i have a few apprentices near my locality
do i send them some back?
so we all get 5 studios in each town

I said a long time ago that its only a matter of time before we see the apprentices having their own apprentices. It’s now happening, we are seeing people pay to learn how to tattoo, they then find they cannot make a living as their work is not up to standard.  They are now taking on their own apprentices at around £2000 each and teaching them how to “tattoo”.

There are a number of web sites out their showing real bad work, yet they are advertising courses for tattooing.

The problem is just how to police this industry, how bad does a tattooist need to be before his licence is revoked?  Who decides?

This would only work if the health authority confiscated their equipment.

You have to ask also just why people are willing to pay for bad work, some returning again and again to bad tattooists.  Some of the bad tattoos I have seen cost the same as what a good tattooists would charge, yet they seem to prefer to go to the bad ones.

Is it because they cannot see the difference, or because they really don’t care?

Lionel

i think its another “rockstar miami ink”  looking cool syndrome
but they are cutting their own throats each apprentice will open their own shop and and take on an apprentice

I totally agree Lionel,

I think that due to Miami/London ink a lot of people are trying to jump on the band wagon to make a quick buck.
Also with e-bay selling kits for £40 ish anyone can go out and start tattooing.
And how many of these people have an autoclave, or even know what one does????

I think that anyone who is really passionate about the art will try and try to get an apprenticeship from a reputable artist and work long and hard at it.

I can remember not so long ago a guy tattooing bad work getting a visit from…....... well let me say they were not happy with what was going on. and the guy was soon out of business.

As long as customers are willing to pay good money for bad work it will carry on.

Maybe one day there will be some kind of policy to stop it, but until then we will be covering more and more or removing bad tattoos.

Woody