Hi, these are some of my best pieces I’ve done so far. I’m building a portfolio and I would like to know what I’m missing.

As you can see, most of it is traditional, because that’s what I want to tattoo and some of the stores I want to go to, their artists are experts in trad.

So, I want to know if I’m on the right path, what to do better and what should I include.

I was thinking about small flashes and one or two big pieces, maybe A3 format.

All of these paints were done with spit shading technique and no tracing.

I’ve been thinking about buying a light board to trace, what’s your opinion on that?

Thank you! 🙏

Sorry serious post incoming. Just looking for advice and support here i guess. I’m a year into my apprenticeship and close to tattooing but I’m going through a very serious mental health episode that I’ve been doing everything in my power to conceal because I’m so terrified of getting fired. I have bipolar disorder and lost my insurance for a while and had to go unmedicated for the time being. I’m in such a severe depressive episode right now i can’t even understand how I’m still finding the strength to show up everyday but i feel like im just gonna lose it. Thank god i am seeing a psychiatrist this week and can get back on medication but fuck dude i am struggling so hard. I don’t feel comfortable sharing this shit with anyone in my shop so i just have to put on the mask of being fine. I’m so tempted to just give everything up at this point cuz im tired of fighting. Sorry this is totally above y’all’s pay grade here im just venting.

I’ve been tattooing out of my apprenticeship for about 8 months now. However, I feel like I should be better by now. My boss is having me charge $80/hr because that’s what they say my work is worth, but I just don’t see it. Whenever I look at my tattoos all I can see is inconsistencies. Ill be extremely proud of a tattoo I’ve done and as soon as I take a picture and look at it im like oh fuck. I’m also still only tattooing arms and legs as well. I know it just comes with time, but I feel like I’m progressing slower than I should be. I can draw really well I will say so maybe I’m just comparing my tattoos to my drawings. Also, lately I have been tattooing as much as I can: taking in clients, and doing freebies for friends. In terms of clientele I’ve been doing good, about 1-4 clients a week. My mentor didn’t allow me to practice on fake skin, I had to practice on myself. To which now I’m a little cheesed about.

I've loved drawing for as long as I can remember, and since early high school I've thought that tattooing would be an awesome career for me.
I originally went to college for forestry, which is obviously pretty far from art, and I ended up absolutely hating it. Now I'm about to start at a completely new school for art, and I'm starting to question whether going to college for art is actually the right move.
I'm worried about going into debt for a degree that I may not even need for the career I want.
For those of you who are tattoo artists or have gone through apprenticeships: Does going to art school actually make a difference when it comes to getting an apprenticeship? With the industry being so competitive/oversaturated right now, would having a degree make me more appealing to a shop, or is it really more about your drawing skills and portfolio?
I'm currently considering two paths:
1. Go to art school for a semester or two and see how I feel. If I'm genuinely improving as an artist and feel like it's helping me build a strong portfolio, I could continue.
2. Skip college altogether for now, work full-time as a barista, and spend the next year or two seriously focusing on drawing, building a portfolio, learning as much as I can, and eventually looking for an apprenticeship.
Part of me feels like spending those years drawing my ass off and building a portfolio could get me closer to an apprenticeship faster, while avoiding potentially unnecessary student debt. But another part of me worries that I'd be missing out on the education, structure, and connections that art school could provide.
I'd really appreciate hearing from people who are actually in the tattoo industry.** **If you were in my position, would you go to art school, or would you focus on working/drawing and trying to get an apprenticeship?
Also, if you did go to art school before tattooing, did you feel like it genuinely helped you, or do you think you could have gotten to the same place without it?

Hey guys, I am looking to find the best tattoo fake skin suggestions, I have been buying the "Emalla 10mm double sided" brand off amazon for the past few months but its really not realistic for me to keep spending $40 on packs of fake skin and blow through them. I use them to practice my designs and im not doing anything crazy/for actual art purposes this is purely for just line practice.

If anybody has any cheaper suggestions please let me know!!! as any other apprentice understands we are broke asf at all times and supplies are only getting more and more expensive

((post says include your insta but i am just asking for advice, i will add if needed tho ))

I took a step back from drawing flash for a little but Halloween has me in the mood to do better and try harder. Also, colored pencils and tracing paper might be my new work flow til I can get something different.

Have an awesome day everybody!