Learn the art of Tattooing - Become a Tattoo artist. Dennis Nowakowski
look beyond the horizon and they would instead see a future employee who can bring in good money. Instead, you are frowned upon and thrown out. Unfortunately, this is not seldomly the case. But this behavior speaks volumes about the management qualities of these studios. You can safely turn your back on these people and laugh about it. They are exactly the same narrow-minded people, who later on can’t find any good tattoo artists because they all started something on their own. Fortunately, there are also the helpful ones who take a moment, listen and give good advice. Those who look at your work, give feedback on weaknesses and routinely ask questions. Those who don’t question you, but encourage you and strengthen your actions. The quality of the work says nothing about the person behind the machine. Nor does a huge shop with thousands of motifs on the walls and a giant reception area. If that is your stated goal, you have to work for it. If you have reached this goal and belong to the elite of the scene, then never forget that you also started at the bottom. Always be polite and give prospective tattoo artists a chance. There are enough customers out there for all of us, believe me. Whether they come to you or not depends not only on your work. I wouldn't get tattooed by some unfriendly dick either, no matter how good he is.
Find a place to start
Hang in there, find someone who is reasonably familiar with the subject matter and who takes you by the hand a little. You can also find many tips and tricks on the Internet. At least a correct execution from A to Z concerning the hardware. However, there is nothing like having a mentor on site to familiarize you with the details, which are not permanently available and applicable to all situations. I hope to be able to help you with this book and to help you get rid of all the questions that prevent you from getting started. Please don’t expect a patent solution for all your questions. Every situation, every tattoo and every client must be treated individually. Your task is to find an acceptable solution for your client. In case you’re looking for the quick coin you should be able to deliver solid pieces that take a lot of time.
Quality has its price
One of the most common phrases in this industry. Unfortunately said by people who can just draw outlines and fill in black. And even that doesn’t look particularly well in the end. As a newcomer, you are happy about every customer, which mostly come from your circle of friends and are available as guinea pigs. To ask for a lot of money from the beginning and keep quoting the above-mentioned quote is absurd. Be grateful for every person who voluntarily gets inked by you. In the beginning you will be fascinated by short phrases, names, dates, tribals, ornaments and the like. They consist only of outlines and some fill color, preferably black. Highly recommended for a more consistent way of working. So you get a better feeling for your machine, needles, color, shapes, skin and problem areas. But that's not enough to make your way to the elite. Personal talent, self-assessment and ambition play a major role here. Overestimating yourself, which explains all the cover up shows on TV, can end badly. A reputation is quickly damaged. A picture is worth a thousand words. Nevertheless, at some point you have to let go of what you have learned so far and move on. Here you should also slowly realize where you want to go, which style you want to ink. In theory, at some point you should be able to do everything if you are in a good mood. Diversity in tattoo artists can unfortunately only be found to a limited extent, as the artists eventually settle down for their favourite styles. Two rough directions are Old School Art and Realistic Style Art. You should also exchange your private rooms or basement for a studio at some point if you want to earn money professionally with your passion. The courage to do exactly that is missing in a lot of people.
Don’t hesitate
Such a short text and already so much information, I know. I'm glad that my good friend Harald took me by the hand and recognized and encouraged my drawing talent. For many years I was bobbing around as a cellar artist, who only inked small motifs at dumping prices on weekends. My real career only began at the age of 38, even though I had little hope and many people dismissed it as nonsense. Many discouraging years, with several jobs on my resume, did not make me happy. Asking what was wrong with me kept me busy. Having no goal makes you freeze and stagnate like you're in a state of shock. It was only when we opened our studio that I realized my true potential. Managing the shop, inking nice tattoos, talking to people, exchanging experiences with my business partners, developing my own techniques and much more. Now I ask myself why all this happened so late. Where would I be if I had done this fifteen or twenty years ago. Much further than today, of course. I want to spare you this dilemma and ask you to take this step as quickly as possible. Don't waste too much precious time and energy. Don't get discouraged and make the decision you think is right.
When you have done all this and worked your way through this book, you will be ready. After reading it, use it as a reference book if you get stuck. There will certainly be a situation that you have neglected or underestimated. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you and all I can say is,
“Hang in there.”
Talent helps - but it is not everything
A little story
A beginner tattoo artist comes to a five star restaurant. As he sifts through the menu, the chef who is a great admirer of his work, recognizes him. He speaks to him.
“I am a great fan of your work. You must have a great tattoo machine and great colors.”
The tattoo artist smiles and nods friendly. After a five-course meal, he calls the chef to his table and says,
“A truly magnificent meal. I am thrilled. You must have a great stove and really good pots.”
It's a fairly well-known story, which I rewrote a little bit. Making a good job depend entirely on tools and materials is nonsense. A craftsman is only as good as his tools. Without talent or enough practice, the best tattoo machine in the world won't do you any good. If you don't have the talent in the first place, it only helps to practice.
“I can't even draw stick figures - how can I become a tattoo artist?”
If I got one euro for every person who uttered that sentence, I could take months off work. Why is everyone convinced that you have to be a brilliant draughtsman or inker to deliver beautiful tattoos? I know many tattoo artists who have never drawn before and are now respected tattoo artists. You just have to realize that it is a learned profession, as any profession is. Nobody masters something perfectly the first time. Nobody is born into the world as a brain surgeon, racing driver or banker. These are all skills that we have to learn. The only question is how good you want to be. For each area there are specialists and professionals who stand out from the standard workers because they can do more or are more precise. As a rule, it takes three years to learn a profession. Most people think that's it. To master something really well, no matter what, an average type of worker needs seven years. This is no joke, it's scientifically proven. There's no need to throw in the towel now. If you could do anything, you wouldn't need this book.
A standard education helps
A solid apprenticeship occupation can therefore not hurt. At the very least, it would be an emergency plan in case the desired career as an artist doesn't work out right away. This way you can, at least at the beginning, provide for a regular income and spend your free time learning about drawing, needles and colors. Invest as much time as possible in your hobby, as I call it for now. Getting a good feel for shapes, line work and shading is a solid step forward. Colors and color combinations are often an art themselves, but they develop over time. Look intensively at many pictures and motifs. Pay attention to light edges, shadows and how shadows cast on objects. Brightness, contrast and color intensity are also dynamic factors.
Skin is not paper
You can’t compare inking on white paper with inking skin. Skin doesn’t lie smooth in front of you or keeps permanently still. It belongs to a sentient person, to whom you can cause extreme pain if you approach the matter too brutally. Physical pain is followed by psychic pain if