young apprentice

I'm 17 yrs old in gr.11 and right now I am seposed to be thinking about my future right well. For the longest time I told everyone that I wanted to be a vet . Cuz well I thought you know I LOVE animals therefore I should be a vet so I can help them, but being in school made me realize that, that doesn't intrest me as much as I LoVe drawing. I always have, and it may not make my grandparents too pleased BUT I figure that if it's something I want to do I should just do it, BUT the thing is that I have NO idea where to start. I know for sure I want to learn how to make my own tattoo gun. It would be awsome! Even though my older brother said that as soon as he comes across a tattoo gun that he would buy it for me and i could tat my 1st on him. And when I am older I want to open up my own shop, right now I am living in Canada but I wanted to move somewhere in the states before I do that, and the thing I wanted to know is, how old do you have to be to be an appentice at a tattoo shop?

You MUST be 18....That includes to get a tattoo here in the states. A couple of suggestions from an apprentice if you are serious about taking up this art..... 1. Make sure that this is REALLY what you want to do... Remember, you don't get paid money to be an apprentice. You get paid with knowledge.... AND it will probably cost you some major scrilla (money) just to be called "apprentice".... or shop bitch.... 2. Start drawing your butt off!!! I used tattoo mags to give me a guildline. But try to come up with some original things too. That is more impressive than a sheet full of hearts, roses, and *kringe* playboy bunnies. 3. Take a day and hangout in a tattoo shop or two. Get a feel of what goes on. Be curtious, polite, respectful, and show a genuine interest in what they are doing. You have to prove that you aren't going to half-ass ANYTHING! 4. Guns shoot bullets, machines don't..... Take care...............J @ Painted Angel Studios

Acutally I have a place to go for that my best friends dad is a tattoo artist in New Brinswick and I am hoping she is going to move to Ontario in the summer and we are going to do this together. Where do you have your shop? Are there any places you would sudjest I shouldn't go? Cuz being Canadian and all I don't know very much about the states. And trust me I am not thinking about going to MIAMI! Another thing is I want to know more about tattoo conventions. I read about it in a magazine once cuz I was doing some project for my class and is it just where artists go and tattoo people.... like can other people go who are not tattooists.

just another question... Cuz when I get out of school I am goin to be going to college and be working and stuff to make money to move and shit... well how much money do you think I should have saved up to start this thing? Aprox.?

Enough money to live on while you are going through your apprenticeship

NO i meant like after the apprentiship when I want to move. What would be the amount I should have to start it up? Cuz I have no idea what the price ranges are for all of the staralizers, needles, machines...ect. Even though I am far from that point I am doing a research project for my entrepreneurship class and it would be cool to talk to real tattoo artist about this kinda stuff ya know.

Those are the kinds of things that you will learn during your apprenticeship. Keep in mind, an apprenticeship usually lasts the better part of 5 years...Depending on the artist(s) you study under. You will learn almost everything BASIC thing you need to know during that time.... Don't worry about how much money YOU will need. Concentrate on learning the basics of the art.....J

Thank you, I do have a lot of time to think about that anyways...