What do they do?

Tattoos are fascinating and attention seeking. The awe factor with tattoos makes tattooing an interesting career option with many youngsters. Also, with celebrities from Miley Cyrus to sportstars like David Beckham sporting them, tattoos have become a big thing in the fashion world. A tattoo artist makes decorative patterns, which can be inspired by nature, religion or abstract patterns, (tattoos) with needles and (chemical) ink on customers’ bodies, at a shop, studio or a tattoo parlour. This art is normally learnt during apprenticeship of two-three years with a senior artist .

Skills Needed

• You need to be artistic, with a steady hand.
• Be very meticulous and detailed in your work
• Have loads of patience as it takes long hours to make a basic tattoo.
• Some might take a couple of sittings 
• Good communication skills required to deal with clients 
• Eagerness to learn and continuously keep pace with changing trends

How do I get there?

The best way to learn tattoo art is to work as an apprentice in a known tattoo studio for two to three years. A lot of tattoo salons now offer courses in that train you in tattoo art. 
You are supposed to learn by observing senior artists in the studio, and are then made to work on dummies before starting work on clients. Books and the Internet can act as supplementary sources but do not bank solely upon them. Open your studio only when you have perfected the art of tattooing. Besides rent, you will have to invest a small amount (about Rs20,000 to Rs25,000) in buying a tattoo kit and another Rs15,000 in buying a good machine .