Getting started · 10 min read
How to become a tattoo artist
Becoming a tattoo artist takes years, and nearly all of it is drawing and shop time before anyone pays you. Here's the realistic sequence, stage by stage.
Stage 1 — Drawing (6–24 months)
Before anything else you need a body of your own drawings. Line control, composition, and designs built for real body placement. Most rejected apprenticeship applications fail here.
Draw daily, date everything, and build the book you'll hand to a mentor.
Stage 2 — Apprenticeship (1–3 years)
Shop duties first, then setup and hygiene, then synthetic skin, then supervised tattoos. Expect months before you touch a machine on a person.
This is also where you get your bloodborne pathogen training and local registration sorted.
Stage 3 — First paid work
Your first year tattooing is simple, small, high-repetition work: lettering, small flash, fine line. Price low, tattoo often, photograph everything, and collect healed shots.
Take deposits from your very first booking. Getting comfortable asking for money early is the difference between a hobby and a job.
Stage 4 — Building a client base
Post consistently, run flash days to fill gaps, and make booking effortless — a link, not a DM thread. Keep client notes, send aftercare, and follow up on healing. Repeat clients and referrals carry a career; the algorithm doesn't.
- Publish a clear deposit and cancellation policy from day one.
- Keep consent forms and medical screening for every client.
- Send aftercare in writing so nobody guesses at 11pm.
- Track what you earn per session, not just what you charge.
What it pays, honestly
Early years are lean. Earnings depend on your split or rent, your day rate, and how full the calendar is — and the last one is mostly in your control. Artists who treat bookings, deposits and follow-up as part of the craft earn steadily; artists who don't have great months and empty ones.
Frequently asked questions
- How long does it take to become a tattoo artist?
- Typically three to five years from serious drawing practice to steady paid work, depending on your apprenticeship and how often you tattoo.
- Do you need art school to tattoo?
- No. Shops care about your drawings and your healed work, not your qualifications.
- How old do you have to be to tattoo?
- Usually 18, and shops are bound by the same local age and licensing rules you are.
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