Would You Consider...

[KatVonLee]

Would You Consider An Apprentice Who Has No Tattoo's Themselves?

I am 17. I Have Not Got Any As of Yet Because I Go By The Law. I was Wondering If This Would Put Off Any Tattoist?

[squidgystar]

it is highly unlikely you would get an apprenticeship until you were old enough to get tattooed anyway.

Whilst there are a number of very successful tattooers who didn't get tattooed for many years after they started tattooing, you will be looked upon more favourably by both customer and employer if you are tattooed. Some would not consider you at all unless you have experienced being tattooed yourself.

There are no rules though... your artwork and portfolio should speak for itself if it is good enough.

But a tattooed 17 year old would be highly frowned upon and in some cases so would a heavily covered 18 year old.

[KatVonLee]

Thankyou
I shall use the time till i am 18 to set up a good portfolio

[bobbytatt]

you may be lucky i was 17 when i got my first apprenticeship and had no tattoos.
I tattooed myself at 17 before i started tattooing other people.

[squidgystar]

hey bobby, welcome to the forum what studio are you at?

[Johnny Chaos]

I guess if you had a good reason why you felt tattooing was for you and a strong portfolio you might be lucky.
But the customers might be a bit funny with you.
I don't have my arms done at all or neck. So if I'm waring jeans and a T it doesn't look like I've got any tats and I get funny looks and comments all the time.

[Mini_Inkerbelle]

I get asked this question all the time simply because I don't have any visible tattoos unless i wear a pair of pumps. The other one being "do you have to tattoo yourself?"

I think it's a reasonable comment that no you don't have to be tattooed. But you can probably bet your bottom dollar that you will surely get some funny looks because "tattooed folk" tend to trust "other tattooed folk" both under the needle and on the desk. Maybe being in a studio so young might favorably make you think twice about what you get.

I would find a heavily tattooed teenager on a desk quite intimidating or just wrong to look at. It can scream scene.

Having no tattoos won't make your art any less good/great or make your standard of work drop. In fact, i found that older women that were often put off from tattooing have now started to come into the shop more and more. To make you feel better, i don't consider myself tattooed very much. Nothing above the waist at least. So I often get asked if i have any at all.

It's a bit of a double-edged sword i'm afraid but hang in there

[squidgystar]

if it makes you feel better Jin O who used to work at Louis Malloys and is a cracking tattoer is ink free

...and Anil Gupta had no tattoos for many years whilst he was tattooing.