Vivid Ink has many homegrown tattoo artists working in its studios, a fact that we are incredibly proud of! As a collective we now have over 25 feature artists working with us, all of whom started of with zero tattooing experience, they all came to us with strong art portfolios and an attitude of dedication to learn their craft. Our friendly studio environment and the unique method in which our talented professional artists teach our craft mean that our apprentices progress quickly and become talented industry professionals in their own right.
We get to know our apprentices, learn about what makes them tick, where their interests and skills lie as well as initiating evolving discussions about what they want to achieve. Learning the art of tattooing isn’t just a tick-box exercise, we take a holistic route to ensure all of our artists understand and are competent in the fundamentals of linework, blackwork, packing, shading, dot work and all combinations of techniques that produce an outstanding tattoo artist. Once you are competent in the basics you are then given the opportunity to specialise, for example, we would not expect our realism artists to do a lot of dot work or vice versa however we do expect all apprentices to master the fundamentals of all practices to a good standard so that they can undertake any tattoo independently.
In the past competition amongst tattoo artists was rife meaning very few tattoo artists were willing to impart and share their skills with others for fear of artists moving on and taking clients with them or starting competing studios. At Vivid Ink we see competition as a positive thing – it makes us strive to be greater! Competition in any industry makes for better service, products and increases interest and demand. Working at Vivid Ink you will be surrounded by like-minded, talented artists who are all working to become the best industry professional that they can be within their own specialisms helped and supported by the team around them who are all dedicated to the success of the industry.
Generically aspiring tattoo artists would need to start right at the bottom of the ladder, even as talented artists, carrying out dogsbody work such as making coffee and cleaning floors and equipment and often for free! In the past industry professionals would demand that apprentices ‘prove their worth’ by completing menial tasks – how many times have you heard the story of the apprentice who was made to clean the studio with a toothbrush?! At Vivid Ink we are different, we don’t believe that you need to pay your dues before embarking on the career that you are passionate about. We look for talented artists with a strong portfolio, appreciation of our industry and an attitude of dedication and respect for our professional tattoo artists. In return you can expect a first-class education in the art of tattooing without being bogged down in time wasting activities. We view our apprentices as an integral part of our business and as future feature artists at Vivid Ink therefore all artists are taught how to work safely and correctly, for yourself and others, with the correct cross-contamination principles and an understanding of blood borne pathogens. You will be taught to practice to the highest health and hygiene standards.
If you are looking for a rewarding career as an artist then becoming a tattoo artist is where it’s at! If you are after job satisfaction, a good work-life balance and great financial reward then you are considering the right industry. The awe and appreciation that a client expresses when they see the tattoo that you have completed to their specification can be overwhelming and we are constantly reminded, as artists, of why we chose this industry!
Apprenticeship opportunities are available at Vivid Ink for passionate candidates who are able to demonstrate a positive attitude as well as a promising portfolio. Here at Vivid Ink we want to help nurture artists into talented tattoo artists. We are keen to recruit dedicated and talented individuals who want to work hard at the grass-roots of our business.
We pride ourselves on our track record of producing unbelievably talented artists, all of whom came to us with zero experience of tattooing and who are now fully booked for months by clients seeking their specific custom style of work. With us, as well as learning the practical skills to become a highly skilled artist, you will learn the over arching principles of customer care to ensure that all of our clients feel valued, respected and welcome whether it’s their first tattoo or their tenth. We are incredibly proud of the fact that we are the highest reviewed studios in the West Midlands. It is a great honour to work amongst such highly respected artists and one that none of us take for granted. We work together as a team of 50 plus artists to support each other and share knowledge and over the years we are proud of the ever-growing family that we have created. Learning the industry in a large, established studios such as ours ensures that there’s always someone on hand to offer advice when you reach out, something that you might not get in a smaller environment. It’s better to learn a multitude of techniques from multiple people than be a carbon copy of somebody else’s exact style.
We believe that learning to tattoo shouldn’t be an alternative career choice it should be viewed as a respected and positive career. Tattoos are now widely accepted in society with more and more people choosing to express themselves through body art and employers that once frowned upon tattooed personnel now welcome individuals who express themselves in this way. As artists we have seen the evolving attitudes of society and embrace the changes, the respect now shown for the industry and its artists is higher than it’s ever been and we are excited to be able to teach the next generation of artists to become highly-skilled industry professionals.
Vivid Ink receives in excess of ten emails per day from individuals looking for tattoo apprenticeships, so when you contact us be sure to show us what you’re capable of! Here’s how to make your application stand out in the crowd:
We want to see links to your online portfolios socials and photographs of at least 10 of your best pieces of artwork, we want to you demonstrate your artistic ability as this is the basic prerequisite for becoming an outstanding tattoo artist. In your email we also need you to demonstrate your ability to listen effectively and follow guidance and instruction as well as tell us why you are passionate about pursuing a career in the industry. We want you to have fully researched the industry have knowledge of its origin and history as well as an appreciation for the Vivid Ink brand and its artists.
If you can demonstrate all of these things you could be in with a chance of being welcomed into the Vivid Ink fold as one of our aspiring industry apprentices.
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