What Exactly is a Tattoo Apprentice?
- Livia Michael
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Hi again, internet, it’s Livia Michael! As you all know, I am the newest apprentice at Speakeasy Tattoo here in Los Angeles. The word, ‘apprentice’ is thrown around a lot on this blog. But what exactly is a tattoo apprentice?
A tattoo apprentice is a student learning the craft of tattooing from a mentor that is a licensed, practicing tattoo artist. Every tattoo studio and artist is different, and therefore every apprenticeship is unique in its requirements, cost, and timeline. Generally, an apprenticeship can last from one to three years. It takes time to learn a new skill, especially one that is as complex and difficult as making permanent artwork on a person’s flesh in a safe, hygienic manner. Patience is key. Additionally, an apprenticeship costs money. Similar to going to a trade school or college, the apprentice is gaining insider knowledge and training from an experienced tattoo artist. Generally, the cost of an apprenticeship can range from $5,000 to $10,000 or more. An apprentice will need to have a part-time job or rely on their savings during their time of study and for some time thereafter, since it will take a while to build their body of work and their client base in order to make a living from their craft.
How does one get a tattoo apprenticeship? Once again, every shop and artist has a different way of going about this process, but normally someone in hopes of attaining an apprenticeship should first expand and refine their art portfolio. This is crucial because the work that one presents is representative of their artistic skill and style. One should also thoroughly research shops and artists, in order to find somewhere they would be a good fit, in terms of their art, as well as their personal and professional values. Once one has found a shop or mentor that they are interested in apprenticing with, they should first reach out on their website or via email to find out if they are currently taking on apprentices. Some shops may be open to walking in with a portfolio, however, many tattoo parlors are appointment-only nowadays, so making contact via email or a website application is the best place to start. If a shop is taking on apprentices and is willing to meet, one must bring their best work in a portfolio and conduct themselves in a professional manner, as with any job interview.
If an apprenticeship is not granted immediately, there is no need to fret. One should simply continue to improve their work and research other tattoo artists/shops. Securing the right mentor is all about finding a good fit, and this doesn’t always happen on the first try. An artist that is offered a tattoo apprenticeship is incredibly lucky, as this knowledge has been passed down from mentor to mentee for generations. The craft of tattooing is best learned by way of shadowing a professional, rather than taking an online course or expedited tattoo program. With that being said, there are always going to be folks or shops that will try to take advantage of free labor and charge way too much without offering much knowledge in return to their apprentice. This is why research is key, in order to find a shop not only with talented artists, but one with strong morals and good intentions as well.
In terms of the structure of a tattoo apprenticeship, one typically begins by doing ‘back of house’ labor such as cleaning the shop from top to bottom, answering emails, being responsible for appointments/calendars, setting up their mentor’s tattoo station, and breaking down/cleaning the space after a tattoo appointment is finished. It is important for an apprentice to be punctual, hard-working, flexible, honest, trustworthy, maintain professional boundaries, and take critiques without ego. After all, an apprentice is there to learn. During this time, the apprentice must soak up all the knowledge they can from their mentor, watch how they work, continue drawing, and become well-versed in the history and styles of tattoos. Eventually, the mentor will teach the apprentice to use a tattoo machine, and they will begin to tattoo fake skins or fruit. Once the apprentice masters this, they can move onto offering reduced rate or free tattoos to friends, family, or regular clients of their mentor, in order to build their tattoo portfolio. Once they are tattooing flesh with high proficiency, an apprentice must get certified/licensed to tattoo professionally in the state/city where they reside. This can range from filling out paperwork to taking a variety of tests regarding hygiene and safety practices.
Once an apprentice is experienced with the craft and professionally certified, they often will be offered a contract or position at the shop where they studied. Or, if they prefer to go work somewhere else or work toward starting their own shop, they are left with the skills and portfolio necessary to work in the industry. I have been loving my journey as an apprentice so far, and I feel incredibly grateful to have found a shop that promotes artistic integrity, discipline, and creativity.
Until next week…
-Livia Michael
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