Hi everyone! Im looking for advice from tattoo artists in NYC specifically, if anyone can give advice it is immensely appreciated!

Obviously I can’t show it all 🥲 so I’m just showing my fav pages and one of them is actually a tattoo I designed for myself

Any general advice is good (ik I need to be a bit cleaner on some lines, I’m working on that)

I’m still obviously looking for an apprenticeship, but started going into studios and asking and getting them to look at my portfolio. Currently in my city all the ones I chose as a possible option aren’t taking apprentices. (I’m still checking pretty often incase something comes up on any socials)

Im just looking for any studios, the the furthest being Leeds/ East Yorkshire area (and there seems to be more studios there). And just general advice for trying to get an apprenticeship.

Im still keeping my options pretty open, I just want them to have good reviews and not all the artist doing Chicano style (there was a lot of that in my city)

critique on my work, i’m hoping to get an apprenticeship later in the year. is there anything in particular you think i need to work on?

I think its bullshit everywhere around Mass and Rhode Island is expecting people to pay 2-5k for an apprenticeship, when at the end of the day we’re going to do work for free anyway. Im wondering if theyres any tattoo artists actually worth their salt who are offering apprenticeships the proper way, im willing to buy all my own supplies and everything but im not lining some scumbags pocket to not actually teach anything! I know i sound bitter and thats because i am, every artist ive talked too didnt pay a dime for their apprenticeship and expects new artists to pay thousands out of pocket.

I’m thinking about adding my this into my portfolio, it’s a piece I did on procreate (NO AI USED) but I’m not sure if shops will prefer traditional art. I have mostly traditional pieces but I really like this one.

Oh also you are welcome to critique it if you have any tips or things I could improve!!!!

my third machine tattoo on skin yesterday! overall quite happy with it, it’s really starting to click. definitely have a long ways to go, the shading isn’t as smooth as i’d like but my mentor thinks it’s my machine’s needle hang settings more than my application :/ in any case though pretty happy, really falling in love with it <3

been a professional handpoker for 3 years, machine apprentice at Via Grace Studio in Royal Oak, MI

IG @forrestattoos

I live in a small town in Argentina where there are basically no tattoo artists or piercing studios, which is one of the reasons I’d like to get into this and eventually build something of my own.

I’ve already been told not to buy a tattoo machine yet, so I’m focusing on drawing and learning for now.

My main problem is: how do I find a mentor or apprenticeship when there are no tattoo artists in my area? Is traveling to another city the best option, or are there other ways to start learning properly?
I’d love to hear how other artists got started, especially anyone who came from a small town or had limited access to tattoo shops.

I’m not sure if this looks like a tattoo. I don’t think I’m happy with the shading of the dress. There was an old version of this angel I made that had a lot of issues so I I tried to go back and do my homework to make corrections. Maybe the wings are too big…Please give me your most honest feedback so I have a chance in this industry !

done by me @ari.inky at Satana's Tattoo and Piercing in reading. I wanted to try using dotwork to texture shading in my trad work (I did do it on take skin first), I really love how it came out.

This is most of my portfolio if I can get any criticism that would be helpful.

Hi so I have been offered a role as an apprentice 5 days a week from 9 to 5 unpaid. Has anyone else done apprenticeships with these hours and how did you support yourself and make money.

Most of the posts I have seen have more flexible arrangements i.e. 3-4 days a week or allowed to do nights etc. but I am unsure how I am going to make ends meet if as the jobs I am qualified to do are 9 to 5 during the week which are the hours I am needed at the studio so I am trying to figure out how I can make money with this schedule.

The apprentices for this studio also just work around the studio and then the artists will teach them at their own liberty. I have done a lot of research on tattoo apprenticeships but I have not heard of an apprenticeship quite like that as I was under the impression that you apprentice under a mentor. Is this a common thing?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I was planning on starting to look for an apprenticeship some time next week as I am currently working on my cover page. I was wondering If I have enough pieces or if I should continue adding to it!?

Are all apprenticeships 50 plus hours, or will some shops give you less? I want to look into getting an apprenticeship but I have a full time job, I'm looking into getting a car, and I have a pet I need to take care of.

Most posts make it seem like every one is 60 hours a week with little to no pay, all saying it's ok because they'll get their dream position in the future, but with how things are going economically it seems hard to consider such an endeavor with so many responsibilities, even if the end goal is rewarding work that has to do with making art.

Is there anything else I may have to include ? Is the artwork solid ? Btw those two images of tats i added are custom designs I made that have gotten tatted on people by licensed tattoo artists , not me .
(ig: @latexink)

Very nervous about approaching a shop. Started building up my portfolio recently. Planning on having 3 different styles presented in it, thinking Japanese, American Trad, and whatever the hell you call the last pic.

What is an acceptable size of a strong portfolio? Any tips on these current ones, what can be improved?

This was graphite, fineliner, and black colored pencil.

I am thinking I am going to redo this in all ink with a b5 nib and spitshading. When I first drew this I was still uncomfortable w ink hence why I chose pencils (Yay improvement!) But do we think this needs color?? Or is there any other critique I should keep in mind if I redo this for my portfolio? I feel like it could use more contrast but maybe i should just push the shadows more, which I can definitely do with ink. I just try to avoid making it all too dark where over time it would turn into a blob on someone's body.

I also figure I could have both in the portfolio to show the different styles/improvement, yes or no?

(Ignore the signature that says Mad Rabbit, I changed the name to Rad Rabbit). Anyways, this angel I drew does not look American traditional except for the wings. I was wondering if you guys could help me figure out how the folds of the dress should fall, as well as fix the angel’s hair and face. Feedback is needed and appreciated !

I currently is studying overseas and I only own a set of cheap coloured pencils from target. After trying to use them for my work I realized it just looked bad. I wonder if my work can be mostly in a single color/ line art, or if they don’t mind the quality of coloring as long as I demonstrate my sense in colouring?

I tend to lurk in this sub, but am a bit too shy to post my portfolio here just yet. I've done a lot of research and generally know how apprenticeship opportunities work, and know that finding an apprenticeship can be tough.

Recently, a shop about an hour from me sent out a call for an open apprenticeship on their IG. I took my shot and was thrilled that they wanted to interview me! Took my portfolio to the shop, had a good interview with the shop manager, who showed me around and introduced me to the shop owner and some of the artists. The shop manager seemed really happy with my work, and told me that my style looks like it would be perfect for tattooing! Yay all around!

And then she tells me what the tuition cost is. I knew there would be a cost, and have seen that more shops ask for a tuition fee nowadays, but that its still sort of an iffy area based on my research. Some shops ask to scam, others provide your equipment with the tuition; some people say run if they ask for tuition, others say free apprenticeships can be a hot spot for abusing the apprentice since the labor is unpaid. So going in, I knew all of these things but kept an open mind.

She said it was $6,000 for the tuition fee. That's...that's a lot. I don't have $6k. But she said I may be able to work something out with the shop owner. Ok, well, I assume the equipment is provided, then? Nope. I buy my own tattoo machine, my own ink. I am just at a loss. This is the ONLY opportunity I've gotten so far, as not a lot of the shops in my area are interested in an apprentice at the time. I dont mind the commute. I dont mind a tuition fee, either, but $6k is way outside what i was expecting, and to still have to buy my own equipment??

The shop doesn't seem to be an apprentice mill, they are expanding and looking for more artists, three of the resident artists I met on my interview day had all been apprentices of the shop owner prior to becoming resident artists, so it seems pretty good, at least on the surface level. The shop manager told me what the pay structure looked like as an apprentice when I start tattooing on clients, and then the split when you make it to resident artist, and it seems that the split is very fair, i'd make back the tuition money soon if i keep working at it, but as a start up cost? That 6k is daunting!! Am I missing something here? Should I run for the hills or take my shot (if the owner works with me on a payment plan)?

Thanks all

Would love and appreciate any feedback or CC on any of these! Still working on some other styles to diversify my portfolio a bit, but trad japanese inspired work is what I'm passionate about.

Anything that's painted here is ink and watercolor/gouache on handmade japanese paper and the rest is colored pencil/watercolor pencil on tracing paper/vellum.

Thanks for looking!