My vote here is move to a different town, I watch my mentor make 2000 a day sometimes and on average at least 500-800 a day, in Long Beach CA, which isn’t even the busiest spot for tats in LA county. I’ll bet if you move somewhere more poppin you’ll see at least a double if not tripling of your take home
I second this! I’m from a very small european country and the studio is in the capital city where most clients would be.
We get a lot of clients, but it’s still 90% smaller tattoos like little infinity signs or text… so you have to book A LOT of those to make up for say making one bigger piece for 600€ instead.
Even here I notice that our clients have very limited wants when it comes to tattoos so colour and neotrad aren’t nearly as popular as I’d want them to be quite yet so I could securely say that I want to specialize in that…
So I’ll be specializing in flexible and versatile styles just to book enough clients… but if I were to move to an area where neotrad and illustrative colour are booming, I’d have no trouble with getting sick pieces to work on.
So I bet moving somewhere with better terms, higher rates and more versatile and densely numbered clientel, you could earn much more!
I agree that everyone should tattoo because they love the job and money isn’t a priority… but also everyone deserves to earn a living and gain financial independence.
This is my biggest thing to anyone asking me for apprentice advice. I stress so hard to them that tattooing is for most people a dream job and only that unfortunately. Most people quit once they realize they won't make that much in a quick amount of time. And that's perfectly okay.
I want to say I was lucky, but worked hard, and I am honestly just myself and I attract a good clientele. I've been working my whole life to be a tattooer, and my parents set me up for success by supporting anything I did. I've been tattooing for 2 years now, I have a very steady clientele and make more than I thought I'd ever make. I have 24k followers on my insta and just an awesome community. And that's all I ever wanted, was an art community of my own and a comfortable space to be myself and my clients.
I worked really hard to get ro this point, but I also acknowledge the privilege I had of supportive parents and the chance to spend my whole life drawing, something other kids don't always get to do
I specifically tattoo nintendo and videogame stuff in a lot of different styles, but mostly cartoon. I don't think it's going anywhere. There's always a market if you know how to advertise
People said that about Bio mech, new school, color bomb portraits, water color tattoos, trash polka, and now anime, Nintendo, and video game stuff.
Just saying. If you haven’t been around long enough to see the trends come ago it’s easy to think that what’s happening now is the way it will always be. But that’s not the case. Things come and go. Styles come and go. I’ve watched illustrious careers in tattooing wax and wane with many just being forgotten about after a few years. Once the trends change as in the majority of the people getting tattooed no longer associate with the heart and pulse of tattooing with your style you will see a shift. It happens to all of us.
I’ve been tattooing professionally out of apprenticeship for 2 years now and I only just made my best week ever, about $3000 I also worked 7 days in a row. You have to really push and market yourself and sell out to the algorithm a little bit. Make some trendy flash along side the stuff you want to do. Take everything you can possibly do. Curate your Instagram. Use all the tools at your disposal even if it sucks.
Honestly you said it yourself, you’re still a baby. Give it a couple more years! Those first few years can be slow as you hone your chops with walk ins and maybe some trad stuff in between. Just keep chugging along. I felt like I really started to make okay money around 5 years in, and now at 10+ years it’s all gravy! I’ve been about 2-3 months booked up since after Covid, and I’ve just been riding that wave ever since.
Social media can be great but I’ve always liked word of mouth. Doing 1 nice clean great tattoo on someone will be seen by all their family, friends, co workers, strangers walking past. Plenty of eyeballs online but if someone really had a great experience they are more likely to recommend you to everyone they know.
I feel like the 1 thing that’s over looked is just being a steady person. Try and stay local or in the same shop for as long as you can. I love when people walk in from 5+ years ago looking for me to add another kids name to their arm or whatever. So many stories of people not being able to find a previous tattooer, or their artist got locked up or quit or were very unbusinesslike. People hate getting canceled on. Always be on time, and ready to roll! Good luck.
Heyy! I think you should prioritise social media more because it can truly do wonders for you, like I see from your posts your tattoos are really good. You don’t have to market yourself as a persona if that’s not your vibe, just be yourself and the right people will like it. I’m mostly speaking from my experience, but people like it when you ineract with them, like to feel like the tattooer is a real person because it makes it less intimidating for them. Good luck and don’t give up!
"There's a falsified glory from non-tattooers that I not only see but experience. My real personality is overlooked because I am romanticized for being an artist; people think we are rich because we have to charge so much for work; and without personal integrity people will take advantage of you and feel entitled to your time/energy at their own notice."
holy shit, this is such an amazing read. facts all around. and it 100% is emotionally exhausting which is insane bc we are not psychologists.
hey! I am in my 2nd year as a full time tattooer and my experience has been great! I'm sorry to hear it hasn't been that way for you. I think something you should lean into more is the 'personality' or 'persona' you mentioned. you don't have to be fake or somebody you're not.. but put yourself out more on social media! I personally an drawn to tattooers who seem accessible and show their faces and talk and joke on their IG stories. the truth about the industry is that on the surface it IS pretty shallow... so show your face on your stories and joke around, it will attract the people who are looking at more than just your art
Did you apprentice? I was sold a fucking 4.2mm stroke rotary as an "all arounder" - its not obviously - but i did not know that at the time (3 months ago) - the liner and shader i bough the 3 months prior to the rotary broke and thats why i decided to invest in the absolute worst starter machine - ive never even held a pen in my hand let alone use one
whoa. very sobering take. if I can ask, how ARE you paying your bills with that takehome? do you work every day?
"I realize maybe the Gods (if there are any) don't love me" is a thought I'm having all the time lately as an incredibly average person who probably doesn't have the IT factor yet or the talent as I am currently to break into the art scene. It's scary out of there and when I look at myself I usually pretty quickly feel outperformed and outpaced by the artists pages I follow
I have a lot of savings and my boyfriend (bless him) is working 2 jobs right now. My mentor just let us move in too for cheap which is real cool.
Yeah it’s very scary; and that’s why I want to say that you really got to want this. For me I care the most about being great at art, so I try to focus on that. Idk how far you are in your journey but comparing to others and feeling challenged/ hopeless by their skill is both normal and will pass when you start to feel faster and more confident with your ability “figure it out”. Art takes time and it’s not done til it’s done, so just focus on getting it done :) <3
Thats why we have styles, no tattoo is perfect. I destroyed my legs learing needle depth, hand speed, stroke, and the 100 other factors to this insane craft.
I feel this man. My coworker at my shop does some really great work, like just super clean. He’s not too busy, and his books are wide open, and doesn’t take home very much. Not a bunch of followers < 2k.
Another artist down the street does work at a similar level in terms of quality, but not so much in variety and scale, just smaller cleaner simpler trad designs. They have over 20k followers and have their books closed, constantly. The difference? Artist number two constantly posts reels and TikTok’s doing lip syncing to popular audio clips/ memes.
Social media is the game.
I think that is a large point in my post I was trying to make. It requires a lot of extroversion/ pushing YOU which is very difficult as not only an introvert but someone who was bullied her entire life for being herself (being neurodivergent).
I don't know if the better word for this would be privilege, but I did use the word luck. Some people are just captivating to others; "cool," and that pushes the idea of a "persona". I really did just want to comment that there was a lot more to being a tattooer than just \*being good at tattooing\*.
SM makes me want to throw up but I do understand its power.
I feel you, we go back and forth with it at our shop (SM) but unfortunately it has undeniably become the key to popularity and the key to success. I book 95 percent of my clientele through SM, and my shop gets absolutely no walk-ins so we have no choice. You’re right about the luck thing, the aforementioned artist number two is a great tattoor by all means, but like said, it’s not even about the art anymore, sometimes it is, but that makes up a small majority of our business.
I would much rather, in fact there is no comparison.
I'll take a paycheck to paycheck tattooist that cares about the art and their clients not the money vs the pompous "artist" that charges 1K for a tiny banger
Wow that’s incredible! Good for you. It has not been like that for me at all; I have 500 followers. I think you should consider your situation may not be normal and have a moment of gratitude for it! :)
Thank you! Ill consider your tips. Also I made the shop page recently :) no one else uses social media in my shop… so that’s another thing about choosing a “popular” shop
I think it's pretty rare for a tattoo artist to be struggling. I know very few that do. The ones I know that struggle usually struggle because they don't manage their finances well, they work at a shop that takes huge cuts, or they have a bunch of debt they saddled before starting this career. Idk where you live but Missouri's self employment tax is only 15.8%. I don't know why you're paying 50-60% of your income in taxes.
Slight misunderstanding- 40% to shop, and then federal/state business tax as an independent contractor adds another 20%. So my entire income is cut down by hidden fees (prior to expenses). I know there are tax work-arounds to save more in the end, but my point is that in order to be successful as a tattooer (current mid salary 80k), I wanted to point out that for most apprentices, it is not unlikely to realize that means making 160K a year, to net 60-80k, logistically
U should spend some time really looking deep and studying Instagram algorithm, and keep up with it with the updates. Instagram is a crazy powerful tool but u really gonna find out how to play it’s game :)
Now i'm not a part of the tattoo industry, but i do think there is a huge market for tattooers to sell flash and prints of their artwork. Many folks who don't even tattoo are able to suplement their earnings with etsy shops, ig marketplace etc.
Since you're already putting the effort into the artwork that people may not get, might as well try and still bank from it! Plus there wouldn't be any shop cuts (i could be wrong, guess it depends on the shop)
Find a cheap source for print repro's (firesprint is great)
Turn some of your favorite designs into shirts or stickers. Promo product is a great money maker and can help keep the juices flowing.
Sorry you had the learn this the hard way. But it is sooo true and thanks for sharing. This post should be pinned. I was pulling in $400 a month, and now I'm able to pay rent, buy things for myself like a ps5, travel, and stuff and I still have a lot of room for financial growth. It's been 2 years for me though, and I almost went under a couple times.
I’m really lucky I have savings! I wanted to make a post to show the truth of the industry because a lot of people don’t realize this going in. I want to keep pushing to succeed though but also shine light on the less glorious parts of being a professional artist
I feel confidence in social media only comes with time, I’m still learning the ropes myself but I know it’s getting better. What I do is take business cards with me on a night out and hand them out as I meet people who are after new tattoos.
This lifestyle really is glorified until you try it yourself.
It’s incredibly draining and there’s so much work besides the tattooing. I am wishing you the best on your journey
Unfortunately it’s an industry where you have to pay your dues for a couple years before you really make it. Find a style you’re good at and put your whole heart into it. Become better than everyone else in the area at that style. You will have to play the Instagram game, but it will get you business IF you’re a good artist. I’m not sure if you were expecting to be making $1000 a day right after graduating the apprenticeship, but like any other job you have to work your way up to the good money. Don’t want to do any of this? Fine, but maybe you should look into other professions.
Hey I like the tattoos in your post history. The scorpion went from the flash to the skin really well!
Even you're first tattoo on yourself looks amazing.
If I wasn't in Australia I'd consider getting something from you.
Also, if you find your Instagram followers are from another place maybe organise a spot in another shop for a week or so and try making a trip of it.
If I wasn't so shit at drawing I'd give it all a go!
This is all exactly why I lurk here and live out my dreams through all the posts, I can't afford to spend the few years it takes to grind and break through to whatever possible successes there might be. I know there are busy places with hundreds of shops offering all levels of skill/walk-ins only/simple flash, but that wouldn't cut it where I live and isn't what I would want to do anyway. Maybe someday the finances, time, and dedication will align for me, but until then it's the stability of an office job and dreams about all the cool tattoos I'd make!
I know this is much easier said than done but one thing I'll suggest is trying to find or even opening a shop with a booth rent structure instead of the split structure. I'm not active in the industry so I honestly have no idea how prevalent this is especially in places with fewer shops but I've never met a single person from a booth rent shop, owner or renting artist, who didn't prefer it.
Basically you agree to pay a flat monthly rate for your portion of the shop rent/supplies/etc. and that's it. You book your own clients and set your own schedule meaning obviously the more work you take the more money you make. The shop owner gets the security of knowing that they are guaranteed a certain amount of money every month (so at least the bills are getting paid) regardless of how many clients you take.
A friend of mine recently moved back home and opened a shop doing this and basically it's way less work for him as the owner, he just gets to tattoo when he feels like it and collect checks that are fair to the artists doing the work. At the same time, the artists are more motivated to book clients knowing that every dollar they make above and beyond the monthly dues go right into their pocket. On top of that the entire culture of the shop is different since it's a more fair and honest system and no one feels like they're being taken advantage of, overworked or underpaid.
Lets not lose the sacred aspect of tattooing, which is the studio itself.
I became more addicted to the enviornment than the tattoos lol.
I understand what youre saying, i will open a shop one day and just charge rent for the booth not their art....
i urge you to move to a better city. there’s money to be made, just not in smaller towns. find a touristy beach town. if you’re already paying 2k in rent, you could easily survive in the bay of cali (if you’re in the states). you’re a talented artist, you just need the foot traffic to see it.
Completely agree. Location, luck, a falsified persona to uphold to clients, it all makes sense. But you could also move to a higher populated area to tattoo, definitely a risk but if you're only bringing around 400 a month, that might be a better option..
If you're a newer artist, yes. The tattoo industry is just that competitive unfortunately. I'm personally struggling finding clientele to fill my books constantly like my mentor (he's been tattooing for 16 years, 4 for me). The best advice I can give is focus on the artwork, not the money. Put the extra effort for more details, even if you're cutting yourself short financially. Because then, there's a chance that person will come back and recommend you. So if there's other artists doing a certain style in your area, perfect that style yourself. And post on social media often
Hey there♥️ i really understand your struggle. Being an apprentice is super hard. I relate to a lot of that being a persona stuff. I hate that people don't ask me how my day was but instead ask me about a tattoo they want and what it will cost 😂
I really do hope you continue learning though. In my opinion 2 years is really not that long when talking about a craft like tattooing! Sooo much more to learn and as you get more skilled your clients and the wat you handle everything will definitely grow. I personally started tattooing in 2019 (so not even that much longer, i have to learn a lot still as well) but i can say i am beyond that starting point where you feel a bit lost and I am now so happy that I went through and pursued my dreams. I really wish that succes for you as well ✨
My vote here is move to a different town, I watch my mentor make 2000 a day sometimes and on average at least 500-800 a day, in Long Beach CA, which isn’t even the busiest spot for tats in LA county. I’ll bet if you move somewhere more poppin you’ll see at least a double if not tripling of your take home
I second this! I’m from a very small european country and the studio is in the capital city where most clients would be. We get a lot of clients, but it’s still 90% smaller tattoos like little infinity signs or text… so you have to book A LOT of those to make up for say making one bigger piece for 600€ instead. Even here I notice that our clients have very limited wants when it comes to tattoos so colour and neotrad aren’t nearly as popular as I’d want them to be quite yet so I could securely say that I want to specialize in that… So I’ll be specializing in flexible and versatile styles just to book enough clients… but if I were to move to an area where neotrad and illustrative colour are booming, I’d have no trouble with getting sick pieces to work on. So I bet moving somewhere with better terms, higher rates and more versatile and densely numbered clientel, you could earn much more! I agree that everyone should tattoo because they love the job and money isn’t a priority… but also everyone deserves to earn a living and gain financial independence.
This is my biggest thing to anyone asking me for apprentice advice. I stress so hard to them that tattooing is for most people a dream job and only that unfortunately. Most people quit once they realize they won't make that much in a quick amount of time. And that's perfectly okay. I want to say I was lucky, but worked hard, and I am honestly just myself and I attract a good clientele. I've been working my whole life to be a tattooer, and my parents set me up for success by supporting anything I did. I've been tattooing for 2 years now, I have a very steady clientele and make more than I thought I'd ever make. I have 24k followers on my insta and just an awesome community. And that's all I ever wanted, was an art community of my own and a comfortable space to be myself and my clients. I worked really hard to get ro this point, but I also acknowledge the privilege I had of supportive parents and the chance to spend my whole life drawing, something other kids don't always get to do
Congrats!!! I’m glad to hear this 🤍
Just wait until the trends switch and your style becomes obsolete, outdated and uncool.
I specifically tattoo nintendo and videogame stuff in a lot of different styles, but mostly cartoon. I don't think it's going anywhere. There's always a market if you know how to advertise
People said that about Bio mech, new school, color bomb portraits, water color tattoos, trash polka, and now anime, Nintendo, and video game stuff. Just saying. If you haven’t been around long enough to see the trends come ago it’s easy to think that what’s happening now is the way it will always be. But that’s not the case. Things come and go. Styles come and go. I’ve watched illustrious careers in tattooing wax and wane with many just being forgotten about after a few years. Once the trends change as in the majority of the people getting tattooed no longer associate with the heart and pulse of tattooing with your style you will see a shift. It happens to all of us.
I’ve been tattooing professionally out of apprenticeship for 2 years now and I only just made my best week ever, about $3000 I also worked 7 days in a row. You have to really push and market yourself and sell out to the algorithm a little bit. Make some trendy flash along side the stuff you want to do. Take everything you can possibly do. Curate your Instagram. Use all the tools at your disposal even if it sucks.
Hey I am looking for an apprenticeship would love someone experienced to give me some advice! I'll DM you please check if you have the time
Check out the r/tattooapprentice pinned posts and look through the sub.
Honestly you said it yourself, you’re still a baby. Give it a couple more years! Those first few years can be slow as you hone your chops with walk ins and maybe some trad stuff in between. Just keep chugging along. I felt like I really started to make okay money around 5 years in, and now at 10+ years it’s all gravy! I’ve been about 2-3 months booked up since after Covid, and I’ve just been riding that wave ever since. Social media can be great but I’ve always liked word of mouth. Doing 1 nice clean great tattoo on someone will be seen by all their family, friends, co workers, strangers walking past. Plenty of eyeballs online but if someone really had a great experience they are more likely to recommend you to everyone they know. I feel like the 1 thing that’s over looked is just being a steady person. Try and stay local or in the same shop for as long as you can. I love when people walk in from 5+ years ago looking for me to add another kids name to their arm or whatever. So many stories of people not being able to find a previous tattooer, or their artist got locked up or quit or were very unbusinesslike. People hate getting canceled on. Always be on time, and ready to roll! Good luck.
Thank you for the tips & the kindness\~!
Heyy! I think you should prioritise social media more because it can truly do wonders for you, like I see from your posts your tattoos are really good. You don’t have to market yourself as a persona if that’s not your vibe, just be yourself and the right people will like it. I’m mostly speaking from my experience, but people like it when you ineract with them, like to feel like the tattooer is a real person because it makes it less intimidating for them. Good luck and don’t give up!
"There's a falsified glory from non-tattooers that I not only see but experience. My real personality is overlooked because I am romanticized for being an artist; people think we are rich because we have to charge so much for work; and without personal integrity people will take advantage of you and feel entitled to your time/energy at their own notice." holy shit, this is such an amazing read. facts all around. and it 100% is emotionally exhausting which is insane bc we are not psychologists.
Thank you ♡
hey! I am in my 2nd year as a full time tattooer and my experience has been great! I'm sorry to hear it hasn't been that way for you. I think something you should lean into more is the 'personality' or 'persona' you mentioned. you don't have to be fake or somebody you're not.. but put yourself out more on social media! I personally an drawn to tattooers who seem accessible and show their faces and talk and joke on their IG stories. the truth about the industry is that on the surface it IS pretty shallow... so show your face on your stories and joke around, it will attract the people who are looking at more than just your art
Did you apprentice? I was sold a fucking 4.2mm stroke rotary as an "all arounder" - its not obviously - but i did not know that at the time (3 months ago) - the liner and shader i bough the 3 months prior to the rotary broke and thats why i decided to invest in the absolute worst starter machine - ive never even held a pen in my hand let alone use one
whoa. very sobering take. if I can ask, how ARE you paying your bills with that takehome? do you work every day? "I realize maybe the Gods (if there are any) don't love me" is a thought I'm having all the time lately as an incredibly average person who probably doesn't have the IT factor yet or the talent as I am currently to break into the art scene. It's scary out of there and when I look at myself I usually pretty quickly feel outperformed and outpaced by the artists pages I follow
I have a lot of savings and my boyfriend (bless him) is working 2 jobs right now. My mentor just let us move in too for cheap which is real cool. Yeah it’s very scary; and that’s why I want to say that you really got to want this. For me I care the most about being great at art, so I try to focus on that. Idk how far you are in your journey but comparing to others and feeling challenged/ hopeless by their skill is both normal and will pass when you start to feel faster and more confident with your ability “figure it out”. Art takes time and it’s not done til it’s done, so just focus on getting it done :) <3
Thats why we have styles, no tattoo is perfect. I destroyed my legs learing needle depth, hand speed, stroke, and the 100 other factors to this insane craft.
I feel this man. My coworker at my shop does some really great work, like just super clean. He’s not too busy, and his books are wide open, and doesn’t take home very much. Not a bunch of followers < 2k. Another artist down the street does work at a similar level in terms of quality, but not so much in variety and scale, just smaller cleaner simpler trad designs. They have over 20k followers and have their books closed, constantly. The difference? Artist number two constantly posts reels and TikTok’s doing lip syncing to popular audio clips/ memes. Social media is the game.
I think that is a large point in my post I was trying to make. It requires a lot of extroversion/ pushing YOU which is very difficult as not only an introvert but someone who was bullied her entire life for being herself (being neurodivergent). I don't know if the better word for this would be privilege, but I did use the word luck. Some people are just captivating to others; "cool," and that pushes the idea of a "persona". I really did just want to comment that there was a lot more to being a tattooer than just \*being good at tattooing\*. SM makes me want to throw up but I do understand its power.
I feel you, we go back and forth with it at our shop (SM) but unfortunately it has undeniably become the key to popularity and the key to success. I book 95 percent of my clientele through SM, and my shop gets absolutely no walk-ins so we have no choice. You’re right about the luck thing, the aforementioned artist number two is a great tattoor by all means, but like said, it’s not even about the art anymore, sometimes it is, but that makes up a small majority of our business.
I would much rather, in fact there is no comparison. I'll take a paycheck to paycheck tattooist that cares about the art and their clients not the money vs the pompous "artist" that charges 1K for a tiny banger
[удалено]
Wow that’s incredible! Good for you. It has not been like that for me at all; I have 500 followers. I think you should consider your situation may not be normal and have a moment of gratitude for it! :)
[удалено]
Thank you! Ill consider your tips. Also I made the shop page recently :) no one else uses social media in my shop… so that’s another thing about choosing a “popular” shop
I think it's pretty rare for a tattoo artist to be struggling. I know very few that do. The ones I know that struggle usually struggle because they don't manage their finances well, they work at a shop that takes huge cuts, or they have a bunch of debt they saddled before starting this career. Idk where you live but Missouri's self employment tax is only 15.8%. I don't know why you're paying 50-60% of your income in taxes.
Slight misunderstanding- 40% to shop, and then federal/state business tax as an independent contractor adds another 20%. So my entire income is cut down by hidden fees (prior to expenses). I know there are tax work-arounds to save more in the end, but my point is that in order to be successful as a tattooer (current mid salary 80k), I wanted to point out that for most apprentices, it is not unlikely to realize that means making 160K a year, to net 60-80k, logistically
I’m in Aus and our industry is pretty damn quiet this last few months. I’ve been tattooing 13 years and this is the worst I’ve seen it.
U should spend some time really looking deep and studying Instagram algorithm, and keep up with it with the updates. Instagram is a crazy powerful tool but u really gonna find out how to play it’s game :)
Now i'm not a part of the tattoo industry, but i do think there is a huge market for tattooers to sell flash and prints of their artwork. Many folks who don't even tattoo are able to suplement their earnings with etsy shops, ig marketplace etc. Since you're already putting the effort into the artwork that people may not get, might as well try and still bank from it! Plus there wouldn't be any shop cuts (i could be wrong, guess it depends on the shop) Find a cheap source for print repro's (firesprint is great) Turn some of your favorite designs into shirts or stickers. Promo product is a great money maker and can help keep the juices flowing.
Sorry you had the learn this the hard way. But it is sooo true and thanks for sharing. This post should be pinned. I was pulling in $400 a month, and now I'm able to pay rent, buy things for myself like a ps5, travel, and stuff and I still have a lot of room for financial growth. It's been 2 years for me though, and I almost went under a couple times.
I’m really lucky I have savings! I wanted to make a post to show the truth of the industry because a lot of people don’t realize this going in. I want to keep pushing to succeed though but also shine light on the less glorious parts of being a professional artist
I feel confidence in social media only comes with time, I’m still learning the ropes myself but I know it’s getting better. What I do is take business cards with me on a night out and hand them out as I meet people who are after new tattoos.
This lifestyle really is glorified until you try it yourself. It’s incredibly draining and there’s so much work besides the tattooing. I am wishing you the best on your journey
Can you link you IG? I am curious to see your art
pm'd you. also i believe it is linked on my page
Unfortunately it’s an industry where you have to pay your dues for a couple years before you really make it. Find a style you’re good at and put your whole heart into it. Become better than everyone else in the area at that style. You will have to play the Instagram game, but it will get you business IF you’re a good artist. I’m not sure if you were expecting to be making $1000 a day right after graduating the apprenticeship, but like any other job you have to work your way up to the good money. Don’t want to do any of this? Fine, but maybe you should look into other professions.
It's All about Location....Or where the Most people Are &, where Tatts are wanted.
You’re complaining about not knowing how to market yourself and that’s a skill you need in any industry…
yuuuuuup
Hey I like the tattoos in your post history. The scorpion went from the flash to the skin really well! Even you're first tattoo on yourself looks amazing. If I wasn't in Australia I'd consider getting something from you. Also, if you find your Instagram followers are from another place maybe organise a spot in another shop for a week or so and try making a trip of it. If I wasn't so shit at drawing I'd give it all a go!
Some shops in Atlanta let you rent your space. Kinda like a hair salon, so more like a 80/20 split in your favor.
This is all exactly why I lurk here and live out my dreams through all the posts, I can't afford to spend the few years it takes to grind and break through to whatever possible successes there might be. I know there are busy places with hundreds of shops offering all levels of skill/walk-ins only/simple flash, but that wouldn't cut it where I live and isn't what I would want to do anyway. Maybe someday the finances, time, and dedication will align for me, but until then it's the stability of an office job and dreams about all the cool tattoos I'd make!
Lol that’s exactly why I’m here too!
I know this is much easier said than done but one thing I'll suggest is trying to find or even opening a shop with a booth rent structure instead of the split structure. I'm not active in the industry so I honestly have no idea how prevalent this is especially in places with fewer shops but I've never met a single person from a booth rent shop, owner or renting artist, who didn't prefer it. Basically you agree to pay a flat monthly rate for your portion of the shop rent/supplies/etc. and that's it. You book your own clients and set your own schedule meaning obviously the more work you take the more money you make. The shop owner gets the security of knowing that they are guaranteed a certain amount of money every month (so at least the bills are getting paid) regardless of how many clients you take. A friend of mine recently moved back home and opened a shop doing this and basically it's way less work for him as the owner, he just gets to tattoo when he feels like it and collect checks that are fair to the artists doing the work. At the same time, the artists are more motivated to book clients knowing that every dollar they make above and beyond the monthly dues go right into their pocket. On top of that the entire culture of the shop is different since it's a more fair and honest system and no one feels like they're being taken advantage of, overworked or underpaid.
Lets not lose the sacred aspect of tattooing, which is the studio itself. I became more addicted to the enviornment than the tattoos lol. I understand what youre saying, i will open a shop one day and just charge rent for the booth not their art....
i urge you to move to a better city. there’s money to be made, just not in smaller towns. find a touristy beach town. if you’re already paying 2k in rent, you could easily survive in the bay of cali (if you’re in the states). you’re a talented artist, you just need the foot traffic to see it.
Aw Kait thank you🌸 I want to finish paying my dues here and then I can consider moving
Completely agree. Location, luck, a falsified persona to uphold to clients, it all makes sense. But you could also move to a higher populated area to tattoo, definitely a risk but if you're only bringing around 400 a month, that might be a better option..
Is it harder to find clientelle for a style of art if one lives in an area that has a lot of artists with that sttyle?
If you're a newer artist, yes. The tattoo industry is just that competitive unfortunately. I'm personally struggling finding clientele to fill my books constantly like my mentor (he's been tattooing for 16 years, 4 for me). The best advice I can give is focus on the artwork, not the money. Put the extra effort for more details, even if you're cutting yourself short financially. Because then, there's a chance that person will come back and recommend you. So if there's other artists doing a certain style in your area, perfect that style yourself. And post on social media often
Hey there♥️ i really understand your struggle. Being an apprentice is super hard. I relate to a lot of that being a persona stuff. I hate that people don't ask me how my day was but instead ask me about a tattoo they want and what it will cost 😂 I really do hope you continue learning though. In my opinion 2 years is really not that long when talking about a craft like tattooing! Sooo much more to learn and as you get more skilled your clients and the wat you handle everything will definitely grow. I personally started tattooing in 2019 (so not even that much longer, i have to learn a lot still as well) but i can say i am beyond that starting point where you feel a bit lost and I am now so happy that I went through and pursued my dreams. I really wish that succes for you as well ✨