Today, the tattooing industry has grown significantly.
Tattooing is a great hobby because you can do it for fun as well as professionally, particularly if you love drawing or doing hand-lettering.
If you have a passion for tattooing, you probably wonder what is needed to start the hobby.
So, How Can You Get into Tattooing as A Hobby?
You can easily get into tattooing as a hobby as long as you are passionate about it. Most tattoo artists in the industry today are self-taught and started it as a hobby. To begin with, while it is not a must, well-developed drawing skill is necessary to start tattooing. You need to draw future tattoos artistically on paper and transfer the drawing to the body. It is essential to be able to draw and tattoo the art well, so start by practicing a lot on fruit and tattoo practice skin.
However, skin tattooing usually is very different from drawing on paper; hence it’s best to get an apprenticeship from a professional tattoo artist or get training through a course or tattoo school.
You also need to factor in the time you need to go through an unpaid apprenticeship. You will need at least four hours 2-5 days a week.
If you can, that is wonderful! Dedicating your time will make it easier for you.
Five Tattoo Hobby Building Steps
If you are interested in beginning a path of tattooing as a hobby, here are some of the steps you can take;
1. Build Skills
Not everyone can do tattooing.
To start tattooing, having drawing skills will be an added advantage.
While there are good courses out there, you don’t need to take an expensive course or go to art school to know how to draw.
However, you will need to enhance your skills and drawing abilities.
Whether at home or somewhere else, you will require to learn the basics of drawing tattoos before you go on to perfect your linework, shading, and other skills.
Tattooing is not all about tracing the designs from a book.
According to statistics, most people want unique designs developed uniquely by an artist.
Therefore, before buying tattooing gear such as body ink for tattoo machines, you are first required to master how to design and draw a tattoo with a pen and paper.
Gaining these skills will assist you with the basics of tattooing as well as grow into an excellent tattoo artist.
2. Create A Portfolio
This is an essential step, and similar to learning the drawing and other basics, it is a step that needs patience.
A solid portfolio will be required before you can find a tattooing studio for an apprenticeship.
Building a solid portfolio will take effort and time, even more than you can imagine.
When building your portfolio, this is the chance to demonstrate your skills, innovation as well as individuality.
Your portfolio should include your designs.
A professional tattoo artist will require seeing your skills and testing if you can transfer the skills from the paper to the skin.
It is recommendable always to include a few non-tattoo pieces and drawings that can be seen when tattooed on a person’s body.
3. Find An Apprenticeship
This is where you will learn your practice your tattooing art skills during your leisure; you can try taking your portfolio and skills to the different licensed tattoo artists.
While it can be challenging to find the perfect studio or mentor to take you in, the best trick is finding a place where you could see yourself working and a mentor is really willing to teach.
With the tremendous growth of the tattooing industry today, you will be sure to find a good mentor around your area.
If you find a good artist for an apprenticeship, they will show you insights into the profession while providing you a chance to learn and grow your skills.
Remember that apprenticeships can take months or years, and you will often go unpaid.
However, you will be getting experience which is more worth than money.
Even better, if you do tattooing as a hobby, you will enjoy an apprenticeship even without making much.
4. Networking
During the apprenticeship period, you will socialize with different people and tattoo artists.
For future networking, it is essential to make contacts with other people.
It is always crucial to set up your support network for design tips, job prospects, insight, history into the profession, and client referrals.
5. Certifications And License
Now that you have the skills and experience, you can become a professional tattoo artist by getting licensed.
All tattoo artists require to have a tattoo license to practice professionally.
It is not too challenging to get a license, but it depends on the state you live in.
You will mainly require an official ID to undertake a police check and offer details about your current and previous employment.
There is also an application fee and forms for filling out.
Basic Tattoo Design Kit for Beginners
Before starting any hobby, you must prepare the equipment related to the job.
In particular, the tattoo profession requires a lot of tools.
Once you are experienced in tattooing and are sure it’s a hobby you want to pursue in a long time or make extra cash, it is only essential that you consider buying your tattooing kit.
Let’s look at the most basic tattooing tools for beginners.
Tattoo Machine
A tattoo machine is the primary type of gear you need.
Today, two kinds of tattooing machines are widely used;
- coil tattoo machines
- rotary tattoo machines.
While their structures are different, the operations are identical.
Today, tattoo machines are available at a wide variety of prices based on your budget and needs.
Tattoo Ink
The next thing you require is tattoo ink. There are many ink types used in tattoo art for different tattoo styles.
A good tattoo ink helps to brighten up the tattoo and make it durable for a long time.
Tattoo Needles
Tattoo needles are considered an essential part used in drawing the tattoo routines.
The type of tattooing needle will depend on your tattoo machine, and they can be arranged in clusters from 3 up to 25 needles.
Additional Accessories
Other necessary tattoo accessories include;
- tattoo scanner gel
- tattoo chair
- anesthetic
- tattoo bed
- bectine
- foam cleaner
- Vaseline
- ink jars and shelves
- etc.
Can You Make Money Through Tattooing as A Hobby?
Now that you have foundations, you can begin applying for paid work.
This is where your apprenticeship experience and the networking you have developed becomes useful.
With all the necessary things taken care of, you can go out there to find a tattooing job during your free hours.
You can even begin your studio if you have the capital and means.
Either way, you can have the experience, skills, license, and professional insight to practice and make tattooing your career.
Bottom Line
We hope you have understood how to start tattooing as a hobby.
Practice drawing on paper, start practicing on tattoo practice skin, find apprenticeships, and even become a professional tattoo artist.
Even if you are a fan of tattoo culture but don’t love needles, you can still practice tattoo drawing on paper and sell your designs.
Ultimately, with a few techniques, passion, and dedication, you can easily navigate the journey of pursuing tattooing.