Teaching yourself to tattoo means using online resources, videos, and books to learn on your own instead of in a tattoo shop – and it’s 100% possible.

As the tattoo industry continues to grow and utilize online teaching, the number of self-taught artists will continue to grow as well, making now the perfect time to dive into tattooing.

In this article, we’ll explain:

• Why more tattoo artists are choosing the “self-taught” route
• How to find online resources so you can teach yourself to tattoo
• The #1 thing tattoo shops need to see before they hire you

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Tattooing is not “easy,” and learning to do it on your own is certainly challenging. Every tattooer will admit that their first tattoos weren’t their best, but overtime, they’ve gained the skills to tattoo any design they want. 

That being said, learning to tattoo is much, much easier if you know how to draw, which is why we’re big fans of thebrokenpuppet on YouTube. His drawing tutorials teach you how to draw tattoo designs step-by-step. 

Please note: Some regions have specific requirements for becoming a tattoo artist, but in many places, you can teach yourself and will only need your bloodborne pathogens certification.

Why Be a Self-Taught Tattoo Artist?

The traditional path to becoming a tattoo artist is through an apprenticeship. During that time, an experienced tattoo artist teaches an apprentice how to tattoo. 

However, apprenticeships are unpaid, last anywhere from 1-4 years, and are notorious for the amount of hazing (and sometimes abuse) that comes with them.

Because of this, many aspiring artists are learning online instead. While doing so takes a fair amount of research, all the information artists learn in a traditional apprenticeship is available online.