Need you guys help please!!!
 

My mentor says that Im a good artist, and that I can draw, but he says I need to create "TATTOO" designs, he also told me to copy some of the flash designs off of the walls, this doesnt seem to be helping me any, Im used to drawing portraits and I did a ton of comic characters coming up, drawing comic characters is like second nature, do any of you have any training ideas or methods for creating "tattoo" type drawings>>>>Please help

Re: Need you guys help please!!!
 

I'm not an artist, so my advice may not be worth anything.

Keep it simple. Try drawing things that are simple, and good. Most of the people I see with ink, are just going in and getting something simple, solid, and smooth. Maybe that is what your mentor is referring to.

Sometimes putting too much detail into something, doesn't translate that well to skin. At least not until after you have been doing it for a few years and have worked up from the simple/bold pieces.

Re: Need you guys help please!!!
 

Look at Tony Ciavarro's tattoos. (not sure if I spelled his last name right) Its Stinky Monkey tattoos anyway. He is considered new school I know. But to me, hes almost a traditional artist, his designs are almost always traditional at the core, and he is text book on less is more. Stare and redraw his tattoos over and over and over and over till you "get it". Believe me, if theres any one tattoo artist that can convey simple is more without words I believe its him. After you start to see things from a tattoo point a view, start lookin at Grime's tattoos. His tattoos imo are the way tattoos should look. Forget what you think you know. Forget about the latest and greatest in tattoo equip, its all bull s&!t. The design and flow and color is whats important.

Re: Need you guys help please!!!
 

Thanx for info, I was really getting frustrated, Im used to adding alot of detail and alot of lines for detail that I wont be able to convey as a tattoo design anyway, so thanx drawing the right things is important, starting to see that........more line drawing instead of alot comotion................Thanx again!!!!

Re: Need you guys help please!!!
 

If you look at Tony Ciavarros or Jime Litwalk, or evn Joe Caps line drawings, they are so effecient and simple. Stop and REALLY look at the lines, print the tattoo off and trace it and stare at the lines, they are text book on how to convey an idea with minimal effort and greatest impact. It took me 3 years to just start to really understand this, you have to put your ego down, dont try to reinvent the tattoo with every tattoo you do, learn first, learn what a tattoo is, then your style and detail will come. The longer you tattoo, the cleaner your designs tend to get. Everyone I know says the same thing.

Re: Need you guys help please!!!
 

When folks ask me to teach them to tattoo one of the first things I have them do is trace the flash. Generally tell them to pick something they like and trace it 400 times... slowly. With different media. Having them stop and draw it from memory at 50 tracings, 100 tracings, etc.
Often they'll pick something very difficult to trace. Which leads to the next test. Can they stay the course? Will they be able to complete the task? And how many times will they do this before they give up? No one has yet to finish this to my satisfaction and therefore I've yet to train anyone to tattoo. Doesn't mean I don't give advise. I do, but... if someone really wants to learn to tattoo they must be willing to work, work, work....
Tala

Re: Need you guys help please!!!
 

Damn I wish I was your apprentice!! My mentor leaves me hanging ALOT!!!! starting to get alot of dirty looks and backs turned on me at the shop.....Looking to go to another shop to continue my apprenticeship/ I know Im thhe lowest man on the totem pole but being disrespected as a person is Bulls&!t dude, and this is how I've been feeling for about a week now........

Re: Need you guys help please!!!
 

this is the way its done, If you leave now you will regret it, and the next person that takes you one will tear you up for leaving under the circumstances you did. Apprentices get s&!t on, clean up the s&!t, and then get yelled at for smelling like s&!t. Thats the way its done, and most of the time the way it should be. Slow down, your not learnin how to flip burgers, your learning how to tattoo. It really sounds to me, that stickin it out with this guy is exactly what you need. A sense of entitlement is absolute poison in this business. Believe me, it took me 3 years to realize this, your talent doesnt mean s&!t at this point. I thought my art ability would give me a leg up, but because my head was stuck so far up my ass for the first 3 years I tattooed, it did nothing but hold me back.

ps. and seriously a week? you been feelin s&!tty for a week and wanna bail? is tattooing only worth a week of headache?

Re: Need you guys help please!!!
 

hey dude, i will gladly trade spaces with you. you can come to oregon and go to one of these gay ass tattoo schools here, and i can do your apprenticeship over there where you are at and i'll just hang out and drag my ballsack through broken glass if thats what they want. you are f@#kin lucky dude. figure out how to fit in.

Re: Need you guys help please!!!
 

This treatment is whats been happening a whole month since I started, its just really been getting to me the last week or so......I understand the s&!t role, I've been in the Marines , its part of the game and I have to deal with that pressure like it or not, I understand and except that for what it is totally respect that element, so putting up with the BS is nothing Im layed back and a head strong dude and nothing really jars me, this is different its a disrespect type of thing as a person I feel....I love tattooing and have spent the last two years looking and putting myself out there for shops to except me, and my artistic ability, so bailing so quickly isnt my desire at all..............The way s&!ts been going is almost like nobody likes or gets along with me like a personality clash or something, not about the shop and the roles I have to play to become a pro tattoo artist, I really never felt welcomed or befriended by the least from anyone including my mentor......Im gonna wait it out because I love tattooing and everything it stands for, but if nobody can seem to welcome me even as much as to say anything to me...Im gonna talk to my mentor, and if nothing changes Im leaving dude...my quest for another shop is engaged once again.......Sorry Oregon sux for you dude re-locate I would for all tattooing means to me.........