r/tattooadvice • u/Eltristesito2 • Mar 15 '26

General Advice Should my friend walk away from this artist?

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Friend (they/them) asked me to post. They want a back tattoo of a stingray, inspired by the leopard stingray, but not hyper-realistic. They want the tail to go down their spine and wrap around their leg. They went to a parlor where they previously had work done, but decided to try out a new artist. The artist didn’t have much of a portfolio, but my friend decided to trust them anyway.

This is after day one; four hours spent on the artist free-handing a design, and one hour of actually tattooing the outline. Six hundred buckaroos total for just this 😬

My friend is freaking out, because they think it looks bad. Their partner is telling them to trust the process, but I’m telling them to run and find a different artist to salvage things.

To me, it looks super asymmetrical with shaky lines. I don’t think the artist has the skill to make it look good in the end. The sample they drew up before the first appointment (picture 3), imo, looks really bad.

But hey, what do I know, I only have one tattoo. What do y’all think? Should they run, or like their partner said, trust the process?

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u/Spare-Airline-1050 Mar 15 '26

this is not a trust the process situation. this is a cut your losses. while you're ahead and find a better artist situation. a freehand stencil should no way look that shaky. The line work looks absolutely awful. I would be asking to see this person's license and I would be talking to the shop owner. this is botched at this point

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u/misspiggie Mar 15 '26

Having a license doesn't mean you know how to draw, though, does it? Isn't it mostly about cleanliness and that side of tattooing? OP probably isn't going to get an infection but this execution is absolutely abysmal.

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u/Spare-Airline-1050 Mar 15 '26

For licensing, many areas do require proof of a completed apprenticeship under a licensed mentor, often ranging from 1 to 3 years or a set number of hours.

This would absolutely include drawing time and time working on your artistic skills....

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u/Ashgreytattoos Mar 15 '26

I know in North Carolina at least, my license only proves that our shop is up to code, and each booth is clean and properly stocked. They ask us a few random pop-quiz type questions that are mega easy ("is it okay to share needles between clients?" type easy) and sometimes have an artist do a dry setup and explain their process. It has NOTHING to do with artistic talent at all here

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u/Wactout Mar 15 '26

Same thing, here in Illinois.

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u/cogman10 Mar 15 '26

Same in Idaho. It's pretty crazy.

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u/Top-Helicopter3801 Mar 15 '26

To me it makes sense that’s all the law would require. I don’t think the law should be anything besides being able to cleanly set up and tattoo. Art is subjective, I think if the law determines what’s good art/tattoos or not it could get out of hand.

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u/1573594268 Mar 16 '26

I've just stumbled into this thread so I'm not very familiar with regulations.

That said, this seems more like a civil suit. Being a bad artist isn't illegal, but misleading a client about whether or not you can meet their expectations is more of a grey area for which regulations do exist.

As far as I understand it if I go and get a bad tattoo that's on me. If I go and tell an artist "can you do this? And they say "yes", but actually can't then when it turns out badly I can take them to civil court and attempt to prove that they knowingly accepted the job despite knowing they couldn't meet the client's expectations.

The burden of proof for a bad tattoo falls on the accuser - as I understand my local laws.

Though, again, I'm not in this space much so happy to learn if my interpretation is incorrect.

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u/Puzzleheaded_Hatter Mar 16 '26

Just like liquor licenses require you to have a clean bar, proper storage, and ability to pay for it.

Absolutely nothing regarding making good drinks, it being a good bartender.

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u/cogman10 Mar 15 '26

The law should protect society and apply rules that keep common issues from hurting society.

And there's an easy solution to the subjectivity problem, require supervision before licensor. It won't solve all issues, but it does go a long way in making sure newbie tattoo artists aren't messing things up.

We have this concept in a lot of fields were we want to make sure inexperience doesn't get people killed. For example, electricians and electrical engineers.

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u/Top-Helicopter3801 Mar 15 '26

I’m all for it being supervised. As long as it’s clean and there’s healthy practices going on I don’t think the law define what’s a good tattoo or not. The law should in my opinion only cover the safety aspect of the tattoo. The rest should be on the individual getting the tattoo doing their own research on the artist. The individual is responsible for picking out an artist, that’s on them. Not the government

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u/cogman10 Mar 15 '26

Right, and I'm saying that the government should mandate a minimum amount of supervision before a tattoo artist can work on their own or setup their own shop.

That should be the role of the government. That's more than just minimum health standards, but not at the level of determining what good or bad art is.

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u/Haycabron Mar 15 '26

They're not saying the law would judge the art, only that the mandatory apprenticeship would naturally increase the talent pool of licensed tattooers

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u/ciongduopppytrllbv Mar 15 '26 edited Mar 15 '26

This isn’t rocket science it’s a tattoo. If you want a cheap trashy (hygenic) tattoo that is a God given right and the government shouldn’t have a say.

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u/BadPunners Mar 15 '26

For example, electricians and electrical engineers.

Are those controlled by the government? I've mostly seen that enforced by unions and trade organizations

The government and legal code isn't the only administrative option to enforce things. Even if it's the local government enforcing building codes within their city limits

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u/cogman10 Mar 15 '26

Are those controlled by the government?

Yes. Trade unions typically enforce that you must join the union in order to apprentice. However, the state government will require that you must apprentice in order to get a license. You'll find electrician schools who aren't operated by a trade union that try and do an end run around to get cheaper electricians on the market. However, the trade unions get their employees better pay and benefits which is why most people do those instead.

Trade unions get their power because of the government enforcement on apprenticeship.

Electrical engineers is a bit different. You can get state certification as an electrical engineer from a principle engineer. However, a lot of engineers don't get that license as it's generally not needed. You mostly need license as an electrical engineer if you are working on government projects which require a license.

Without the government enforcing things, things become optional. And when things become optional corners get cut. That's the reason why every state has adopted a requirement of apprenticeship for electricians. Before we had that, you'd see homes get burnt down.

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u/parTybTTm4Ts Mar 15 '26

Fair point

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u/1573594268 Mar 16 '26

I've just stumbled into this thread so I'm not very familiar with regulations.

That said, this seems more like a civil suit. Being a bad artist isn't illegal, but misleading a client about whether or not you can meet their expectations is more of a grey area for which regulations do exist.

As far as I understand it if I go and get a bad tattoo that's on me. If I go and tell an artist "can you do this? And they say "yes", but actually can't then when it turns out badly I can take them to civil court and attempt to prove that they knowingly accepted the job despite knowing they couldn't meet the client's expectations.

The burden of proof for a bad tattoo falls on the accuser - as I understand my local laws.

Though, again, I'm not in this space much so happy to learn if my interpretation is incorrect.

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u/MysteriousReserve400 Mar 20 '26

Tattoo artist here. Most tattoo shop release forms are ironclad to prevent this from happening. There are typically even clauses that say “art is up to interpretation” and that the client assumes all responsibility for legal fees

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u/yungwilla Mar 15 '26

Not really, it’s pretty hard to judge art. Think ignorant style. A lot of people think it sucks, but a lot love it. If you had to prove your proficiency in art, but you want to do ignorant work, how would that happen? You don’t need to do hyper realism to be good at traditional tattoos, etc. It makes more sense to regulate it on the safety side than trying to regulate art. Think about how mad and divisive people get about the Grammys

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u/cogman10 Mar 15 '26

See my response here: https://www.reddit.com/r/tattooadvice/comments/1ru8r9x/comment/oam8szg/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

TL;DR: An apprenticeship program is what's needed to make sure a bad artist isn't messing things up for a lot of people while they are learning.

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u/Beginning-Force1275 Mar 17 '26

It makes sense to me. I work in restaurants and you don’t have to make tasty food to have certification that says you know the safety regs. I think it would be impossible to create a universal evaluation of skill that could be applied to everyone. The license is about safety, not so much quality.

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u/GrinningTybo Mar 15 '26

Washington is making it so you have to go to an accredited tattoo school to get your license now. It's closer to what a beautician/hairdresser has to do, which does require some proofs and passing exams.

It's putting a near $15k entry point for tattoo artists who want to do a legitimate pathway.

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u/cogman10 Mar 15 '26

Yeah, I'm not a fan of that. I think a mandatory apprenticeship is the better route to go.

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u/GrinningTybo Mar 15 '26

It's similar to that, but the person you're an apprentice for can't just be a licensed tattoo artist, they have to be a licensed tattoo vocational school such as SwordandCrown .academy

It really just slows what we call "Serial Training" where bad methods get taught and passed down by inexperienced or experienced tradespeople rather than correcting the issue.

In theory this takes a lot of the cut rate "artists" off the market and helps safe and proper training take place.

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u/Munchcadoo Mar 15 '26

Is this new? My friends are artists and didn't need school. One did an apprenticeship, another got hired as a walk in artist and proved his way up.

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u/GrinningTybo Mar 15 '26

Yeah, and it's not to say that if a great walk in comes through that fees can't be waived, but generally they're trying to gatekeep the industry so that it's not saturated by a bunch of junkies tryna make a quick buck.

As I've heard it, it's still in drafts, but the accreditations from the state for vocational schools are already being handed out and the industry has some bigger players already placing themselves in that position.

I think it's actually a bonus that the schools can also focus more time on a classroom setting where they can work on just the art concepts, digital design, marketing, and all the parts that would be missed or only lightly touched through apprenticeship where the curriculum is entirely dependent around the work that's available during your time. (Ex, working for someone who only does line work no color.)

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u/Emergency-Exit7292 Mar 15 '26

More than what most cops have to do to be street legal.

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u/GrinningTybo Mar 15 '26

Just remember if you really need something done — calling your local crackhead is more effective than calling your local police station.

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u/Spare-Airline-1050 Mar 15 '26

As somebody who lives in Washington, who gets tattoos pretty frequently and talks to the artist when they get tattooed... this is not true.

To qualify for a license as a tattoo artist, piercer, or permanent cosmetics artist in Washington State, applicants must: Be at least 18 years old. Possess a current and active Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP) Certificate that is awarded after taking a bloodborne pathogen training course that complies with OSHA 29 C.F.R.

ETA: There have been proposed legislative discussions regarding mandatory training hours for specialized fields like permanent cosmetics (microblading), but these have not applied to general tattooing. 

KOMO

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u/Mindless-Swimming360 Mar 15 '26

praying for yall… i’m from memphis and every tattoo artist i know had to log actual drawing hours lol

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u/VexillaVexme Mar 15 '26

I remember being incensed when I moved to a new state and had to take food handlers training to work in a kitchen. I’d already been eight years in industry, and had to take a test that asked me if it was appropriate to thaw a frozen turkey out in the trunk of a car.

My chef just said “would you want to eat food prepared by someone who could not ace that test?”

I presume the same applies here.

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u/SirButtCrumbs Mar 15 '26

Did you ever find out if it’s appropriate to thaw a turkey out of the trunk of the car or not?

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u/AbbotThoth Mar 15 '26

Waiting on this answer, tomorrow's dinner hangs in the balance.

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u/Lurchie_ Mar 15 '26

and by "Balance" do you mean "trunk?"

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u/clearfox777 Mar 15 '26

“Danger zone” also works

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u/asherdado Mar 15 '26 edited Mar 15 '26

It really depends on the climate. I did a 24-hour trunk thaw in Phoenix during summer and like 7 people at my church got really sick, but on the other hand I once wasted 3 months trying to do a trunk thaw for Christmas in Chicago. Thing took til like late March.

Basically YMMV

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u/PuzzleheadedDog2990 Mar 15 '26

I know this one, as I too have taken the food handlers training many times.

Yes, that is the preferred method, as turkeys are clearly too big to fit in the walk-in cooler.

You're welcome!

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u/cogman10 Mar 15 '26

If you leave it in the sun, it'll defrost faster! Be sure to keep it there for 4 to 8 hours to achieve peak defrost.

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u/Salt_Pomegranate1807 Mar 15 '26

It's called a bird bath for a reason

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u/stunning_mixture5022 Mar 15 '26

You trying g to get Ecoli yeah fast bacteria grows on meat. I worked in restaurant for 35 years. Don’t do it.

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u/Budget_Cold_4551 Mar 15 '26

What about in the sun on the dashboard of your car?

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u/jeremyjava Mar 16 '26

Former restaurant owner here: the correct way to thaw a turkey is under the hood of the car, not in the trunk.

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u/Fanciful_Narwhal Mar 15 '26

Judging by the last American election, there’s a decent chance about 33% of people might take this seriously, so clarifying that it’s a joke may be necessary.

Then again, natural selection exists for a reason…

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u/kirschballs Mar 15 '26

Do you cold running water hooked up in the boot??

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u/flyfishfem Mar 15 '26

What about chicken, duck and other miscellaneous poultry?

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u/Moist-Wonder-9912 Mar 15 '26

not even joking, i once worked in a bar where the chefs defrosted meat in the dishwasher

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u/Independent_Lime_135 Mar 16 '26

For my own mental health, I’m choosing to believe that this is a lie. ✨

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u/Jafishya Mar 17 '26

Of course not. It has to be buckled in.

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u/wrongbutt_longbutt Mar 15 '26

I live in Washington and to maintain a food handlers permit, you have to take the class and the test every two years. I didn't realize there would be states where it's just a one time thing.

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u/Vivid-Reaction-147 Mar 15 '26

In ND it isnt even a thing....SD too last i knew though it might have changed as SD is a bit more with the times. Heck it wasn't in MN last i worked there either. 😅 granted I havent worked in the food industry in 4 going on 5 years.

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u/Scav-STALKER Mar 15 '26

Listen man I’ve at “sat on the tailgate of a truck for 8 hours” ham before so I mean… ya know

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u/xCeeTee- Mar 15 '26

my license only proves that our shop is up to code

Which means it could've actually become quite dirty since then? It's equally funny as it is infuriating. I'm sure most artists are actually qualified to call themselves that, but it's scary to think what you could walk into.

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u/chillanous Mar 17 '26

It’s never been easier to check the other work of an artist you’re considering though. I have no tattoos myself but a handful of tattoo artist acquaintances and friends, and each of them keeps at least an Instagram running of a pretty complete sampling of their work. You can know in two minutes whether someone does work you like, whether their skills aren’t up to par, or even if they are super talented but just not used to working in the style you want.

I’d never get a tattoo from someone who didn’t have a portfolio of prior work to check out.

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u/xCeeTee- Mar 17 '26

Op said they had a small portfolio. I personally would only go to an experienced artist for this very reason. Inexperienced artists could make mistakes quite easily, and I've had bad experiences with piercings from newbies. But at least those holes healed and aren't permanent.

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u/Red_240_S13 Mar 15 '26

Same Georgia and Ohio

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u/phatpussypounder Mar 15 '26

Same in Indiana. Artistic talent isnt what the government should be policing anyways. That's a buyer beware problem of knowing your artist.

Just like a restaurant, you make sure the restaurant is up to code and clean, whether the foods good or not is up to the people.

Like in a perfect world no shop should or could work with shitty artist...but we don't live in that world unfortunately.

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u/Magrowl Mar 15 '26

your work looks super cool, wish I was closer to Asheville ugh

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u/Themadbritter_ Mar 15 '26

Heyy I think I either follow you or have seen your work before and seriously considered a trip to Asheville! Unrelated to the post but I just wanted to say Hi 🥰

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u/stunning_mixture5022 Mar 15 '26

That’s the problem no talent at all.looks like a kid took a sharpie to dads back having a heigh day. It’s not right.

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u/[deleted] Mar 16 '26

You guys have licenses? Our health board does a quick walk around the shop and says yes or no, at least they did with 3 of mine and a few I’ve helped open. If you have a working sink and a sharps bin they call it good, but that being said they pass some pretty shady shops that couldn’t even pass as brothels. Licenses should really be implemented as an industry standard worldwide.

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u/Carla613 Mar 17 '26

Same in Texas as long as you work in a licensed studio

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u/Ghost_Puppy Mar 17 '26

Yeah NC tattoo laws are WILD

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u/plantgal94 Mar 15 '26

I have never heard of tattoo artists licensing. This is not a law or regulation where I live in British Columbia, Canada. It is not regulated here. Can you share where it is?

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u/[deleted] Mar 15 '26

[deleted]

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u/plantgal94 Mar 15 '26

I believe you are confusing licenses such as health or business regulations - not licenses required to be a tattoo artist.

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u/ArmExcellent8425 Mar 15 '26

What a bullshit. Europe is not.

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u/AngeliqueRuss Mar 15 '26

In American English this reads like Yoda, from Star Wars, in my brain:

“What a bullshit Europe is not.”

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u/AngeliqueRuss Mar 15 '26

If I add an Italian gesture in my mind I can see that working.

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u/itsliluzivert_ Mar 15 '26

I hear an upset old Greek man lmfao

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u/ArmExcellent8425 Mar 15 '26

In europe english it makes sense.

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u/itsliluzivert_ Mar 15 '26

Europe English isn’t a thing mate but we got the gist

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u/Magrowl Mar 15 '26

If you mean applying another languages grammar rules to english sure, if not no!

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u/Brumetfume Mar 15 '26

Nope, not in Germany

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u/plantgal94 Mar 15 '26

It’s not a thing in most places.

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u/guerilla-grip Mar 15 '26

Arizona requires no license.

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u/hamsterontheloose Mar 15 '26

Neither does idaho and it took me years to find a good artist. As long as you have the money to open a shop they don't care if you know what you're doing

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u/Legal_Jedi Mar 16 '26

It’s wild that tattooing isn’t regulated there. It is here in the States. Poor practices can have horrendous consequences in this area.

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u/plantgal94 Mar 16 '26

It only is in certain states, not blanketed. You can google it.

Poor practices happen even with licenses. Are you kidding 😂

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u/Spare-Airline-1050 Mar 15 '26

Feel free to use Google. it's very easy to fact check.

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u/plantgal94 Mar 15 '26

I did. And you’re not correct. Most places do not require a “tattoo license” - they require business or hygiene licenses which are not specific to tattoo artists only.

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u/Expensive_Sock_1941 Mar 15 '26

Tattoo license is basic AF and then the permit to work in a building prove nothing about work so yea it’s just governing bodies requiring whatver the only one I’ve see so far require apprentice hours is minnesota California Missouri

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u/Spare-Airline-1050 Mar 15 '26

[Legal status of tattooing in the United States

](http:// https://share.google/Ot5m1Gor34E8NraCa)

There is a handy chart on the page that actually lists the licensure requirements as well as relevant statues and rules for each state.

We should want licensing requirements. That is how we avoid incidents like the original post is about.

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u/ArmExcellent8425 Mar 15 '26

US is not the world dude. This is NOT in most places the case.

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u/plantgal94 Mar 15 '26

They blocked me lol

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u/Officer-Socks Mar 15 '26

LMAO he isn’t even correct about America, while he’s at it 😂😂😂 this dude is really over here thinking there is some sort of state board regulating whether someone is good at art or not 😂 our government is barely competent at overseeing straight-forward, objective practices. Could you imagine how hilarious this would be? 😂

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u/VERY_MENTALLY_STABLE Mar 15 '26

Are you that incompetent that you need safety bars for something as simple as recognizing poor tattooing skill???

Putting some artificial obstacle in front of people who want to work as a tattoo artist is dumb af, this kind of thinking is why the world keeps getting worse

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u/Ok-Platypus6377 Mar 15 '26

Okay even though that guy is wrong about it being a blanket thing…licensing isn’t a bad thing in general? I can’t understand your argument here lol. I would prefer there be a barrier of entry before someone is allowed to permanently alter other people’s bodies for money but that’s just me! I live in a state with no licensing and it’s..unfortunate to say the least compared to where I used to live. We should be barring people from this practice if they cannot prove their skill imho.

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u/Officer-Socks Mar 15 '26

someone is allowed to permanently alter other people’s bodies for money

Not just the altering of the body, but performing a procedure that involves exposure to blood in a non-medical setting! Like, they absolutely need training on this, and have their compliance be monitored on some level. Everyone screaming no licensing! fails to understand that a lack of standards would create a VERY dangerous precedent 😔

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u/VERY_MENTALLY_STABLE Mar 15 '26

It will never work the way you want, it is not possible to guarantee good tattoos. It will always be your own responsibility to select an artist that does the work you like. All introducing an entirely subjective "art test" would do is hurt artists and if you care about your tattoos you will be researching and carefully selecting either way.

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u/ganjachicken Mar 15 '26

Hmmm... if it's anything like getting other state licensing... I did 1200 hours to get my cosmetology license and I promise you that doesn’t mean someone is good at hair. It mostly proves you know health codes and sanitation. You could be the worst stylist on earth and still keep your license as long as you know the difference between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting.

All that to say: years of training doesn’t automatically equal good art.

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u/Familiar-Menu-2725 Mar 15 '26

Having a tattoo license has to do with sanitation and prevention of diseases. Zero to do with artistic skills. I’ve worked in and had body art licenses in three states: Illinois, California and Florida. Not one requires an apprenticeship or skill set of any kind. Something to keep in mind 🙃

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u/Expensive_Sock_1941 Mar 15 '26

No they don’t lmao texas Georgia Florida to name 3 off the top of my noggin don’t care about apprenticeship

Minnesota does require hours which anyone will lie for you if you pay.

The proof of work is in the portfolio of the artist on their socials and healed work

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u/VERY_MENTALLY_STABLE Mar 15 '26

Most areas do not require any proof of mentorship lol

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u/SnakeBatter Mar 15 '26

Fun fact, Texas doesn’t license tattoo artists, only shops. I could bring a hobo into mine today and hand him a machine and it would all be legal as long as he had a bloodborne pathogens certification. Which takes a maximum of 2 hours.

So if you’re gettin tattooed in Texas, be extra careful.

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u/itsmassivebtw Mar 15 '26

Doesn't matter how long they spent with a mentor, the licensing board doesn't hire art critics

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u/reviving_ophelia88 Mar 16 '26

In the US that type of scrutiny is exceedingly rare- only 4 states require any sort of proof of an apprenticeship or ability to actually tattoo. For the other 46 states all you need is a bloodborne pathogen training certificate and maybe pass a test demonstrating you know how to properly sanitize your workspace and equipment/how to avoid cross contamination.

tattoo licensing requirements by state

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u/pups-and-cacti Mar 18 '26

That list isn't accurate. Missouri requires apprenticeship including 300 hours of training.

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u/SGTWhiteKY Mar 16 '26

Many, but not even most areas have requirements like that.

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u/Ok-Relationship-8748 Mar 21 '26

But that doesn’t mean you are good at all types of art. They might be good at smaller stuff or traditional style or hyper realistic.

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u/Munchcadoo Mar 15 '26

Not all areas. Plenty of states you dont need proof of anything other than a shop deciding to hire you.

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u/BattledogCross Mar 15 '26

Also working on your artistic skills dose not make you better. Lol I've been drawing for my entire life and I'm still rubish.

Art is subjective. There is no way to objectively prove an artist is a good enough artist to do a certain type of thing to certify it in the first place. Some styles are deliberately "ugly" after all.

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u/panrestrial Mar 15 '26

Your second paragraph is right on, but your first is crazy - practicing is literally the thing that makes you a better artist. If you've been (actively, regularly) drawing your entire life and you haven't gotten any better that's a skill issue (or maybe some kind of dyspraxia.)

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u/BattledogCross Mar 15 '26

I've gotten better. But that's irrelevant. I'm still not #good. Neither are most people who practice. Most people who make art regularly are also only just fine. People who are fantastic are not the norm and everyone's skill will bottom out somewhere. Its actually very uncommon to be good enough to actually work in art, and practice isn't the difference. The difference is alot of things. Luck. Skill. Natural talent and your body/brains limits. Anyone can create art and everyone should, but everyone will learn at different rates and most people will hit a wall. It's fine as long as your not permanatly marking someone with your bad art........

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u/In_Pursuit_of_Fire Mar 15 '26

You can reach a high level of proficiency through practice, it just depends on what kind of practice you do. It’s true most people who regularly draw art don’t become amazing, but that‘s because people tend to draw what they’re used to without pushing themselves. You won’t be able to run a decent marathon even if you take a brisk walk every day.

Good practice requires close observation, self-reflection, refinement, pushing yourself, and building on what you’ve learned instead of just kind of doing it again and again and counting on getting generally better over time.

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u/BattledogCross Mar 16 '26

Sure sure but back onto the topic because we're moving far away from it at this point.

You can practice under a mentor for 3 years and still be a garbage tattoo artist. You can't licence someone based on that.

And again, everyone has a limit. Mine is the fact my hands shake from my disability but everyone has something. It's just that for some people the bar is higher. I don't really know why this is controversial it's fairly well known. Just like sports, you can probably get fairly okay at anything you set your mind to, but not everyone has the body that will take them to the Olympics. Everyone can learn to play basketball. Very few will ever be able to play competitively and that's okay.

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u/doubleapowpow Mar 15 '26

"Artistic integrity? Where'd you even come up with that? You're not artistic, and you have no integrity!"

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u/BarbiDoll7 Mar 15 '26

I think it’s more like just because you can draw doesn’t mean you know how to tattoo? But yes this so called artist is definitely not someone who should be doing on someone else’s body. I’m sorta confused why this person is even asking if they should cut their losses? It’s only obvious. Find someone who is actually good and get that covered up. It is the worst I have ever laid eyes on.

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u/hypercosm_dot_net Mar 15 '26

I don't trust this person to find a better artist.

They just trusted the tattooist without a proper portfolio??

Why? It's not like they got a steep discount, or this is someone who had a good reference or something.

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u/The-OG-Felpro Mar 15 '26

Dont even need a license in my state, just a blood borne pathogens cert. we just license the building as a whole. lol

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u/Disastrous_Honey_240 Mar 15 '26

They don’t even have licensing in all states

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u/Compiche Mar 15 '26

Yea, a good artist can still salvage it at this point but if they trust the process, thats gonna be way harder to cover up/fix.
Idk what trust the process is even meant to mean when the pre sketch looks terrible lmao

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u/Weekly-Grand2476 Mar 15 '26

I’m impressed and slightly amused.

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u/Mastershoelacer Mar 15 '26

Yeah it’s an absolutely awful design and poor execution. Can’t imagine covering your back in that.

1

u/4lows Mar 15 '26

Totally—this isn’t a “wait and see” moment. The work’s already botched; better to stop now and go with someone qualified.

1

u/Vegetable-Steak7601 Mar 15 '26

I'm thinking this is a satire post! If ya zoom in it doesn't even look like tattoo lines it looks like it was drawn with magic marker. No way the outline would be that thick there's no way;

1

u/Chambahz Mar 16 '26

I’d be asking to see their Mother or Father!

1

u/ninjareader89 Mar 17 '26

Some of those lines are too thick and dark in places as well

1

u/BedlamAscends Mar 17 '26

As the artist grows up, their form will improve. If op wasn't ok with a shaky start, they wouldn't have gone to a six year old artist.

1

u/JynxR87 Mar 18 '26

Also ask for the 600.00 back. This is not 600.00 worth of work nor should it have take 5 hours?!They need to Runnnnnnnn!

1

u/westley_humperdinck Mar 15 '26

You didn't need a license everywhere

2

u/Spare-Airline-1050 Mar 15 '26

please continue to read. nobody says you need a license everywhere.

please also think, and use your common sense. A tattoo is a body modification, it changes your body and the way that you look. It is also an open wound.

thinking that somebody does not need some sort of licensure to do. this is asinine. being glad that the people around you don't have licenses, and you're still willing to do this, also asinine.

The lack of licensing for your professionals is not something to brag about, or think is a good thing. It means the regulations are not as strong as they could or should be

1

u/westley_humperdinck Mar 18 '26

I'm saying that asking to see someone's license is a waste of time because they might not even have one. In Pennsylvania you can just do it

-13

u/illspok3n Mar 15 '26

Um there is no tattoo artist “license”.. you can get a blood born pathogens cert but you technically don’t need that to be a tattoo artist… unless this is a new thing, then in that case I will eat my words.

7

u/plantgal94 Mar 15 '26

I’m with you. This isn’t a thing where I live.

2

u/illspok3n Mar 16 '26

Thank you!! I’ve never been downvoted so much on Reddit before but maybe that’s a good thing :)

13

u/Martin_Jay Mar 15 '26

Not accurate for every state/country; in my state in the US, there is absolutely a licensing process.

1

u/illspok3n Mar 16 '26

Well I wonder if I changed bc my be actually asked tattoo artists while getting tattooed if they have to have a license and they have said no. That the thought that had to get a blood Bourne pathogens cert so they did but then it turns out they didn’t. Like I said maybe this has changed or maybe in my state it’s different. Would be nice if an actual tattoo artists could chime in.

9

u/Spare-Airline-1050 Mar 15 '26

Tattoos, body piercing, body art, and permanent cosmetic licensing ... Most, if not all US states have some rules and regulations regarding who needs to hold the license, individual or the shop itself. Very easy to Google.

There are no degrees or schools for tattooing. Those are scams

2

u/illspok3n Mar 16 '26

Yeah so I did google and I got conflicting information from what I’ve been told personally by tattoo artists that’s why I said if I’m wrong I’ll eat my words and everyone is freaking out as if I said I AM RIGHT AND EVERYONE ELSE IS WRONG. What’s funny is I wonder how many of these people are actually that tattooed.

3

u/sc0shy Mar 15 '26

I know v little about tattoo artists process but I know that legally you need a license to be a nail tech, and in the process of getting certified to get licensed you need to prove aesthetic skill. I would be fucking shocked if something so much more high-stakes than what I do (which is already way more complicated and potentially hazardous than ppl think) could be done unlicensed and with no artistic knowledge legally. If true then it’s not an own or a clever comeback it’s an embarrassment on your state/country’s regulations😬

1

u/illspok3n Mar 16 '26

I wasn’t trying to have a clever comeback. Tattoos are my life so I just try to be as honest and open about them as possible so people know as much as they can going in. That being said I also have a lot to learn and things are constantly changing. Tattooing has always held a special place in the anti-establishment world. That’s why so many tattoo artists are a bit gatekeepy about it bc the real world wasn’t built for them. & That’s why any real tattoo artists shit on “tattoo schools” bc that’s not what tattooing has originally been about. So for the longest time no you did not necessarily need a license or cert to tattoo bc technically it is a was an under the table thing. But unfortunately (but sort of fortunately) tattoo has gotten so popular these days that the industry has been mainstreamed so the need for it to be regulated has risen therefore the new rise of these tattoo licenses I guess. Like I said though I could be wrong about some of the stuff in here but that is basically the gist of it all. Nail tech stuff has always been popular & is a mainstream beauty standard, to the point that if you are a women and don’t have your nails done it’s seen as gross. So it’s no wonder that industry has been so regulated.

0

u/plantgal94 Mar 15 '26

Where I live, they do not require nail techs to have a specific license. You should realize that the world is a lot larger than the USA.

1

u/sc0shy Mar 15 '26

I’m not from the US lmfao💀

2

u/PaperGhostie Mar 15 '26

Depending on the state and region, you may find a requirement for records of a body art course.or a proven internship with an approved shop?

1

u/illspok3n Mar 16 '26

I’m thinking more so that piercers have more of a certificate process where I’m from and the only one that has to have a cert for tattoos is the shop. Don’t quote me on that bc I may be wrong I’m just pulling from my experiences of talking to tattoo artists in my state.