Ask a Sydney Tattoo Artist
Many people are interested in becoming a tattoo artist, but not many people understand what it takes. It’s not a job you can’t cut corners on: tattoos are an art that takes practice and years of experience to perfect.
Getting tattoos is becoming increasingly common in young society as a way of expressing your individuality. This is thanks in part to pop culture and glamorous television shows like La Ink and Miami Ink, as well as the many celebrities and icons with tattoos – such as Angelina Jolie, Beckhams, Kat Von D and Robbie Williams – and as a result, many star-eyed people are looking to be. the tattoo artist himself. But getting a tattoo is certainly not all about glamor. What many don’t realize about a tattoo artist career, while it is definitely rewarding, it also demands a great deal of hard work and raw talent.
Many people are interested in becoming a tattoo artist, but not many people understand what it takes.
It’s not a job that you can’t cut corners: tattoos are an art that takes practice and years of experience to perfect. For example, a recent feature about tattoos appeared in the Australian magazine Drum Media. A number of top tattoo artists in Sydney are given short interviews about their tattoo experiences and becoming tattoo artists. One of the Sydney tattoo artists, Carl Carlson, answers the question whether Miami Ink and LA Ink is really what it is like to be a tattoo artist. The answer is “Hell no. They give people the false impression that we all live this crazy rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle and do jack shit work.” This is absolutely true, and a real tattoo artist will tell you the same thing. Many of them, including Carl Carlson, will tell you that it is very difficult to be recognized for your own individual talent, and not working in a glorified tattoo studio makes it nearly impossible.
Potential tattoo artists who can’t draw are very out of luck, and usually won’t go any further than getting a basic flash tattoo in a flash studio. Top tattoo artists are highly skilled as artists, and especially for custom tattoos, there is a huge difference in the caliber of tattoos done by tattoo artists who can actually draw and tattoo artists who cannot. If you already have great drawing skills and a good sense of color, you should then build a portfolio of artwork and find internships with real tattoo artists. Sometimes tattoo internships come for free, but usually they cost big bucks. For anyone passionate about pursuing a career as a tattoo artist, this initial investment isn’t much – and luckily it helps prevent many non-committees from entering the tattoo industry. Yet even for the dedicated, a tattoo apprenticeship is a huge sacrifice. Over the years, a tattoo apprenticeship can be financially and physically draining.
The bigger side of working as a tattoo artist, being able to understand and maintain proper health regulations in a tattoo studio. Tattoo artists are constantly dealing with other people’s blood, so a good tattoo artist needs to know how to safely sterilize all tattoo equipment and maintain a clean and harmless work environment. The smallest mistake can cause cross-contamination and lead to infection. You need to understand how to protect yourself and your customers from infection, and you need to ensure that your bio-medical waste is disposed of safely.
A lot of learning and experience goes into making a tattoo artist.
Having a natural flair is a great start, but not all artists can be successful as tattoo artists. To truly succeed in the demanding and competitive tattoo industry, you need a lot of personal determination and the capacity for constant hard work and ongoing learning.