qustions!!

joey.tat

hi all. i am new to this so it will take a bit of gettin used too..
i want to become an apprentice but dont know the best way to go about it? any comments would be greatly appreciated...
i am building up my portfolio am i just got a full kit with guns an inks an was wondering what was the best think to practice on. i heard u can get some kind of fake skin to practice on but is there any particular one that works better...

Orim

Practise, Practise, Practise.

Keep working on your portfolio, try different styles and mediums so you can show diversity.

Get tattoos, hang around the shop and get to know the people involved

As for practising with the kit, I read about people using banana skins so maybe try that.

joey.tat

ya i heard fruit can be good grapefruit too. an someone else told me pigs ears...
its hard lookin for the apprenticeship is nearly all the shops around have ppl in already..

Orim

Yeah pigs ear could be in good in theory, or tbh any part of pig flesh, as I think their skin is fairly similar to our own. However I wouldn't want to waste food like that especially not pig :pac:

Yeah it's not going to be easy. Limited amount of shops, limited amount of positions and a lot of artists just may not want to take on an apprentice. So you'll have to graft and graft hard.

Depending on the shop/artist, it may be worth doing apprentice type stuff anyway. As I said get to know people so you can hang around and watch. Make coffee runs, help around the shop if you can. Doing this you'd have to be careful not to make a nuisance of yourself , especially if it's a small shop, but it could turn you from "hopeful no.64" to "joey who helps out and knows a bit anyway"

joey.tat

ya ur dead right in that on wastin the food... but ill try an look around more im sure some of the shops that have pp might even take on more when there fin...

as for helpin around the shop i kinda want to be close to home, an the only place where i live is closin up the end of march an movin to galway.. so im really stuck now..

baron von something

a tattoo artist i know told me one time that he found watermelons to be the best to practise on

Melion

The best thing to do is put down your "guns", you dont need them.

Learn that they are called machines, not "guns".

Do not tattoo fruit at home.

Do not tattoo ANYONE!!!!!!!

If you go into a studio and say you have "guns" and have been tattooing your friends, you will get absolutely nowhere.

Focus on your drawings, build up that portfolio. Go in to EVERY shop and ask, and even when they turn you down, go in again and again and again. You have to show that you are interested in the work and its not something you will want to drop in a years time when the next fad comes along.

Get friendly with the artists.

If you are limiting yourself to finding somewhere close to home then you have no chance im afraid.

Do not tattoo your friends with your new kit, you have no idea what you are doing.

Orim

Melion wrote: »

Do not tattoo fruit at home.

Agree with everything you've said but I'm just curious about this. From what I've read, just getting used to the weight of the machine and drawing with it is a big first hurdle. So I would think that time just getting used to it would be beneficial.

I assume it's due to bad technique developing which then has to be wiped before the teaching can properly begin. Having typed that out, I figure that's the answer.

Just Like Heaven

If you're in a position to be able to go art school, do.

And yeah, tattooing banana skins at home can be a bit of fun. But when you go into shops looking for an apprenticeship don't mention you have one.

Melion

Orim wrote: »

Agree with everything you've said but I'm just curious about this. From what I've read, just getting used to the weight of the machine and drawing with it is a big first hurdle. So I would think that time just getting used to it would be beneficial.

I assume it's due to bad technique developing which then has to be wiped before the teaching can properly begin. Having typed that out, I figure that's the answer.

Someone tattooing fruit will then have the urge to tattoo a friend. Setting up an artists machine will get you used to the weight etc.

joey.tat

thanks a mill guys for all the info its great to get all ur feed back. i am drawing everyday an building up my portfolio all the time...
i wouldnt dare tattoo on any of my friends maybe on fruit just to get the feel of the machine as i heard its a lot heaver to use than just ordenary darwing...

Melion

joey.tat wrote: »

thanks a mill guys for all the info its great to get all ur feed back. i am drawing everyday an building up my portfolio all the time...
i wouldnt dare tattoo on any of my friends maybe on fruit just to get the feel of the machine as i heard its a lot heaver to use than just ordenary darwing...

Plug it into the power supply and you'll get the feel of it. You dont need to tattoo anything.

Star Lord

Melion wrote: »

Plug it into the power supply and you'll get the feel of it. You dont need to tattoo anything.

This, and everything else Melion has said above. You don't want to start off wrong, as it can leave you doing it wrong, and might prevent you getting any further forward!

joey.tat

for the history of tattooing is there a book or anything ye could recommend as i have the tattoo Source book and in goes into a bit of detail on each style in it but i want to expand my knowledge a bit more on it...

bodice ripper

joey.tat wrote: »

thanks a mill guys for all the info its great to get all ur feed back. i am drawing everyday an building up my portfolio all the time...
i wouldnt dare tattoo on any of my friends maybe on fruit just to get the feel of the machine as i heard its a lot heaver to use than just ordenary darwing...

put a grip on the pencil, put the pencil into the machine.