Learning how to tattoo.

To the people who are learning how to tattoo, I understand the spot you're in. Every tattoo artist/Artist has been in this boat. Keep doing what you're doing and don't let anyone get to you. Seek help anyway you can, Ask questions even if people think they are stupid, It's really the only way you're gonna learn. I started out with a shitty 150$ "kit" People said drop it you'll never learn so I quit.After I got rid of the "kit" I still was in the love with all the art forms it has to offer. I was still getting tattooed, drawing, painting EVERYTHING! After studying so much and buying good shit I started seeing how I could actually learn. And well now I'm in a good situation from where I started, Obviously each and every artist still learns day by day, You just gotta really want it. Have a passion of this art and don't try to be a "get money" fast kinda person saying "oh I'll hook you up cheap" just to get customers. Thats not the way to go.

The key, in my opinion, at getting good at ANYTHING is practice. Once you start tattooing flesh there is no going back. Most people buy equipment and never use it, even more do one horrible tattoo and never do another. I bet it is in the neighborhood of 95% the people that never follow through and give it a fair chance. You HAVE to charge. I can tell you why from exp. If you announce that you do them for free, you will have trouble getting enough clients. You need to immerse yourself in tattooing and do as many as possible and people are suspicious of free tattoos. Once I started charging, I couldn't keep up with the demand. It had nothing to do with money for me, but it doesn't take long to realize that when you come home with $1000 on a saturday, it is quite lucrative! I only tattoo part time, I have a small shop (my legal side), and if you listen to the artists that post here, you will never get off the ground.

Not for nothing, but I'd rather someone do one bad tattoo and never do another one, than obliviously continue to do shitty tattoos because it's lucrative.

I agree

I'd say free tattoos are just as suspicious as $40 tattoos.