Now that tattoos have become such a popular thing among people of all ages, it is becoming difficult to find somebody who does not have a tattoo. Due to the fact that they are now mainstream, each day more people have ambitions to become a tattoo artist. Most people who decide they want to learn how to tattoo think the best way to learn is to purchase their very own tattoo machine, and it has become very easy and very inexpensive to buy one.
If you are planning to buy yourself a tattoo machine and teach yourself how to be a tattoo artist, it is essential that you understand more about how the tattoo industry works. You should know that the proper way learn how to tattoo is to get a traditional apprenticeship, and if you try to get hired at a tattoo shop without having served as an apprentice chances are the tattoo artists there will not accept you because you have not yet paid your dues. Most established tattoo artists to not like when somebody thinks that they can teach themselves something what took them years to learn.
After informing you that to learn to tattoo properly and safely you need to obtain an apprenticeship, now it is okay to let you know that purchasing a tattoo machine early on is not a bad idea, but only if you go about using it the right way. To get a feel for tattooing prior to making the commitment of paying to learn from the pros, you might want to buy an inexpensive tattoo kit, but you must not tattoo people!
What you should do is purchase some fake skin that is now available for tattoo artists to practice on. Although their is nothing that acts just like human skin, this fake skin is probably the next closest thing. If you practice on this fake skin and learn some basic skills through trial and error, an established tattoo artist might be more apt to hiring you on as an apprentice.
You might be curious about where you should go in order to purchase a tattoo machine. The best place is probably a tattoo supply shop online, or possibly even ebay. Years ago I bought my first tattoo kit on Ebay for no more than a few hundred dollars and it worked great for quite a few years. You will also have to purchase some sterile and disposable needles and tubes, and make sure that with every use you dispose of each needle and tube properly to get into the habit of being as safe as possible.
In conclusion, this article was meant to dispose of the common misconception that you can pick up a tattoo machine and immediately start tattooing people with some basic art skills. This is dangerous and irresponsible thinking and any tattoo artist would be insulted because what they do is a skill that they have learned and perfected through many years of teachings. Do not make the mistake of thinking all that you need to do is buy a tattoo kit and you are now a tattoo artist, it just does not work that way.
