A tattoo artist is a professional who creates permanent designs on the skin. But how do you become a professional tattoo artist?
This is a job that has seen exponential growth (+376%) over the last 10 years due to the ever-increasing demand for tattoos, which rose sharply especially after the Covid lockdown (+36% compared to 2021).
It therefore represents a relatively new profession that can pave the way for major career opportunities, but it requires talent, sacrifice, and a few steps to take before you can start working.
First of all, to become a professional tattoo artist, you need to have certain intrinsic skills, such as manual dexterity, taste, and a basic artistic inclination.
However, these skills alone are not enough: it is also mandatory to meet fundamental requirements to correctly follow the regulatory process.
Below, we analyze the essential steps to enter the tattooing profession and turn it into a long and successful career.
The training needed to become a professional tattoo artist
The first requirement to start a career as a tattoo artist is to be at least 18 years old and hold a middle school diploma.
The next step, mandatory by law (Regional Law no. 13 of July 23, 2021), is to obtain Regional Certification, valid throughout the national and European territory, by attending a 1,500-hour professional course.
The course is divided into:
- 750 hours of theory with classroom lessons
- 250 hours of lab practice
- 500 hours of internship or apprenticeship
Furthermore, to obtain the Certification, you must pass the final exam, which qualifies you for the profession.
Want to know more?
Read also Italian tattoo regulations
Theoretical training is essential to acquire a solid foundation of knowledge and skills in the industry, learn basic techniques, understand styles, and learn to comply with all hygiene and health regulations established by the competent authorities to perform tattoos professionally.
Practical training, on the other hand, is fundamental for improving artistic skills, refining techniques, learning to handle tools, and developing your own personal style—indispensable values for becoming a high-level tattoo artist.
In addition, the Professional Course allows you to obtain the hygiene and health qualification for the profession, which is necessary to operate in compliance with hygiene, safety, and environmental protection standards.
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Read also The new regulations for the former hygiene and health course for tattoo artists
Internships and apprenticeships to become a professional tattoo artist
While training is indispensable for developing and certifying all the skills of a professional tattoo artist, the internship or apprenticeship is equally so for enhancing practical experience.
The internship allows future tattoo artists to work closely with the best professionals in the industry.
It is a unique opportunity to delve into different tattooing techniques, improve skills in using equipment, and develop a practical understanding of the necessary hygiene and safety.
Not only that: working within a tattoo studio also allows you to learn how to independently carry out the profession and manage the client from the moment they arrive until the completion of the tattoo and subsequent aftercare.
Furthermore, the internship offers the opportunity to create connections within the world of tattooing: by working side by side with experienced tattooists and renowned and well-known artists, it is possible to build professional relationships to access job opportunities and to lay the foundations for opening your own tattoo studio.
Finally, the internship represents a useful test: it helps you understand if the daily commitment this profession requires—consisting of long hours and constant challenges—is sustainable or not.
For all these reasons, the internship is an integral part of the training path and represents the final part of the Professional Course.
Mandatory refresher training for professional tattoo artists
Once you officially become a professional tattoo artist, the training path doesn’t stop, but continues in the form of constant updates.
All operators who perform tattooing activities must attend a mandatory 24-hour refresher course every 3 years to continue practicing their profession according to the law in force, under penalty of sanctions, fines, and revocation of the operating license.
This new regulation was implemented to ensure the safety and quality of services offered by tattoo artists.
The mandatory refresher course covers a range of fundamental topics, including workplace safety, legal regulations and environmental requirements, equipment, and tattoo and post-tattoo care.
It is therefore essential that all professional tattoo artists ensure they participate in the required refresher courses to continue operating in total safety.
Furthermore, updating represents an opportunity to improve your skills and offer high-quality services to your clients, reducing the number of non-professional tattoo artists operating illegally in the sector.
Become a professional tattoo artist with Milano Tattoo School’s Professional Courses
To be qualified for the tattoo profession, the starting point is attending the 1,500-hour Tattoo Operator Course.
At Milano Tattoo School, this course is held regularly and is taught by a staff of 20 expert tattoo artists, with over twenty years of experience in the art of tattooing and in teaching various tattoo styles.
Not only that: the faculty also includes high-level masters specialized in various disciplines, including psychologists, doctors, biologists, equipment and pigment experts, safety and privacy professionals, etc.
This team guarantees exclusive and complete education from every point of view, with innovative teaching, advanced technologies, and quality equipment to support students daily.
The MTS Tattoo Operator Course consists of 1,500 hours, divided into 1,000 hours of theory and practice on synthetic skin and on people by creating 30 tattoos of different styles, and 500 hours of internship and apprenticeship that can be carried out at tattoo studios partnered with MTS.
Additionally, during the program, students have the opportunity to participate in workshops and seminars with internationally renowned tattoo artists and famous artists organized within the school.
To date, over 6,000 students have already chosen the Milano Tattoo & Piercing Tattoo Operator Course and achieved their dream: they entered the job market with internships and placements in tattoo studios, and today they successfully practice the profession of tattoo artists and have all the tools and skills to open their own tattoo studio.
Contact us to find out the dates for the next course to become a professional tattoo artist at Milano Tattoo School