[ebess6]

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!

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