Tattooing is more accessible today than it has been for decades. While traditional tattoo apprenticeships are still available, you no longer need one in order to gain access to high-quality tattoo supplies. The introduction of the rotary pen machine (and, particularly, the affordability of certain models on online marketplaces) has played a key role in making self-taught tattooing easier than ever.

But, as an artist, are you ready to transition to this new medium? Unlike most forms of art, the canvas you’re considering is one that talks back—and your customer is investing in your work for life. Let’s have a quick talk about what it means to learn to tattoo as an artist and whether this route is right for you.

First Things First: It’s About More Than the Ability To Draw

While coming up with smart designs that work with the contour of a person’s body does matter, there is so much more to tattooing than just making good art.

Safety is non-negotiable, both for you and your customer. If you take on this art, prepare to spend a lot of time learning about hygienic practices before you ever handle a machine. If you’re heading for coil machines and don’t want to use disposable needles, you need to know how to maintain an autoclave correctly. And even if you are using disposable needles and cartridges, you still need to understand the science behind blood-borne pathogens.

And the medical aspect is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. Good table manners, professional communication, and effective marketing are all skills that tattooers need to learn on top of creative know-how.

Creating a Permanent Piece

Once you know that you’re OK with a canvas that talks and feels (and all the responsibilities that accompany that), it’s time to reflect on another aspect of this art: its permanence.

Some tattooers claim to be able to do temporary tattoos (spoiler alert: that’s not a thing yet), and others might suggest that modern laser removal means no tattoo is truly permanent. The truth is that you are giving them a work that will become part of who they are, whether the design is a memorial piece or a Spongebob reference. First, are you comfortable with that kind of permanence? Second, are you confident that you are capable of giving them a piece they will love?

Every tattooer has the ability to improve, and looking back on older pieces might make even the best tattoo artists cringe. But if you aren’t ready to give someone what feels like your best work every session, this art might not be for you.

The Beauty of Tattooing

While there are several serious considerations one must make before picking up the machine, it’s also worth noting that tattooing is just… easy to fall in love with. Tattooers continue to explore and develop new styles in this medium, finding increasingly captivating ways to convey ideas. The rich heritage of the art is being unveiled more each day as the industry pivots to acknowledge the centuries of knowledge predating the emergence of the tattoo machine. For some of us, the smell of green soap and the sound of too-loud music in a tattoo shop just feels like home.

So, if you are an artist who feels ready to learn to tattoo, here’s all we can really say: go for it. While this art form and industry come with real responsibilities and some serious challenges, we can’t deny its lasting appeal. Brace yourself for the journey ahead, whether that involves slabs of fake skin, a demanding apprenticeship, or otherwise. On the other end of the wild learning experience to come is a creative medium that leaves a lasting impact.