There are now many tattoo schools in the world that actually offers classes. Almost every tattoo artist got started by either doing an apprenticeship, or by just buying the equipment and just teaching themselves. Either way, it's not usually an easy time. So when tattoo schools opened up, most professionals were not impressed, and a little offended. It seems like a few entrepreneurs wanted to break into a field that was both untapped and lucrative.
A normal apprenticeship will cost you around $3,000, but usually takes over a year, sometimes much longer. It seems strange then, that this school offers two weeks of classes, and costs $5,600. They seem to be in it just for profit, as they also require you to stay at a hotel for $49/night rather than having dorm rooms.
The website for one school says that you do not need any artistic talent in order to go to their school, or become a tattoo artist. It has a lot of misinformation and misleading numbers, and is a most unprofessional website in general. One would strongly argue that there is no need to rush through any learning process. Why not have a two month course? That would give the student at least a better start in the tattooing field. In two weeks you couldn't even teach a student color theory, or shading, or even art history. Promising to turn a beginner into a tattoo artist in two weeks is much more than just false advertising.
It is dangerous to have people going out into the world with a false sense of confidence, especially when it involves permanent changes to another's body. Tattooing isn't something that should have a two week crash course before they send you into the real world. There is so much to learn about tattooing before you ever pick up a machine. Tattooing has a long history of working to break into the field, proving yourself to get a foot in the door. A school that tries to mass produce tattoo artists damages tattooing history by watering down all it's standards.
Learn more about this author, Craig Wright.
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