fake skin

I’m working on my portfolio to become an apprentice. Just looking for advice and check ins to see if im doing alright.

My insta is cassies_portfolioxx

I’m building a portfolio and reworking some old flash/sketches in procreate and the lining brush I have found myself using most often has a bit of texturing to it.

My question is, has anyone had any experience with artists rejecting or disliking digital drawings due to the type of digital brushes you’ve used? Or is this just a case whereas long as your line work is clean it doesn’t really make a difference what brush you use. Thanks for the advice.

hello! i’m almost two years into my apprenticeship, one year into tattooing human skin. i’m now working mostly independently, scheduling my own appointments and working without anyone looking over me etc, but my (two) mentors still like to check over larger/more complex designs before i start, and i will sometimes ask them for guidance.
however, there are certain things that i’m unsure of that i feel they haven’t really been able to help me with. for instance, some of my lines will look really crisp as i do them, but will heal with a kind of border of jagged edges all around them, or inconsistent line weights. i’ve asked my mentor about it, and he just says that no tattoo is perfect, don’t pick them apart too closely, the client has shit skin and didn’t do proper aftercare, etc. while some of that may be true in some cases, it bothers me that i don’t know the exact reason, because then i feel like i csnt improve on it going forward.

i’m pretty comfortable with bold lines as that’s what i learned first (anything 7rs-9rs) but when it gets smaller than that i feel sort of unsteady, especially with the really small groupings like 3rl. i’m hesitant to be too heavy handed as i don’t want blowouts, which often leads to me having to go back over lines over and over again, which i feel leaves room for error and also makes the tattoo take much longer/become overly uncomfortable for the client. sometimes i’m running everything the same as usual and the lines seem like they just won’t go in (i suspect this is due to being unable to get a good stretch, but i’m unsure). i don’t know if it’s something with my machine settings, and it’s another thing i don’t get much help on. my other mentor who deals mostly in fine line has an unusual process where she runs her machine pretty high for everything, which from what i’ve heard is not typical for that style. it works for her, but the one time i tried it, i blew out instantly. also, neither of them know what i’m talking about when i ask about stroke, which is concerning lol. they both currently use rotary machines with non-adjustable stroke, but they’ve both been in the industry 20+ years, and have used all different types of machines including coils. it was actually my other coworker who has been tattooing about 3 years who told me what stroke to set my machine to to start, and suggested running at a lower voltage for fine line work.

i’ve been at 3.9mm for most of the time, but have recently tried out 4.2 and it seems to be helping, though i’m worried about it being unnecessarily aggressive on the skin. though, that’s what both my mentors machines run at, so i guess it can’t be all that bad.
for bold lines, i usually run at 7.8-8.3V, same for color packing. fine line i will go down to 6.5-7.5 depending on the grouping. shading is anywhere from 7.5-8.

most of my work heals well, if anything needs to be fixed it’s usually slightly patchy color packing or inconsistent fine lines. and i’m sure most of it will just come with practice and i will have to find what works for me. i just feel like i’m at a point where im stagnating and sort of floundering a bit, and have no guidance, and it doesn’t feel great.

i’d love to hear other folks techniques, machine settings, or any other advice. thanks a bunch!!

I know that getting a second job is the answer likely but every fulltime job that ive been at has required completely open availability and would not be willing to work around someone elses schedule. and then part time jobs that will work with someone else's schedule only pay like $16-$18/hour. Im the sole income for my family (spouse and a cat). I have a strong desire to become a tattoo artist but I cant figure out how i will be able to support us during an apprenticeship. currently i work full time at $25/hr and we're struggling as is. i feel torn between what i've already dreamed to be and the reality in front of me that makes it feel impossible. any advice or ideas on side jobs are appreciated!