So I recently got ask by a fellow artist on Facebook how I landed my apprenticeship. I try to be a good person and if they're at least halfway decent, I'll try to help them out by telling them what I know from experience. So I took a couple minutes and wrote a very involved letter on how I landed my tattoo apprenticeship with Jason Fancher, my boss. And a few other tips and pointers on what to do to be a good candidate.
It dawned on me that this information would probably be pretty good for anyone seeking an apprenticeship as it is pretty hard to find one now a days what with all the tattoo TV shows making it so popular. Here, my good friends, is what I said to this eager young man...
Be patient! I had to wait 7 years for my tattooer, Jason, to finally ask me to be his apprentice.
I started out by painting some things, and going to his shop and showing them to him, asking for his critique, and going back and repainting, or doing new stuff with the new knowledge.
Spending alot of time building a relationship with the artist you want to apprentice under is key too. I kept getting tattooed by him and starting new tattoo projects, and coming back regularly. They want to trust you, they want to know that you're loyal. My whole left sleeve was done by Jason. The biggest commitment you can show them is getting a large, visable piece from them.
Do alot of research before you choose who you want to apprentice under. Also, getting it from someone who owns the shop, you wanna learn those skills of running a buisness and doing what needs to be done. Try to pick someone that you can learn from. There are a lot of terrible artists/shops out there, they will just want to use you.
Some shops are weird about apprentices, and it's really hard to nail one out there. I had to put my time in and earn the respect from Jason before he'd consider it. I'm not saying you have to wait as long as I did, but I think that's the better route. You have more of a connection with the master. Other tattooers will consider if you have cash in hand... I've heard around 5 to 10 grand is the norm.
I know it's tough out there, especially in this industry. I wanna help out another artist as much as I can so if you have any questions at all, I'll try my darndest to answer them as best as possible.
Good Luck!!
--Angie
