Hi, I'm Dough and I'm a scratcher.

Yes, I said it, I am a scratcher no matter how much I would love to become an artist. Now I know most of you guys and gals on here are pretty brutal towards us noobs and sometimes you're right. But, the thing about me is that I really have no other choice as sad and unbelievable as it may sound it's true. All artists that have a shop near me have huge shops, but work them themselves, nobody I have found yet will take an apprentice, doesn't matter if they see my work or not. So yes unlike most scratchers (from what I read) I have no interest in monetary gains I just fucking love tattoos!!! I would love to become an apprentice but everybody around here wants their own hold on the market with no chance for anybody else. Now as a scratcher I know that I'm not great at it and have no ego but when friends that I used to go to the local shops with and pretty much worshipped their artists are now wanting me to touch up their professional tattoos after seeing my work, it really makes me sad to think that this is all that I have to learn from. Please can somebody help me figure out what to do because I am so very confused about all of this lol

Lets see a link to your original art.

Ok...I guess I don't really understand what you are asking help on...I got that you are a scratcher, can't find a shop to work in, and from what you say you are good...so what is the question you are asking?

put down the machine. you do have a choice. you can choose not to be a scratcher by not doing home tattoos. its that simple. it would be a lot more respectable for you to love tattoos, and urn to do tattoos, but choose not to do them in an illegal/unhealthy environment. im not saying your house is that disgusting, but just think about the potentially disease ridden people you are opening up in your house and making it gross. i live in kentucky. there is work here. you just have to go get it elsewhere if it isnt right around the corner. i wanted to tattoo so freakin bad, and once i got old enough, i moved my ass closer to where there were tattoo jobs available, and you should do the same. there really is no excuse for being a scratcher other than laziness or lack of gumption. Kentucky has some of the highest tattooing standards in america, but we have this stigma of being toothless hill billies that poke ink into each other with primitive methods, and i would like to see that stereotype lifted. i REALLY hate to sound like one of those self riotous pricks i read on here all the time, and if you knew me, you would know im not trying to damn you or preach the gospel of apprenticeships. i just care about my state, and would love to see you get a job, for real.

Look, we all know that most tattoo artist that own shops are not worth a fuck when it comes to Artwork To me your not A ARTIST your Starving Tattooist,....... bullshit overpriced fucker!

ok, for all you guys who bash scratchers, for the most part i dont blame you. but there are alot of us out there that actually have a true love and true raw talent for the art. iv been a "scratcher" i guess you could say for 5 years now. i was good friends with a professional tattooist who showed me quite a bit, without an apprenticeship, whitch i could never afford. also there are DVDs out there made by the best of the best in the tattoo industry that really show you alot and teach you some amazing techniques. i keep an extreamly sterile tattoo environment, only use disposable tips and grips, keep my machine wrapped at all times and have taken the course on bloodborne pathogens. i basically know everything i would learn in an apprenticeship through getting inked up, my friends who tattoo professionally, and the $500 DVD set, and i have a HUGE clientel, and (not to be at all cocky) do better work than half the tattooists in my town. so before you decide to rip on the general population of "scratchers" remember that there are some out there who are real tattoo artists. p.s apprenticeships arent what they used to be, instead of a master taking sombody under his wing and showing him the ropes, they make you do slave labour bassically and put you on contract which can FUCK u over, or they charge $5-10,000 for it. rediculous

Everytime I see this post I keep picturing Homer Simpson..."Doh!"

Ok scratchers, lets see links to your work then if yer so good! I too feel like poking myself in the eye everytime I hear scratchers tell everyone how good they are... dont tell us, show us! Otherwise your just blowing hot air...

I learned to tattoo 5 years incarcerated, i didnt get formal training, i admit took a couple weeks to get adjusted to the varieties of machines and needles. Some douchebag at a shop who has less experience and talent than me tell me i should paid to learn and work for him. I would love to work at a shop but honestly i think i paid my dues and does not need to apprentice. https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/154706_393689380671104_1753775396_n.jpg https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/578872_391173200922722_140082105_n.jpg

Ok, so look. I know for me, if someone comes into my studio asking for an apprenticeship and tells me they already have a "kit" or have been "slingin ink" for years It automatically raises red flags. It is a lot harder to get rid of bad habits than to start learning from scratch. No matter how well intentioned you are if there isn't someone there with experience to show you what you're doing right and wrong than you will be learning bad habits and potentially really hurting somebody or yourself. I don't want to keep the competition down by not giving you an apprenticeship, I want to protect my customers from your bad habits. Bottom line if you want an apprenticeship badly enough you can get one. It requires a lot of hard work and sacrifice but even if you have to move clear across the country or commute 2 hrs to the shop to learn it's up to you to go out and get it. Prison a good place to learn how to sling some sick tatty ink. I would hire someone like that in a second.

if u want an apprenticeship u probably shouldn't start the interview with "hey im a scratcher!"

TO ALL U SCRATCHERS…… DO NOT AND I WILL REPEAT DO NOT LET ANY NEGATIVE RESPONSE DISUADE U FROM PERSUING AN APPRENTICESHIP TO LEARN ALL THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND CORRECT TATTOOING TECHNIQUES TO ENHANCE YOUR TATTOOING ABILITY. WE WERE ALL SCRATCHERS AT ONE TIME…REAL REAL TALK. AND ANYONE WHO SAYS OTHER WISE IS A BOLD FACE LIAR. PUT TOGETHER A PORTFOLIO AND CONTACT EVERY SHOP U CAN TO FIND A REPUTABLE ARTIST THAT MIGHT BE WILLING TO TAKE U ON. SOME OF THE RESPONSES WERE VERY CORRECT THOUGH IN STIPULATING THAT UNLESS TATTOOING IS DONE IN A STRILE ENVIORNMENT WITH PROPER SET UP AND BREAKDOWN PROCEDURE U ULTIMATELY ARE DOING YOURSELF AND ANY CLIENT A DISSERVICE. IN THE MEAN TIME WATCH AS MUCH RELEVENT FOOTAGE IN YOUTUBE TUTORIALS AND LISTEN AS U WATCH WHAT THE ARTISTS ARE SAYING. EXPAND YOUR ARTISTIC ABILITY WITH PAINTING AND OTHER MEDIUMS SO THA AS U PROGRESS AS A TATTOOER YOU WILL BE ABLE TO APPLY SOME OF THOSE PRINCIPLES TO YOUR TATTOOING SUCH AS COLOR VALUE AND PLACEMENT. KEEP IT UP BUT DO IT THE RIGHT WAY. GET CERTIFIED FOR BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS AND VIRUSES AWARENESS

I Have been "scratching" since i bought a p.o.s amazon kit last september. I am a hotrod builder and heavy equipment mechanic. i am currently in the process of building my first machine frame from scratch. i fully understand machine dynamics and virus and bbp protocol. i was told by your industry that my art is fine but im to old. im 34... pretty sure this isnt the n.b.a. i hold certifications in both bbp and first aid in l.a.county. Im currently in the process of negotiations with a local artist to trade x amount of tattoo work for his shop to sign off on my bodyart cert. i just created a photobucket for you guys to shred. or boot me. I am only posting here to improve my skills so let me have it... my photobucket id is humilityplus. thanks.

Hey dough never give up b your self let it flow n for myself im a proud scratcher so why ask questions establish your self b clean n scratch on best wishes from the bobcat