Shanti Cameron ~Apprentice~

Watch my art progress as I work my ass off to complete my apprenticeship at Cat Tattoo, in Addison, TX. If you'd like me to tattoo you, then shoot me a message! I'm currently tattooing on Tuesdays only.
Go to www.cattattoo.com to find out more about where I work!

All images are mine, unless stated otherwise. All rights reserved.

Posted 1 year ago
I have a question about you apprenticing. Tomorrow I'm going to a shop near me to see about apprenticing. I've been told by some people 12-20 pictures would be good to bring in, and then some say no less than 50-200. That seems a little much, but no one will give me one set answer. I've also been told that you should NEVER apprentice for someone who tells you to pay them and do work for free. I was however told that apprenticing means I'd work for free. Whats the real deal :P Do you know?

Asked by Anonymous

I’ve been away for a few days, so I hope my timing isn’t off.

More is better when it comes to your portfolio…to a point. The drawings don’t need to be tattoo related; they just need to showcase your talent. It’s better to have 30 awesome drawings/paintings/sculptures than to have 200 so-so examples, so don’t fill your portfolio with work you aren’t proud of just to fill up space. I think somewhere around 30-50 quality examples of your work should be enough in most cases. Trust me, if they want to see more, they will ask!

As far as the payment thing goes, that’s a tricky question. My apprenticeship is “free” with no contract, and I work about 45 hours a week at the shop - unpaid, other than the occasional tips I get for scrubbing tubes. These types of apprenticeships are out there (I found one, after all), but they are not easy to find..and it’s getting harder as time passes. I would be wary of anyone asking for money to teach you, but they aren’t necessarily out to rip you off. If they want payment, then get a contract that lays out a teaching plan, how long the apprenticeship should last, any expectations they have for you outside of learning (ie:work), and what happens if you decide to bail. If you’re talented enough, and you have the right attitude, there will be someone out there willing to teach you without requiring payment…you just have to find them.

In my opinion, you should either pay to learn with minimal work (no tattoo schools), or you should work in trade for your education. Working, at least some, is necessary, as it teaches you about the trade along the way. If you’re paying (I’ve read $5,000 - $10,000 is fairly common), then you should be spending most of your time focused on drawing and developing your skills. Neither way is a shortcut, so prepare to spend 2 years (or more) as as apprentice. To me, having someone ask you to pay to learn in addition to working long hours for free is a rather insulting idea - I would steer clear of someone that is demanding both. Even if you don’t pay outright to learn, you can/will eventually spend thousands gathering all the tools and supplies needed to work.

Hope that helps!
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