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APPRENTICESHIP INQUIRIES

Thank you for your interest. Rainfire Tattoo has no plans to take on an apprentice in the near future.

Here are some tips we hope you will find useful when searching for a tattoo apprenticeship.

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Before you start looking, create a large portfolio of well-drawn tattooable art. 

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Consider getting some quality tattoos. Find an artist who you like, and get tattooed by them. Get to know them and build a relationship with the artist and studio. Also see if there’s a receptionist position available. 

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If you email an artist about an apprenticeship inquiry, address them specifically, and explain what draws you to wanting them as your mentor as opposed to other artists. Show that you’ve done your research and have been following them for a while. Adding a personal touch to your emails goes a long way when asking an artist to be your mentor. Better yet, ask them in person. 

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How do people support themselves financially during their apprenticeship?
Most often, they usually have another job on top of their apprenticeship duties. You will want to look for a job with a lot of flexibility. Financial stability is always something else to consider when thinking about becoming an apprentice.

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An apprentice needs to be someone the mentor can trust, whose behavior is (in and out of the shop) compatible.

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Being committed to your artistry and your education is a huge part of your apprenticeship.

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Being a tattoo artist is a business that takes serious art skills, technical skills, knowledge of human anatomy, knowledge of skin and how it heals, interpersonal skills, retail skills, people skills, and customer service skills.

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Most artists only mentor someone who is loyal and willing to stay with the shop for many years after the apprenticeship is over (apprenticeships typically last for approx. 2-3 years)

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The apprentice must find time every day to draw (draw, draw, and keep drawing). Preferably drawings are with a pen for line work and watercolours for the colour/shading. Whatever works best for you, but always keep drawing and honing your artistic style.

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If an apprentice is taught thoroughly, they will become a very successful tattooist and businessperson. You will learn health & sanitation, how to communicate to clients, tattoo culture, how to create/make/place a stencil, how to pick the best location for the design you have created, how to actually tattoo skin, how to have the best social media presence, among so much more.

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A properly trained apprentice will become a representative of the tattooing community. An improperly trained tattoo artist may become a negative stereotype of what a tattoo artist is or what they can be.

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The tattooing medium is not easy, it is complex and difficult to learn properly.
What is easy is learning how to tattoo at a marginal level. If you want to be the best artist and tattoo artist you can be, you will want to train with a professional. Some artists have had the discipline to learn on their own, but it is rare and challenging.

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DO YOUR RESEARCH. Pick a mentor who you resonate with. You want your mentor’s lifestyle and style to align with you are wanting to grow with.

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There are tattoo schools in the United States and other parts of the world that could help to get your foot in the door.

However they can be costly and may not provide the most thorough education. Hands on education can be the best education when wanting to be a tattoo artist.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

 

There is no denying the way social media plays into every persons life. Understanding how to use social media is key in being an artist that wants to grow and trying to get your name/art out there.

 

Be mindful of the type of presence you are putting out there, as this is how clients can find you and try to relate to you.

 

Social media is the most common way to get clients. Make sure you are only posting the absolute best quality pictures of your tattoos and art.

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We hope you were able to find answers to some of your questions about your apprenticeship. Wishing you the best of luck!

Apprenticeship Inquiries: Tattoo Services
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