Tattoo artist

A tattoo artist (also known as a tattooer or tattooist) is a person who specialises in the application of permanent ornamental tattoos. Tattoo artists often work in an established company known as a "tattoo shop," "tattoo studio," or "tattoo parlour." Tattoo artists often acquire their trade during an apprenticeship under the supervision of a qualified and experienced mentor.

The conventional path to become a tattoo artist involves undergoing an apprenticeship under the tight supervision of a veteran tattoo artist with years of expertise. Apprenticeships in tribal tattooing might run up to five years in certain cases. Typically, throughout the first six months to a year of the apprenticeship, the apprentice will get instruction on cleanliness and correct safety procedures. In this period, the apprentice is not permitted to tattoo, but will be required to keep the studio clean and to learn by observation. Apprenticing may cost anything from little more than a few hours of free work around the shop to tens of thousands of dollars. Apprentices are often required to be exceptional at sketching, with the capacity to customise design concepts and genres, as well as a variety of different forms of art in general, and to work effectively under pressure.

For their clients' tattoo designs, tattoo artists may either create unique designs from scratch or utilise flash (pre-drawn, stock pictures) or modifications of well-known patterns.