But becoming a tattoo artist is a lot more difficult than people think and it requires talent as well as patience.
There are one or two colleges in South Africa that can teach you how to tattoo.
The first thing needed to get into the industry is a love and talent of drawing. It is not required that you have to have taken art in school, but it is an advantage, as long as you can draw well and come up with creative designs.
The thing that will get you noticed is a great portfolio. Once you have a full portfolio to showcase your talent, you need to find a tattoo artist who will be willing to mentor you.
Most will only offer you an apprenticeship if you are self-motivated, dedicated and hard working. The length of the apprenticeship depends on how fast you pick up all the skills of the trade.
“I apprenticed for about a year and a half ,” says tattoo artist Jordan Nel. “Often a client will come in with just an idea of what they want and you have to be able to take that idea and create it.”
The tattoo industry is not a million rand career and is something you should only consider if you have a love for creating amazing body art.
There are tattoo studios across South Africa who will be willing to take on an apprentice. The best advice to take in order to become a top tattoo artist is to practice. The more you practice the better your tattooing skills will become and the closer you will be to opening your own studio.
“If you are passionate about it and are serious about being a tattoo artist, it’s the best job in the world,” says Nel.
