Greetings! Tattoo Apprentice Looking for Helpful Lessons/Courses

[Corinne Shannon]

Hello, from the Baltimore/DC area of the USA!

I gave up my dream of being a professional artist (both as a studio artist and tattoo artist) before college, because “you can’t make a living that way” as so many of us are often told.

So I went to a couple years of college for graphic design, where I took basic drawing and color theory courses, but I quickly realized that coding and UI design just weren’t fulfilling.

Fast forward 15 years and I’m just now picking up my pencils again. I’m a brand new tattoo apprentice, and I’m here to find videos that can help me hone my artistic skills and apply them to my tattoo designs. I haven’t really found my own personal style yet, but I love illustration, Renaissance art, impressionism, and bold graphics.

Any suggestions on particular teachers, series, courses, and lessons that would be helpful for linework, shading, and tattoo art on general is GREATLY appreciated!

Thank you!

Corinne

[Eric Bess]

Hello Corinne,

It’s nice to meet you here! My name is Eric Bess, and I’m a little less than a year into my tattoo apprenticeship. I have an MFA in oil painting, and I’m currently earning my PhD in aesthetics. I’ve heard the “starving artist” warnings as well. I hope things work out for you.

Here is what I think as far as what courses are going to be best for a tattoo apprenticeship. Bill Perkins’ “Color Theory Bootcamp” is a great course to get you understanding color. I’m the only tattoo artist in my area who mixes colors. Being able to mix my colors also saves me a lot of money on materials since I don’t buy large color sets. I also think a composition course would be great like Bill Perkins’ “Composition for Visual Artists” or Glenn Vilppu’s “Elements of Traditional Composition.” A tattoo is permanent, so making sure it is composed well, not only for the body but also as a stand-alone design, is essential. I also think a basic drawing course would be a great place to start understanding how light affects forms with something like “Fundamentals of Observational Drawing” with Iliya Mirochnick. I’ve learned that many people in the tattoo industry have never had actual art training. These courses, if completed, will give you a great advantage over the majority of tattoo artists. I hope this helps!

[Joshua Jacobo]

Welcome, Corinne! I think Eric’s advice is spot on!

It all comes down to the fundamentals, regardless of medium or application.

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