How Tattoo Artists Are Turning Their Passion Into Great Careers
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Understanding What It Takes To Be A Tattoo Artist From Tattoo Artists Themselves
Tattoo artists possess a whole range of skills that make them professionals in their craft. Whilst the physical process of bringing ink to skin involves precision, care and concentration; tattoo artists also require the imagination to produce designs – making it a perfect career option for artists and creative people alike.
Tattooing has been around for thousands of years, with evidence on figurines dating back to Ancient Egyptian times. Given the deep-rooted history of tattooing, it’s surprising to note that careers in the practice have only recently become popular and normalised.
Despite its newfound acceptance into the mainstream; tattooing can still be a hard job to get into. There’s a distinct lack of clear routes for budding tattoo artists to take, within an already fairly secretive industry. Gaining an apprenticeship is one obvious path, but other aspiring tattoo artists are teaching themselves with the support of online tattooing resources and training.
Either way, it’s a good idea to seek the advice and opinions of those who have done it before. That’s why we spoke to a couple established and aspiring tattoo artists to grasp the full picture, learning what it takes to turn an artistic passion into a successful tattooing career.
Steph Love
Steph is a multidisciplinary artist based in Calgary, Alberta. She works as a freelance painter whilst owning and running her studio, Loveyland.
Madison Hope:
Madison is one of the founders of Stay Awhile Tattoo Studio, Calgary. Here she devotes a lot of her practice to tattooing, as well as designing prints, clothing and jewellery.
- Image from Monogram Coffee
Isabella Benvenutto:
Isabella is a current Art and Design Foundation student at Hertford Regional College, after deciding to leave her animation course at University. She’s looking to get into tattooing after finishing education.
What made you pursue art? Where did the passion first come from?
Madison:
I have it written in a book somewhere from pre-school that I wanted to be an artist when I grew up, so it’s really just been something I’ve always been passionate about. I found creativity 1000% easier than academics, and I always excelled at it, so it felt natural to pursue it into my adult life.
Steph:
So I went into drama, the combined degree at U of C, but I ended up just doing a full theatre degree. And then in my last year, I took a few intro to drawing classes and I really loved being in the arts building. I love drawing and it’s something I did a lot as a kid, but just sort of fell out of it I guess. I think a lot of kids draw and do art and stuff. But then when I graduated, I was so disillusioned by drama and theatre and acting, I thought, I don’t want to act.
- Flash sheet and examples of tattoo work by Steph Love.
When did tattooing become an interest of yours, and was it always a career you could see yourself within?
Isabella:
I’d say for the longest time, to be honest, but it noticeably sparked when I was around 16. I realised that a lot of people would tell me the designs and little drawings I did looked like tattoos, but I never actually saw it as a career option, because I think a lot of people don’t see it as a real job and really underestimate how much work actually goes into tattooing. It can be seen as a cop out but now attitudes have changed towards it. Back then though, I was always told it’s not a realistic career path, and it’s not something you can do for the rest of your life.
How did you decide to get into tattooing?
Madison:
In college I had friends ask me to design tattoos for them based on some of my drawing work at the time, and being already interested in the tattoo culture I thought it would be fun to look into actually doing the tattooing myself rather than just drawing things for friends. It took a while for me to figure out how to make it work for me, but I made it work and I wouldn’t change a thing about my journey into the industry.
- Flash sheet and example of tattoo work by Madison Hope.
Steph:
So I’d already been getting tattoos since I was around 15 and I thought – well, if I’m not going to act, I may as well get some more tattoos. Then I heard of this thing called stick and poke and I began giving tattoos to myself and my friends for fun; I wasn’t thinking I’m gonna be a tattoo artist.
I started drawing a bunch and I found this amazing artist on Instagram, Kate Webb. She was doing hand poke at the time in her own studio. I guess I just saw that this can be a real thing and not just something I do in my house. I wanted to be just as good as her and do it in a legit studio. And then things just started falling into place after that.
The stigma surrounding tattoos has gradually shifted over the years. How do you plan to contribute positively to the perception of tattooing as an art form?
Isabella:
That’s something that’s still really big, that has gradually shifted over the years. People are still very wary and don’t like overly tattooed people. A lot of people say they won’t hire you because of tattoos, even though it can be so harmless, but that’s just the stigma surrounding it.
So I think it’s just breaking down those barriers and showing that it is an art form itself and appreciating tattooing rather than looking at it as scribbles on your body. It’s not like you’re painting on a canvas, It’s not like you’re drawing on a piece of paper, but you still have to acquire specific skills. It takes time, it takes preparation, so I think it’s having more knowledge and appreciation of the art behind tattooing as well.
It’s important to start normalising tattoos and realising it’s not a big deal. Yes, it’s permanent, it’s on the body for the rest of your life, but that doesn’t mean that you have to be fearful of someone with tattoos.
- Flash sheet example by Isabella Benvenutto.
How did your formal arts education influence your approach to tattooing?
Madison:
I definitely analyse my style and the cohesiveness of my work more than I think I would have without the education I have. I went through the drawing program, which had a very strong focus on your body of work as a whole and how everything you did fit together, and I think that’s something I still find very important.
Steph:
Even as a creative, there’s so much pressure to get something to show that you’re professional, like having a degree of some sort. Looking back, it was obviously part of my journey, but I think, like, there’s got to be so many better options out there. Like, self directed learning and even just more, like, courses that are more specialised in what you want to learn about.
Let’s talk about inspiration. What influences from your college studies do you incorporate into your tattoo designs, and how do you ensure your work remains authentic to your artistic vision?
Isabella:
That’s quite a difficult question because I think I take inspiration from everything, to be honest. So it’s difficult to pinpoint one particular thing. I honestly love just following other artists on Instagram. I know that’s quite a basic answer, but when you’re constantly on your phone and constantly on social media, to have visual stimulation come up, it always sparks stuff and generates ideas in your brain as well as just walking around.
It sounds so cliche, but walking around places like London that there’s so much visual stimulus around you and stuff that you can take inspiration from. Whether it’s little bits of graffiti on the walls or someone wearing a particular, unique outfit. You just take inspiration from little things like that and interpret it.
- Flash sheet example by Isabella Benvenutto.
What are some common misconceptions you’ve encountered about tattooing, and how do you plan to debunk them?
Madison:
That your tattoo design specifically has to have a story behind it, for sure. Tattoos can hold a lot of emotion for people, and be directly associated with a memory or person or place, etc, but that’s not the only reason people love tattoos. They can be about the art, or just how they make you feel, and I think that’s honestly just as wonderful.
I love the idea of tattoos that allow you to love your body in a way you may not have before, or as a way of claiming control over your body when you don’t feel like you have any. Or just tattoos to look at and think ‘wow, I just love how this looks on my body’. I think it’s hard to debunk that, but discussing all the other reasons for getting a certain tattoo is a good start.
Steph:
I think one thing that I do to try and be part of the change is just making sure that clients feel comfortable, because a big thing when I started tattooing was the narrative that clients don’t know anything, they don’t know what’s good. And essentially, you should just bully them into what you want to do because they don’t know what they’re talking about.
- Flash sheet and examples of tattoo work by Steph Love.
Where do you see yourself in five years, and what milestones do you hope to achieve along the way?
Isabella:
Anyone who works in the creative industry knows how unpredictable it is. A lot of people find it difficult to find a job in the creative industry. So it’s difficult to know where you’ll be in 1 year, let alone 5.
But for me personally, I wish to be somewhere tattooing, happy and potentially running a studio. I just want to be able to put my designs on other people and look at someone and know that I have my artwork on them for the rest of their lives and that they’ve enjoyed my art so much, they permanently want that with them for their whole life. It’s just the satisfaction of knowing that someone wants me to put my art on them. So I think just doing something where my tattoos can be visible and people can enjoy them is the goal.
What are the best things about being a tattoo artist?
Madison:
My absolute favourite part of being a tattoo artist is when your client gets to see the finished result, and you’ve completed this ‘transfer’ of your art to them. It’s honestly a magical thing, being able to give what you create to someone in such an intimate and permanent way. You still have your version of what you’ve created, but now there’s this version of it that belongs to someone else in such a different way than it belonged to you. It’s so exciting to think about, especially when you know they’re happy with the result and are excited to take it away with them forever.
Steph:
Being able to make a living off of being an artist and having a really great studio. I love my studio so much, I got to decorate it however I wanted and bring in artists that I really love and build a really great team. I think we have good policy and really great communication and it’s nice to open a space that feels very value centred, welcoming and comfortable. Just creating the workspace that I want for myself and that other people wholike that will be drawn to.
There’s also a lot of flexibility that comes with being a tattoo artist. I’m pregnant, and when I have my baby I won’t get any maternity leave, which kind of sucks, but when I go back to work, I’ll probably start tattooing again within about two months. It’s so flexible. I could even just do one or two tattoos a week and that really helps.
- Flash sheet and example of tattoo work by Madison Hope.
Did you find it difficult to break into the industry? What were the main obstacles that you faced?
Madison:
Absolutely. At the time I was starting in Calgary, there weren’t a whole lot of shops that I felt comfortable pursuing an apprenticeship at. Partly being a female entering a very male dominated industry, especially in Calgary, and partly knowing I would likely have to sacrifice my style for years just to find an apprenticeship and fit into the crowd.
I either had to take the route of uprooting and moving elsewhere to find a shop that I knew I would fit with better with no guarantee or finding success, or spend even more time learning on my own and risk being outcast by other tattooers in the industry. Ultimately I decided that being self taught at least gave me more control over my success, so that’s the way I went.
Steph:
The tattoo industry can be really toxic. There’s no regulations, in terms of how you treat your employees and stuff. So parts of it were frustrating, but I just knew it was the only thing I wanted to do.
It was tricky for me, especially starting out doing hand poke. It was hard because when I started tattooing here in Calgary, there was one other artist doing stick and poke and I was asked if he could teach me some stuff, but his shop and the owner were really icky. It’s also such a gate kept sort of industry in a lot of ways.
What piece of advice would you give to aspiring tattoo artists, regardless of their background?
Madison:
It’s a hard business to get into, but not impossible! Find the path that works best for you, just know it’s going to be hard work no matter what. If self taught is what works best then put in the hours practising safely, don’t tattoo other people before you have a legal place to work, which might be a private studio or it might be a shop with others.
If you want an apprenticeship then talk to people, get your name out there, email shops or artists even if they’re not taking anyone on, and have a good portfolio of work. Just know there isn’t one right way, and deciding which path will work best for you will make the journey a lot easier!
Steph:
One thing I always tell people if they want to be a tattoo artist, go get tattooed. Go hang out at other studios. Find places where you feel comfortable and you feel like you feel fit in and get tattooed by those people. See if they need any help at the shop, try to build relationships; that’s a good way to find an apprenticeship by someone you trust.
In terms of practical advice, start tracing lines on ruled paper. Just try to work on getting straight lines without help. It’s kind of boring, but you need to have a steady hand and that’s one way you can start training it.
Isabella:
Just be verbal with your ideas and talk to others, because there’s nothing better than networking. Other people help you out by putting you in connection with other artists that they know. Don’t be transparent with your work. Don’t be scared to put it out there. Not everyone’s going to like your work but that’s because art is subjective, but don’t be scared and don’t let that put you off.
Show it off if it’s something that you’re proud of. Don’t let other people’s opinions influence you, because there’s always going to be someone that’s loud and telling you they don’t like it. For that one person, there might be ten others who love your work so much.
