How to become a successful tattoo artist: A complete guide by Inkman Aakash Chandani

If you are creative, have flair for drawing and the patience to sit for long hours with becoming a Tattoo Artist can be a feasible career choice for you.

The art of tattoo and tattoo artists probably exists since the time we can not even imagine. The existence of tattoo art can be seen traced in ancient history as well. But tattooing as a flouring and respectable career has emerged from the last century only. We now know the tattoo artists which are not only famous in their countries or regions but have global reach and fame. “But like any other creative field it takes years of hard work and dedication and immense passion for the art, to reach that point,” says Inkman Aakash Chandani. Here we will explain what do tattoo artists do and how to become successful tattoo artists. 

What do tattoo artists do? 

A tattoo artist is someone who imprints their design or design chosen by the client and tattoos them on clients using needles or pigments usually with the help of tattoo guns. These designs generally stay for life long on the client’s body. Few tattoo artists also provide additional services like body piercing, tattoo removal, microblading etc. 

How to Become a Tattoo Artist 

To become a tattoo artist the first and foremost thing is that the person should have a creative hand and the willingness and patience to learn life-long. “It is a dynamic field where new styles and tools keep coming, so the artist should be ready to evolve with time,” says Aakash who owns a popular Skin Machine tattoo studio in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. It is always recommended to pursue a certification course in Tattoo art. Certification from a good institute gives a lot of credentials and better-earning prospects to the artists 

Where to learn

The only way to learn the art is by becoming an apprentice under an already practicing tattoo artist. “ Not every good artist is a good teacher, so do a bit of research before joining any artist” suggests Aakash. It takes at least 2-3 years to become proficient and start your tattoo parlor. One must be ready to give a minimum of 6 hours a day and 6 days a week to excel in the field. Apprenticeship is necessary for both learning and gaining the experience required to start own practice. Most professionals in the industry state that it requires atleast 5 years of practice to start working independently. 

Skills and Responsibilities 

A tattoo artist must have flair for design. “He/she must be someone who is creative and understands the sincerity and seriousness of art, love for various cultures, patience and dedication, good interpersonal skills, extremely good attention to details,” says Aakash who has more than a decade of experience in the industry and has trained many successful tattoo artists of today, Responsibilities of tattoo artists include Meeting with clients to discuss their requirements, applying pre-made or bespoke designs on clients’ skin, follow-up for health and safety procedures, developing and learning new designs in spare time, and taking care of the hygiene of equipment. 

Succeeding as tattoo artist:

“ Success is a very relative term says Aakash, “however practice is the most important instrument to establish yourself. New or experienced, both types of artists have to keep practicing to become better. Apart from that, the artist has to keep track with latest trends and other established artists, what new they are doing in the field.” He adds. 

Aakash mentions few more important points “ If you want to succeed try to develop some uniqueness in designs, give your own touch. Learn the art for passion, not for money. If money is your only motto then you will become stagnant after a certain level. Keep upgrading yourself with new forms and styles and curate your own style too. Be ready to listen to the client do not push them to accept what you want. Just suggests the pros and cons of every design and let them decide what and how they want to go about it. And last but not least the artist must know how to market and promote himself in the challenging environment.” he sums up.

Established tattoo artists are doing great in terms of earnings. A trainee tattoo artist may earn anywhere around 6.0-7.0 lac per annum, an experienced tattoo artist 9.00lac-10.00 lac per annum and an independent tattoo artist with his own parlor may have a handsome earning depending on his proficiency and popularity.

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