Forty five million Americans have tattoos; that’s nearly 80%! Many Americans have either considered tattoos or have at least one. I have been contemplating getting a tattoo since I was 12 or 13. It has always been the same design. Since art has played a major role in my life, I have been constantly strengthening my tattoo designs to, hopefully, become a fine arts tattooist.
Being able to have a conversation art piece on my boy that can help teach or connect with people is beautiful to me; for my body to be a canvas. I will be talking about tattoos, tattoo machines, and tattoo apprenticeships to better educate myself on my biggest inspiration as an artist.
Tattoos are a form of body modification that uses indelible ink. It is to be put under the dermis layer of the skin, where it will stay permanently under the skin by altering the skins pigment. Tattoos were originally described as pricking, painting, and staining of the skin.
In the beginning, tattoos were done by tribal cultures, where they would cut their skin, and rub in ash, dirt, ink, or colored sands into the open wound, where it would then heal over it, causing it to permanently stay under the skin.
Others would use sharpened bones, or sticks, and either cut or poke small bits into their skin, that they would fill with different dyes. This is where we got our modern “stick-n-poke” method. Luckily, two inventors later came along, one well known, the other not so much, and they would change the way tattoos were done, from the brutal “stick-n-poke” method, to the way we do it today.
The tattoo machine predecessor was first invented by some random inventor who didn’t even know what he had created at the time; his name was Thomas Edison.
In 1877, Edison created something called an electric pen, which he classified as a stencil-pen. In 1891, Samuel O’Reilly took the design, and correlated the way it could quickly saw that the movement it used to create perforated stencil cut outs in paper, it easily mimicked the movement of a hand doing a “stick-n-poke” tattoo. He took it, added a tube and a needle and then later patented the tube as a place to store ink while in use. He later took out the coils and replaced it with a modified version of a doorbell. They used to be so heavy, that they would hang them from the ceiling to take some of the pressure and weight off the artists’ hand.
Thank god today we have a small hand held device that uses small electromagnetic coils to move a bar up and down. Soldered onto the bar, there is a grouping of needles that the number varies depending on whether the artist is doing an outline or shading.
Getting a tattoo apprenticeship, and becoming a tattoo artist can take more than ten years to complete. You have to know your style, and really thrive in it. Being a tattoo apprentice really isn’t as easy as every may think it seems!
You have to know the ins and outs of your studio, your machinery, your customer…there’s a whole lot to this process! Not only that, but the years of experience you need can make the process seem long and hard. You’ll learn things on a wide variety…from how to setup and break down a workstation, to tricks and tips of actually tattooing. A lot you have to teach yourself through books, art books, and watching videos or listening to talks about tattoos.
Most tattoo artists being on things such as bananas, oranges, or skin of preserve pigs, since their skin is close to the thickness of a humans, Before you can become a full fledged tattoo artist you will need to take a few steps. After having your high school diploma or GED, you need at least a three year apprenticeship that is sometimes required, a tattooing license must be 18 years of age, and of course, be a creative artist.
You will then begin putting together a portfolio of your greatest art, showing your creativity and versatility. You may need to apprentice more with the person who will be hiring you depending on the studio, take tattoo classes, and then get your license. Followed by more and more experience and learning!
With all of the history and the modification to the tattoo machine, tattoos, and the precision of the tattoo artists, I am more inspired to get works of art on my body.
Talking and learning about tattoos has opened my mind and encouraged me that much more in my decisions of tattoos. As someone who is working to become a tattoo artist, learning so much is really helpful and more encouraging than, obviously, not knowing anything at all. Hopefully some of you learned a bit more as well!
