Becoming an amazing tattoo artist takes a lot of time and hard work. Nick “The Tailor” Solomon is a renowned tattoo artist in Philadelphia, but he made some mistakes while starting his journey. Here are his four pro tips for aspiring tattoo artists.
Don’t buy a kit online and just start tattooing
When Nicholas “The Tailor” Solomon got the inspiration to start tattooing, he bought a kit online. However, he never recommends this to aspiring tattoo artists. “I gave myself and friends a lot of bad art,” he said. “No professional would touch these kits. You need to go about learning in a controlled, safe environment, where a mentor can guide you to the right tools.”
Develop your art first
Tattooing involves drawing lines and creating beautiful art. Some people try to skip the stage of developing the artform and just go straight to tattooing. Solomon went to school for design at Penn State University, and it taught him a lot about tattooing. “If you don’t have the art skills, you’ll never be a great tattoo artist.”
Get an apprenticeship
The only way to become a successful tattoo artist is to become the apprentice of a professional artist. “Choose an artist you really admire, if you can. They should have a similar style to how you’d like to tattoo.” You’ll need to build an art portfolio to show potential mentors, which is what will help them decide whether they want to work with you.
Experiment with different styles
Nicholas “The Tailor” Solomon started working in a traditional style of tattooing. However, after mastering this technique, he branched out to color illustrative and fine line tattooing. “Don’t be afraid to experiment and find what you want to do. Once you know the ropes, you can get creative.”
Becoming a tattoo artist is the dream for many people. If you follow the right steps, you’ll definitely be able to enter the industry.