Tattoo School

Hey has any one gone to the tattoo school in Southfield MI. http://www.tattoo-school.com/ Has anyone attended any of Lyle Tuttle's classes at the conventions. http://hellcitytattoofest.com/wordpress/?page_id=6 How are they?

Do your self a favor, and do something else with the time and money you'd waste on a tattoo school. Say lessons in common sense perhaps. JOE

Hey Joe with out getting nasty please explain. I know its expensive but I don't have to kiss ass to get in or impress anyone. Will I go, well no but I was wondering if any one had and what they thought. I look at lots of the stuff that tattoo artists do and I think that the tattoo part is great but I hate the art, but that’s ok that is how art is and everyone has what they like, and what they hate. I have looked at what you have on your page and there is some I like and some I don't care for at all, but the tat work is all wonderful. I am not some kid I will be 50 on my next birthday so I am not screwing up any bodies skin with my ink. I have had many people like what I have done and I thank them for being so nice cause I know its not good at all seeing work like yours but I am still proud of it since I have not had any or very little help, I think its damn good. Now the one thing I do is try to learn all I can from every book, tape, disk, or whatever I can get my hands on. I am a chemist working with biological samples so I know about contamination and the risks. I have never done not even one dot of "ink" on another person just me. There are a couple pictures here, http://www.myspace.com/custompens, look at them if your want to laugh, but I like them. So go ahead give me both barrels you can't hurt my feeling. But I will keep learning no matter what arrogant SOB’s tattoo “artists” say. Oh and the people that make fun of my spelling don’t bother me either I never could spell. “[email removed]”

Hey custom pens...First of I don't give a fuck about your spelling...If they can't figure out what you are saying fuck em! About teh tattoo schools...now I am speaking in general cause we all know there are exceptions to any rule but in my experience most are just out for the quick bucks...they charge for an "apprenticeship" which consists of a very short"training" period ( in one I know of the training period was THREE DAYS!...3 days to learn an art that takes most people YEARS !)and then they put you right to work in one of their "studios" The courses are usually taught by "artists" no one has ever heard of. You basically pay them to do tattoos that you have no business doing that they charge good money for to an unsuspecting public.So they are screwing both you and their customers.Kinda like the old beauty school things where you can go get a cheap hair cut from a cosmetology student...But this deal is WAY more shady....For onr thing your hair will eventually grow back...a bad tattoo is FOREVER!!!! But I will say it again...There may be a legitimate "tattoo school" out there...I highly doubt it...but it IS possible. If there are any "graduates" of such a school or if anyone out there has had any experience with such a school, let us hear from you.Enquiring minds want to know! If anyone is seriously considering attending one of these schools USE YOUR HEAD.....ASK QUESTIONS!!!!...Are they licensed? Who are the teachers? Where were they apprenticed? Where have they worked? GET REFERENCES from former students. BE VERY SKEPTICAL!!!!! OK tattoo fans I'm waitin to be schooled....Taz

Hey there Custom pens, my comment on tattoo schools comes from the belief that there aint shit but the basics you may learn from one of these so called "Tattoo schools". The whole point of an apprenticeship should be a foot hold in the business. Which means after you learn you get a job, not get set loose on the world. Tattoo schools have one purpose, to take the money of people desperate enough to not know any better, than to go to one. And your right it is an art form, and therefore open to ones interpretation. Problem being is that most clients come into a shop with certain expectations, and when the artists is unable to meet those expectations it looks bad for the rest of us in the trade. These forums, and us bitching about the hacks trying to get into the trade, are our way of venting our frustrations about it. Like you said IM not what you'd call a "traditional" tattooist, but I spent the last 13 years getting to where IM at, and the first several years was spent in a street shop doing Tasmanian devils, tribal arm bands, and lil' roses on girls ankles. These are not the most glamorous of tattoos, but they give you a firm grasp on the skills it takes to be a good tattooist. From there you move on to where you'd like to be. But the basics are a necessity. Now for the critique... I don't have a My Space account, so I was unable to see anything but the front page of yours. If the dragon on the front page was one of your tattoos, that is what we call in the business, a "Bad tattoo". Poor line quality, bad to no shading, and very poor color saturation. Again it was a poor photo, but that was my cursory critique. Again IM not saying you need to eat, drink, and shit this business, to be good at it. But give us in the business, and your clientele a freaking break. If you cant take a step back look at what your doing and realize that you wanting to do it(even if its not something you excel at) is not a good enough reason to tattoo, than don't even pick up a machine. And another thing, learning a trade in your spare time really is not the correct answer. Proper time, and energy needs to be applied, of this IM sure your aware. JOE

I would never hire someone who had a so called degree from a tattoo school for the simple fact that it prooves to me that they don't have the patience to undergo a full apprenticeship and they took the easy way out by going to one of those "schools". If they flashed a "diploma" from one of these places, I'd most likely laugh, and most legit tattoo shops agree on the school method. However, if someone went to one of those schools years ago and spent the last several years improving upon where they went wrong, had a great portfolio and was very knowledgeable in cross contamination methods and disease transmission prevention, I would consider them IF I needed someone. BUT- that could have been alleviated with a proper apprenticeship. Just out of curiosity, if you're a chemist, how do you have time to explore tattooing? I always thought chemists were pretty wrapped up in their careers for most if not all of their spare time?

I am a chemist and have been doing it for 24 years. Now don't get me wrong I like what I do and I am good at. If you need to know how to do a fatty acid profile of the phospholipid fraction of the lipid extracted from red blood cells or to come up with a method for the determination of linoleic acid in nutritional foods, I can do that. If you need help to trouble shoot your gas chromatograph I can probably help with that too. But at 3:30 when I leave the job I am on my time and I leave it all at work. I happen to like tattoos and want to learn all I can about them. The state of Ohio requires a class on blood born pathogens I guess it is an OSHA thing plus I think its the same class I had to take for my job and there are some other requirements too, and I understand they are needed because there are dipshits out there giving out infections with their tattoos and the law does go after them as they should, and then there are the kids out there with their sewing needles and India ink, anyway they will always be there. But I have been to several of the studios around here and have not been impressed with what they do or maybe it was all the “kids” hanging around or the stench of cigarette smoke or music so loud that I could not talk to my wife about the art work that was there, or the just unclean feeling at some of the places, or in areas of town I just don’t care to go. I have met the guys that act and charge as if they were inlaying gold and they were not that good but then some were, and I have met kids that have been doing the craft for a few years that were fantastic who wanted to do the tattoos so much they would have done it for almost free. So what is my point, well how do I know whether or not they are doing things right if I don’t know what right is, I sure as hell am not going to trust them because they say so. I may never be an artist but I will learn the how to’s just because I want to do so. And thanks Joe for taking the time to look at the dragon that is a bad picture and the things you pointed out were right on the money, the uneven lines, I have gone over them with better ink and the color saturation on part was my poor attempt to add some depth, I told you I may never be an artist, but I am working on it. Some of us are not dipshits or going out scarring up people and spreading disease. So don't treat us all like stupid kids we just want to know.

I am a chemist and have been doing it for 24 years. Now don't get me wrong I like what I do and I am good at. If you need to know how to do a fatty acid profile of the phospholipid fraction of the lipid extracted from red blood cells or to come up with a method for the determination of linoleic acid in nutritional foods, I can do that. If you need help to trouble shoot your gas chromatograph I can probably help with that too. But at 3:30 when I leave the job I am on my time and I leave it all at work. I happen to like tattoos and want to learn all I can about them. The state of Ohio requires a class on blood born pathogens I guess it is an OSHA thing plus I think its the same class I had to take for my job and there are some other requirements too, and I understand they are needed because there are dipshits out there giving out infections with their tattoos and the law does go after them as they should, and then there are the kids out there with their sewing needles and India ink, anyway they will always be there. But I have been to several of the studios around here and have not been impressed with what they do or maybe it was all the “kids” hanging around or the stench of cigarette smoke or music so loud that I could not talk to my wife about the art work that was there, or the just unclean feeling at some of the places, or in areas of town I just don’t care to go. I have met the guys that act and charge as if they were inlaying gold and they were not that good but then some were, and I have met kids that have been doing the craft for a few years that were fantastic who wanted to do the tattoos so much they would have done it for almost free. So what is my point, well how do I know whether or not they are doing things right if I don’t know what right is, I sure as hell am not going to trust them because they say so. I may never be an artist but I will learn the how to’s just because I want to do so. And thanks Joe for taking the time to look at the dragon that is a bad picture and the things you pointed out were right on the money, the uneven lines, I have gone over them with better ink and the color saturation on part was my poor attempt to add some depth, I told you I may never be an artist, but I am working on it. Some of us are not dipshits or going out scarring up people and spreading disease. So don't treat us all like stupid kids we just want to know.

tattoo school waste of time and tons of money. five grand for two weeks of tattooing the public. the public is informed that the students are "in training" and are return customers. they get charged $20. no autoclave or cross contamination training. the school in mi is a licensed trade school for tattooing. get an apprenticeship or befriend a tattoo artist. most are usually willing to help you even if they wont give you an apprenticeship. just dont expect that to happen right away.

Theres someone i know of in town that has been to the the tattoo school in Mi. His work speaks for itself. Fucking awsome. Especially his black and grey work. He has a shop he opened up with a bitchin portfolio. He explained to me that he had been drawing, painting ect. since he could remember, everyone telling him he should get into tattooing when he was older. of course he couldnt do so right away because he was told he had to move out and get a full time job. So he did and made enough to get by. He was 19 at the time wishing and dreaming he could afford the time to learn to tattoo. But unfortunately all he could think about is if he was gonna be able to eat enough food for the day. So he spent most his time working. and when he wasnt, he was drawing something. All great art is born of suffering. Sometime later his world would be torn apart when his father died. This lead to many destructive behaviors, including ordering a tattoo starter kit so he could tattoo his art on himself. So he did and he learned a bit by trial and error, fuckin up his skin. Now his dad was killed by someone by a drunk driver and their ins. co. was sued for death. With this money he decided he wanted to fulfill his dreams in tattooing. He didnt have the the time for a lengthy apprentiship because he was always at court waiting for the guy to be prosecuted. so he had a month period between court dates. He decided to try this school out and was impressed what he learned. The teacher he explained has been tattooing for a very long time. Not only did his teacher teach him things, but the students helped out eachother (most of them having a backround in tattooing and art). They would always feed off eachother and most everyone got better and better. If someone didnt think they could handle tattooing a real client, then they would tattoo eachother, helping each other improve. He told me he always had to use the autoclave and sterilization techniques he was taught or he couldnt tattoo. over all he said he was very satisfied and that it was worth the money. Now he has a successful shop in his hometown. So theres no need to discredit the school or the people that go. In my opinion he paid his dues but opinions are like assholes, everyone has one.

Thank-You for taking the time to write your note.

Thanks for the info however I'd still like to know more...can you have your friend give us a buzz? And by the way I was very clear in saying there are exceptions to any rule ...I just haven't seen any yet....I would surely like to know who his "teacher" was...taz

does the guy who went thru the tattoo school have a website for his shop?

ive beeen to the school any questions i can answer

hey customer pens, i came across this site (tattoo now) thru a search engine while i was looking for flash and other things... I also came across the Tattoo School in Michigan you're talking about.. I too also posted a thread here about tat schools... Taz below turned me onto the apprenticeships being the path you should take.. I've been talking to alot of ppl down south here and asking their opinions and they've all told me, apprenticeships.... you'll be more respected as an apprentice then you will as opposed to someone who went thru a 2 week course... btw, i've talked to the schools, even the Michigan one... and if you want to go into the art, don't go taking the 1-3 day seminars... i'm told they are basically refresher courses... I've found another school in the tat zines called In The Flesh which is a 3 month long course.... don't know how much it is though.... a friend of mine asked me an interesting question... he said, why not just do both? meaning go to the school and then get an apprenticeship? i didn't know how to answer it... so i'll pose that question here... i'm going to tell you what Taz here told me... there's 3 threads you should read... Apprenticeship 101, (the other 2 i can't remember cuase i haven't had time to read them yet, but they are sticky's, they should be on top, threads that say, read this before you post)... anywho, read those before you post... and dig back in the archives of this board.... i know there's alot of shit.... i still haven't made it past even a 1/4 of this site.... i made like 4 centimeters of it today on my scroll bar.... there's alot of info on this board.... as i'm sure it's there for a great reason.... so why not utilize it... it's like an open library... hey hey, no overdue fees apply ya know :) (okay that was a corny joke, i apologize on that one)... anywho, search the archives, cuase some of these ppl who replied on your thread have def hit the other threads that are dated.

p.s. to customer pens... i'm not trying to be mean or nothing so don't take offense to this, but if you seriously don't have the time to devote to learning tattooing like some of ppl who replied here have kind of indicated, maybe you should just stick w/ your day job... like i said, don't take offense to it, am not trying to be mean or nothing...

And I repeat ... Show us some work!!!

hey does anyone know where to go for tattoo training in india ???

people who have resturant managers license know all about cross contimation& sanitation.being a 72 gallon blood&platlet donor i know a lot about blood born pathoegns.to meet osha the blood born course has to be taken yearly.REMOD

people who have resturant managers license know all about cross contimation& sanitation.being a 72 gallon blood&platlet donor i know a lot about blood born pathoegns.to meet osha the blood born course has to be taken yearly.REMOD

the tattoo school that was in Michigan moved to Shreveport Louisiana. My husband attended the school when it was in michigan and it was one of the best decisions we ever made for our family. We own our own shop (he does the tattoos, i do the piercings) and love being at "work" every! (-: Much thanks to Dr. Pogue at the World's Only Tattoo School. If you are thinking about a tattoo school.. this is the ONLY one i recommend! (i hear the new location kicks ass... i'm trying to visit soon)

Has anyone heard anything about the TBPI 6 stage online apprenticeship?

YES. I know first hand that this is a total scam....You've been warned.

as far as everything ive been told about an apprenticeship, the first year give or take, is the so called BITCH year. meaning the majority of what i would do would be cleaning the shop, doing gopher work for the person im under. now with me being in military, and having a family i cannot take a year off with no pay and really gaining no experience. the second year, as ive been told, would be where i actually start doing tatoos but for minimal pay. my complaint is that i dont feel that a person with my artistic background, having years exp. in many different fields of art, should have to spend a year out of their life being someones bitch. i am willing to take the time to learn the trade but not to be used. i have already been doing tattoos on my own and the quality of my work is already as good as some of the stuff ive seen from local shops. not to mention not everyone is willing to take on an apprentice. also, they charge you as well as the schools do. but with the school i can continue to work my reg. job for now while i learn, whereas an apprenticeship i cant work and earn money to provide for my family unless i take on multiple jobs. which we all know is extremely hard to do and raise a family at the same time. i have the confidence i need to pursue this trade and be successful at it. just need a little guidance to get started.

You are totally Right. To have an artistic skillful person work for two years a a bitch to land the first tattoo is a bit off for these days. A good mentor that is interested in your art will try to use your abilities to expedite the process without cutting corners. I worked at a shop with a friend that is a great artist. In 2 months he was doing basic tattoos. after a year or so he is working at my shop as a full time artist. And some times we have a lot to learn from the kid. It took him some time to understand skin, machines and pigments to develop his artistic technique. We also have some of his paintings at the shop. He basically translated his paper style to the skin and keeps getting better and better with every tattoo. He was never a bitch and even when he was apprenticing he was getting paid minimum wage for helping with the shop's task. When he was ready to go he was making 35% and a few months after turned in to a 50/50 artist like the rest of us. This doesn't mean that any person qualifies for this pace of skill development. I had an apprentice that after 6 months ended up walking out without making a penny nor improving much. This goes to show you that the learning curve is a combination of great mentor/ great artist. I will avoid working for someone that tells me right of the top that "I will be his bitch" that guys is most likely looking for a free maid to do his dirty work. However you need to start from the bottom and work your way up. My $0.2

I know a person who has there own shop here in sandusky that went the the school in Mi..He is a very good artist and his tattoos come out very well and is always highly recommended from the locals..Now of course apprenticeships are nice which i have one but not every shop wants want or has time for one..And plus not every shop that has one is necessarily a good shop to get your apprenticeship at..everyone has their own techniques (long stroke, short stroke, etc)..i think the most important thing is the teacher, whether it is a school or a shop..Do you like the teachers work, if so then go to the school..ask questions..make sure they teach you the machines, which colors work well together especially on a cover up..Can they do portraits..again not every shop has apprenticeships and even if they do, doesn't mean they are going to teach you the proper ways of doing things..and even if they are good doesn't mean they are a good teacher..Again i only know one person who has gone to a school and he does a good job and has his own shop that is doing well..i suppose at the end of the day that is all you really want..

I know a person who has there own shop here in sandusky that went the the school in Mi..He is a very good artist and his tattoos come out very well and is always highly recommended from the locals..Now of course apprenticeships are nice which i have one but not every shop wants want or has time for one..And plus not every shop that has one is necessarily a good shop to get your apprenticeship at..everyone has their own techniques (long stroke, short stroke, etc)..i think the most important thing is the teacher, whether it is a school or a shop..Do you like the teachers work, if so then go to the school..ask questions..make sure they teach you the machines, which colors work well together especially on a cover up..Can they do portraits..again not every shop has apprenticeships and even if they do, doesn't mean they are going to teach you the proper ways of doing things..and even if they are good doesn't mean they are a good teacher..Again i only know one person who has gone to a school and he does a good job and has his own shop that is doing well..i suppose at the end of the day that is all you really want..

Heyo I was lucky enough to get an apprenticeship fairly easily here in SA and 2 months in the SIX convention happened and Lyle's seminar was offered.. first I have to say he is an interesting and accomplished man and I spent some time talking to him outside of his seminar and I will value those conversations forever but I didn't take his seminar.. mainly because I couldn't fuckin afford it.. the conversion to our currency was R1700 and that was a bit steep.. on the other hand I spoke to a few artists who did attend and they thought it was insightful and eye opening as far as machine construction and building goes. That all said, if you aren't an artist, or you haven't tattooed before I think it would be waaaayyyy out of your depth.. as it would have been for me. I don't think I would have had half a clue what he was talking about. The man has been tattooing his whole life tho so don't take that the wrong way! He also doesn't teach non-tattooists as far as I know. Tattoo schools are for suckers.. They feed on the demand for knowledge about the art and take your money knowing they can't teach it properly in the time they allow.

I school tattoo . com offers a foot in the door to the professional tattoo world. the most important thing to learn about tattooing is safe working practise, because no matter how good an artist you may be.. if you go around infecting people you will not get a very good reputation. I School Tattoo is more than a tattoo school, it is a place to come and learn what it takes to be a tattoo professional in a fun relaxed atmosphere. check out the site it's worth a look. many thanks tatuross

well i want to go to a school for tattooing. its always been an intrest of mine. i have tats of my own an loved em since. so if anyone could help me out that would be great

Hey guys! I'm a 47 years old woman, although i don't look it! LOL I have done artwork of some kind all my life. I have been interested in tat history and design since I was 40. I have decided to go to a school in san Deigo for 2 weeks. I am checking this all out and ran across your posts. If I were in my 20's I would definetly seek out an apprenticeship, but guys i'm not and don't feel like I can or would be able to get an apprenticeship at this age. If you have a passion for something and practice and perfect your art you can be as good or better than one who seeked an apprenticeship. As you know there are millions of bad, bad tats out there walking around that DIDN'T come from TAT school grads! Take care jackie

Taz is correct...there probably is NOT a worthwhile "school" for tattooing. But, at the same time, you can thank ALL you "pros" pushing people into an apprenticeship. Like an apprenticeship is the cure all...shame on you guys. You have given these people more than enough unaware people, seeking them out, to stay in business. To anyone who truly has the love for this industry (not just fame...and groupies), talk to local shops first. Seek out an apprenticeship from an artist who shares your style. Ask them what your duties would include before you pay them (if you need to pay). If they tell you stenciling and shop care...ask more. More than likely "shop care" means cleaning their tubes and sweeping their floors. If you are pressed for cash and are limited on time to learn (a.k.a, a full time job to actually live), seek help from DVD's and videos. Where as a DVD can not stop you and tell you you are doing something incorrect or going to deep, it WILL give you an insight on the many styles that may suite you. I recommend buying the complete Guy Aitchison videos, "Reinventing the Tattoo", and "Standards of Practice". Go to hyperspace.com and purchase it. Take a Bloodborne Pathogen course. See what pathogens are out there and how easy they are to contract and pass. The more you put into this industry, the more you will get from it! Learn everything you can about tattooing. Maybe after 3 months of learning what it truly means to be a tattooist, you will decide this is not for you. I would rather see you waist your time and money on DVDs (which can be resold), then pay for an apprenticeship (which can not be resold).