Breaking into the tattoo industry can seem, from the outside, like an unattainable goal. When the baseline for acceptance is excellent drawing ability, it’s clear that the industry is full of talented and respected professionals, making it highly competitive for any hopeful newcomers. It isn’t a job that someone can take on without a passion for the art form and a respect for the industry. This is part of the reason it is so difficult to break through. Here are some of the qualities you must possess if you truly want to make tattooing your career. Get reading. 

Resilience and Determination

From an external, romantic point of view, being a tattoo artist can seem like the ideal way to make a living. The opportunity to earn money from your art can attract many people who don’t have what it takes to transform tattooing into a lucrative career. However, you need much more than artistic strength to break into the industry. There are many opportunities for rejection and disappointment which you will have to defend yourself against if you want to start this career. Even the best artists can’t make it in tattooing without incredible self-motivation and resilience.

Dexterity and Skill

Although artistic ability is not the only prerequisite for becoming a successful tattoo artist, it is essential. Fortunately, drawing is a skill that, like anything else, can be developed and improved upon no matter what your initial level of skill is. Tattoo artists need to be able to carefully handle tattoo needles in order to transfer designs from flat to three-dimensional surfaces. This requires extreme dexterity and attention to detail so that the permanent marks made on a person’s skin look just as they intended. You can train your hand-eye coordination to strengthen with the right practice.

Patience and Compassion

Tattoo artists sometimes work on designs that take hours or even days to complete. Patience is necessary not only so they can sit and work for such an extended period but also so they can remain respectful and compassionate towards the client undergoing this potentially painful process. Rushing a tattoo can be disastrous since it is a permanent marking on the skin, and making a mistake could change the whole tattoo. It is also worth remembering the patience required for new tattoo artists who must work exceptionally hard for little pay at the beginning of their careers, waiting to make a name for themselves.

Trustworthiness and Consistency

Untrustworthy and inconsistent tattoo artists don’t get positive reputations and therefore lose out on customers to artists who do have these traits. Be honest about your abilities and practice so often that your work is consistently maintained at a high standard. If you don’t feel up to completing a tattoo, be honest with your client and say so. 

As you can tell, tattooing professionally is not a job for everyone. It requires physical and mental stamina as well as technical skill and amazing communication. If you are willing to put in the hard work and push through until you make it, professional tattooing might just be for you.