ok need some career advice

nicolo

right Ok, i want to get into tattooing and I've been given a lot of conflicting advice. first off i was told to go to studios with a portfolio of art and ask the artists if any of them would take me on, so i set about building up a better portfolio after i left college (i did animation/illustration) and while i was doing that i was told by another artist not to bother applying unless my portfolio had at least a few tattoos id done myself, so i kept at the portfolio and started saving up for a machine i was then told that this was stupid and i should just apply to the artists directly again, so i went in to a studio the other day and asked how id go about getting an apprenticeship with one of the artists there and i was told that i should start getting tattoos and ask the artist while hes tattooing and that even at that its very rare that they take on apprentices because understandably its a lot of extra work they don't need to basically create competition
also i don't really have a lot of money as I'm on the dole so i can focus on my art hence cant really afford to get tonnes of tatts (not that i wouldn't want to.I've a few but they where cheap)
so can someone give me some clear advice on what they would do or preferably did do as a professional.
also i've heard that people are charging for apprenticeships now is this true?

amazingemmet

Basically there's a few ways to get an apprenticship

1: Be friends with an artist and have them take you on

2: Have such an amazing portfolio that an artist will take you on

3: Keep going into a shop and getting work done and getting to know the artists then badger them

4: Get a machine tattoo yourself and willing volunteers then repeat steps 1-3

5: Hang around a shop and basically be their b!tch and they might take you on

Choose one