I will start by introducing myself. My name is Phillip, I have a 6 year old daughter, and have been married for 10 years. I am a self taught mechanic, sound engineer, and general jack of all trades.
With my past successes at learning on my own I took the audacious step of buying the horrible ebay tattoo kit 7 years ago. After a few bad attempts I began searching for an apprenticeship and found one at Smokin’ Joes Tattoo in Gainesville TX. This lasted around 6 months until a tornado ripped our shop to pieces. After 6 more months of rebuilding the owner of the shop, Opie “Joe” Baker, made the decision to give up the art and started himself a reposession company with the 10,000 dollars that he took as payment for my apprenticeship. He then sold my antique barber chair and custom built flash racks to Denton Tattoo Company. With very little left to my name I scratched up what little I salvaged from the shop and began tattooing from my home. This was not ideal of course and I am ashamed to admit it, but you play the hand your dealt. Not liking who I was becoming I began searching for another apprenticeship. However due to the fact that I had been tattooing from home none of the local shops will give me the time of day, or will politely deflect my requests in one way or another.
I have since abandoned schratching and placed my equipment in storage. I am now seeking the ever elusive apprenticeship once more. I am willing to relocate to anywhere, and I mean anywhere for another shot at an apprenticeship. I love this art and have dedicated myself to learning things the right way. I am naturally inclined toward black and grey, pencil, charcoal, and chalk pastels. I can however duplicate nearly anything that I see in front of me and hope to one day learn to work in all styles of the craft. If anyone ould be willing to give me a shot, I would do whatever it takes.
If you are willing to give a dedicated person another shot PLEASE CALL.
My number is (580) 465-8235
Also her are a few pics of my work as well as pics of the destroyed shop.
http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j33/shortyslilbit/
I admire and respect your decision to take the right road to your goal.
Do you have your scratcher pictures in your portfolio as you do in your link? I don’t think that’s going to help you get an apprenticeship. Definitealy leave ALL tattooing pictures out of your portfolio, and focus on a wide range of drawings and flash that you’ve done, both in your preferred style and also in all the others.
Good luck with finding an apprenticeship!
The term scratcher is both insulting and implies a certain level amatuerism. The tattooes I have done in my home were done in a sterile, separated area of my house and no customer has ever complained about the results. By sterile I mean that I autoclave all procedural equipment used and avoid cross contamination as much as anyone in a shop. I did apprentice for 6 months and most of that time was spent learning sterilization and machine building. If you have a technical complaint about one of the tattooes I posted I’m always open to artistic criticism.
With regards to posting artwork. I have several works in progress that I’ll be posting asap. I don’t have much to post as of yet because the few commercially viable pieces I’ve made were sold long ago and the rest of my drawing were for custom tattooes, which I destroy after application for persona reasons.
Amateur is a synonym for apprentice. I don’t think Arni was being mean. As a customer, the most important thing I want/need to see from an apprentice is lots and lots of drawings of all sorts.
Also, if I paid someone 10k and they stole and sold my property, I’d file a lawsuit ASAP. Don’t let someone get away with that.
To Arni I do apologize for my crude response. I took the scratcher implication in the wrong way. I have to say that a few of those pics came from the destroyed shop you see in the same photo gallery. Ergo not all scratcher images. I am definately working on a traditional artwork portfolio. Especially after getting the classic go fuck yourself response from local shops.
I would like to know why shops are sooo offended by someone bringing in “scratcher” portfolios if the work is not rough or technically “bad”. I have seen portfolios in local shops that sent me running the other way and these guy’s are as arrogant as they come. Is this a fear of being outdone or just simple disgust that a person without license is somehow taking money from them? Never really had much respect for shop snobery unless the artist is as top notch as thier attitude shows them to be.
In the case of doctors you have a point. And to some respects (sterilization and artwork) in tattooing. However, I have had unlicensed mechanics, electricians, and plumbers do wonderful work at the same quality for a lower price for years.
In areas where licenses are a matter of health code I would agree 100%. However, the people who got licensed in Oklahoma 6 years ago when the law allowing tattooing was passed were nothing but scratchers and are now acting as if they never touched a machine before they were licensed. I find this highly offensive and in general nothing but snobery. (With some acceptions I’m sure)
The Idea that a license makes you better is like saying that a man with 50 malpractice lawsuits is somehow more competent than the top intern at a hospital simply based on credentials.
I’m in no way saying that myself or anyone else shouldn’t strive for a license in thier chosen vocation. I’m simply saying that since alot of the states that held out on tattoo legalization have pushed the wrong issues.
The law here is that an artist must have 5 years of licensing in this state to take on an apprentice. If you have 5 years of licensing in Oklahoma, you were a scratcher not too long ago and were simply ably to pass a human anatomy/blood borne pathogens course 6 years ago. I encourage outsiders to take a look at the portfolios of alot of these guys and realize if someone here wants to be apprenticed and actually learn, the options are extremely limited and the bulk of shops here have no business having an attitude.
isnt it funny how people who wont get a license are always speaking about how people dont need one, that is doesnt make a difference………….I’ve never seen an unlicensed tattoo artist who could tattoo for shit
I have commercial hvac licenses in 7 states, I make a lot of money fixing things done by unlicensed conrtractors,
It wouldn’t matter a bit to me how good someone’s work was if they were not licensed. My first thought would be if they are so good then why aren’t they licensed, it would just set all my alarm bells ringing and have me heading straight in the opposite direction. That goes for all licensed trades not just tattooists. Best of luck to you though and I hope you manage to get where you want to be the right way this time.
I have seen both ends of “scratcher” tattooing. Like most people who tattoo, or have tattooed, I find it laughable that someone thinks they can just grab em an ebay kit and go to town. As a matter of having to fix bad work I find it challenging and a form of job security for licensed/skilled tattooists. If you have to complain about a scratcher sending you work then your a bit of a whiner in my book.
As far as the comments of if your so good why not get licensed, I would encourage people to have a level of empathy for circumstance. The expectation for someone to spend 40+ hours a week with no pay for a year or more is not something many people can cope with. Personally that was my reasoning for the past few years. It was a feed my wife and child with whatever means I could. I also did alot of shadetree mechanic work and carpentry. I didn’t just start scratching, the shop I was in was destroyed and at the time I was about 3 months past the intitial phase where you could test into a license and for the first 5 years shops couldn’t take on apprentices for legal reasons (a few exceptions outta my area).
If the 7 states your HVAC business came under a set of over the top new guidelines overnight and a natural disaster destroyed your shops. Would you not work your way back up with or without a license? Check out the wording of the Oklahoma statutes before you judge. Most areas license for public safety and basic quality control. Oklahoma was the last state to legalise tattooing and they did it grudgingly. In order to legalise it they decided they would make it the hardest place in the country to start in as a means of limiting this thing they hate soo much.
I wonder if you considered what I went thru for my licenses, work all day school all night, 5 hours sleep, for years, hell nearly died of stress induced cardiac episode, tens of thousands of dollars for school, 4 grand in books, thousands in fees to apply, take tests, bonding in each state, insurance, i also have to take continuing education to keep those licenses, plus keep up bonds, insurance etc, i was not rich, i worked my ass off doing anything i coukd to make money………people who want exceptional extraordinary things will do extraordinary things to get them,
Nope, I dont understand
Fair enough MRCHEN. I am still trying to go the respectable route and don’t plan on returning to home tattooing. I simply think that there are exceptions to every rule and painting everyone with the same brush is not necessary. Being leary of anyone who is going to put you at risk is perfectly fine. Flat out denying that exceptions are out there isn’t right.
Just for curiousity sake, I’m curious where you came up with 10’s of thousands of dollars to pay for that education and if you have any tips for someone trying to get apprenticeship funding. Banks don’t make those loans, there isn’t student aide for tattooing, and without a degree already… how does a blue collar man get into money like that?
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