Learning How to Tattoo Well

Getting a good sense of color for tattooing is going to be a major value. Not only do you have to understand what a color will look like when it mixes with flesh tones you need to get good at picking an separating colors.

The best way to get used to thinking about color separation is to do some collages. Get colored paper and make a shape. Now create shadows for that shape by putting a different color on top of it. Once you have a good sense of how the colors interact try making shapes and shadows as separate pieces with as little overlap as possible. I suggest starting with light colors and adding the darker colors. Darks can cover lights, but getting rid of dark color doesn't work well.

Get some tattoo picture books.

Get some books that have lots of pictures. Look to see what colors you see, and don't see, and how they are used together. Use your inking skills to replicate the designs you see with clean lines. As you look through 100s of pictures you will see that really amazing tattoos have great line work, that will be your most important skill, rendering clean lines.

Pick up some markers.

Now that you have a good sense of line shape and color pick up a basic set of Prismacolor or Copic Markers. These are some nice quality markers that you can use to practice more color combination and separation. Keep practicing until you can do an intricate pattern or picture on a coffee cup with clean lines.

Design a tattoo for yourself.

You shouldn't be putting things on other peoples bodies until you know the experience first hand creating and going through the process as the canvas.

Find someone to apprentice with.

Start off flyering for an artist you like and show them that you are dedicated and want to work for them. As an apprentice you are an assistant, you will start learning about all the things the shop does before you get to work on people. These are important skills to know, you will probably spend more of your career cleaning up and setting up than you will inking. So, use your apprenticeship to make friends and challenge yourself. Anytime that you get a chance do a version of things you hear people working on. Look at the flash on the wall and think about how you can make it unique. And most of all be friendly -- tattooing involves a lot of time dealing with people.

Good Luck!