Los Angeles Tattoo Apprenticeships
Body Art & Soul Tattoos - 2815 Sunset Blvd.
Our Los Angeles tattoo studio is located in Silverlake on iconic Sunset Boulevard, an inspiring neighborhood filled with indie music venues, trendy bars, diverse eateries, and specialty boutiques. When you visit Body Art & Soul Tattoos, you'll find an artistic community that's equally as vibrant and diverse. Our mission is to ensure equal opportunity in the tattoo industry, worldwide. And we're looking for artists from all walks of life.
We are proud of our results and what we offer our artists:
- Guaranteed Job Offers
- Over 150 Tattoo Artists Trained
Because it's impossible to learn to tattoo by watching videos online, we start you off with an in-person tattoo apprenticeship workshop that covers some health and safety basics and gives you an overview of what it will be like to become a tattoo apprentice. It gives you a chance to meet your mentors, get a sense of our supportive and inclusive community, and get an overview of the program and commitment necessary to succeed as a tattoo artist.
Start Today! Attend a Tattoo Apprenticeship Workshop
-
7 Tattoo Styles Explained [A BEGINNER'S GUIDE]July 17, 2017Tattoos are not only examples of beautiful artwork, but also can offer significant meaning to the person who will wear them from the rest of their lives. In addition to showcasing gorgeous designs or intriguing patterns, tattoos can commemorate someone important or keep the wearer inspired about the future. No matter what message is intended by a tattoo, the tattoo styles used in the design can help tell that artistic story. This artistic storytelling medium has existed for millennia and across numerous civilizations, so it’s not surprising that there are a variety of tattoo styles that have developed and gained popularity. In this blog, we’ll discuss 7 popular tattoo styles, where they came from, and how they can be effective for telling different stories. Panda tattoo by our very own @delvirus Realism While classic realism has been part of fine art since the Renaissance, classic realism tattoos have only become popular since the 1950s, and they’ve developed a lot since then. Realism tattoos can depict anything, with the only requirement being that the tattoo looks as close to photorealistic as possible. Portraits of famous people, loved ones, nature, and meaningful objects are all common choices for realistic tattoos. If you’re looking to celebrate an important person, object, or event in your life, this can be a great tattoo style to consider. Make sure that your tattoo artist has experience in this style and check out their portfolio to see how realistic their work can be! Vegetable tattoo by our very own @alydolltattoo Traditional & Neo-Traditional Traditional tattoos, with their bold outlines and bright primary colors, can trace their roots back to sailors in the 1700s. Traditional tattoos have evolved since then as inks and tattoo machines have improved over the years. Designs like hearts, anchors, roses, flags, and birds are popular examples of traditional tattoos. Bold, black outlines are the basis of traditional tattoos with simple bold primary colors incorporated into the interior of the designs. While this tattoo style reached its peak popularity in the mid 20th century, it’s still a fundamental and popular style. Neo-traditional tattoos are similar to traditional tattoos but tend to have more complex color palettes and more variation in line weight. The subject matter for this style is also more varied and there are beautiful examples of neo-traditional animals, people, and plantlife. Watercolor tattoo by our very own @daisylutattoo Watercolor Watercolor tattoos are a style that’s becoming increasingly popular. This creative and challenging style uses a lighter, layered application of tattoo ink to create a brushed-on, watercolor appearance. This style mimics the appearance of watercolor paintings and it’s great at incorporating gorgeous colors into your tattoo. If you’re looking for something that’s beautiful but not overwhelming, a watercolor tattoo might be the perfect tattoo style for you. Keep in mind that this style may not wear as well as other styles with age as it tends not to have the black outlines that keep a design legible over time and some color inks fade. That said, it’s easy to get tattoos touched up, which is the perfect way to keep your watercolor tattoo looking breathtaking. Hand tattoo by our very own @delvirus Geometric Geometric tattoos, or sacred geometry tattoos, are complex, challenging tattoos that have gained popularity in recent years. These tattoos use intricate patterns, shapes, and designs that have foundations in famous geometric images or in mathematical patterns. Metatron’s cube, the flower of life, the nautilus shell, and other designs are popular examples of this tattoo style. These designs can be breathtaking if they’re properly executed, but make sure that your tattoo artist is up to the challenge! Script tattoo by our very own @alydolltattoo Script Script tattoos simply refer to any kind of tattoo that’s primarily made up of text. Any language can be used for these tattoos, although it’s important to know what you’re saying and how it’s spelled. We’ve all seen those disastrous tattoos where a word is misspelled, so make sure that you and your tattoo artist are 100% certain of how your tattoo should be written out. Even after you’ve decided on what’s being written, the font, style, placement, size, and other factors should be discussed with your tattoo artist to make sure you have the perfect tattoo. There’s enormous creativity in these tattoos, making it a tattoo style that’s easy to start but takes a lifetime to master! Tribal If you run across a tattoo design with sharp, precise lines and intricate, flowing patterns that’s done in black ink, you’re probably looking at a tribal tattoo. Tribal tattoos, as the name leads you to believe, developed out of the designs created by native populations and have been adopted by cultures across the globe. This style primarily borrowed from Maori, Samoan, and Polynesian tattoo styles before becoming the incredibly familiar style that exists today. While this style had its heyday in the 80s and 90s, it’s still a staple of tattooing. Japanese Tattoos that evoke the style, traditions, and artwork of classic Japanese artwork and kanji are usually grouped together as ‘Japanese tattoos.’ The history of tattoos in Japan dates back hundreds, if not thousands of years, and it’s as popular as ever today. Traditional Japanese woodblock prints, creatures from Japanese folklore, and written characters are typical subjects of modern Japanese style tattoos. These tattoos can be done entirely in black ink or can have colors mixed in as required by the design. The intricacy of the designs and complexity of the written characters often requires a particularly skilled tattoo artist, so make sure your artist has experience in this tattoo style before they put a needle to your skin. Do More than Get Tattoos! These various tattoo styles are exciting and beautiful, but familiarity with these various styles can do more than just help you pick out your next tattoo! A career as a professional tattoo artist can be both lucrative and creatively fulfilling! If you have a passion for art and a willingness to learn, check out our tattoo apprenticeship and we’ll help you to achieve the career of your dreams! Our artists have made some spectacular tattoos in each of these tattoo styles, and we can help you to do the same! Check out our gallery of tattoos and maybe the next one we feature will be a tattoo that you create! -
How Technology is Changing the World of Tattoos [INFOGRAPHIC]July 28, 2017No longer considered a social or professional taboo, tattoos have by and large become a mainstream concept that is now considered commonplace both publicly and in the workplace. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently estimates that 45 million Americans sport a tattoo, with more women than men wearing ink in their skin. Much of this sea change in the perception of tattoos is attributed to the improvement and evolution in technology for applying tattoos safely with fewer health risks, less pain, and greater permanence. The United States currently has over 8,000 registered tattoo parlors that generate an average of $3.4-billion in revenue due to popular demand. It is this booming business that is driving innovations in technology far beyond the arena of body art and individual rebellion against societal norms. Researchers in the medical, technology, and consumer electronics industries are all currently researching numerous potential advancements that tattoos could bring to their respective disciplines. Scientists at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California San Diego, and the Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Korea (KAIST) are all studying numerous applications for tattoos that function as anything from medical monitors to smartphone interfaces. New tech startups are being founded and funded every year that are dedicated to changing the way tattoos are applied and the functions they can serve beyond creating works of art and personal statements in the dermis of their bearers. Check out this infographic with the latest in cutting edge tattoo technology that is shaping the future and purposes for getting inked. Bio-Monitor Tattoos Nano-tech engineers at UC San Diego are in the process of testing temporary tattoos that can both extract and measure blood-glucose levels from the fluid found between skin cells. It is the first device of its kind that can provide a non-invasive method for glucose testing in those who suffer from Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. This temporary tattoo also demonstrates the potential for other uses for a biomonitoring implant in measuring other metabolites within the body, or as means of regulating dosage of medicine directly into the skin. MIT has also been hard at work in the biomonitor tattoo field, presenting current research on their Dermal Abyss project. Instead of a temporary tattoo applied to the surface of the skin, these tattoos use specialized biosensor ink rather than traditional ink. Partnering with Harvard Medical School, the Dermal Abyss team developed three types of biosensor inks that can measure shifts in the interstitial fluid of the skin, altering their color according to the current level of glucose, sodium, or pH in a human body. This project is part of an ongoing series of projects being developed for future tech implants that have been dubbed “beauty technology”. Other innovations under development include smart fake-eyelashes, conductive makeup, and RFID-enabled nail polish. The purpose of such research is to find more ways to integrate technology into appealing and functional applications for men and women. DuoskinTattoos This tech is a joint venture at MIT funded by Microsoft to develop an individual fabrication process for creating individually customized functional devices that can be adhered directly to the skin. Using gold-leaf ( a cheap, skin friendly, and robust conductive material), artists and technology developers have created touch sensor inputs, data output displays, and even wireless communication when interfaced with mobile devices such as a tablet or smartphone. Designs tested so far have included controls for smartphones worn on the skin, new message and other information displays, data vaults, and even rudimentary microphones. The purpose of the DuoSkin initiative is to eliminate the idea of on-skin tech implants being some sort of unfathomable technology with no easily adapted, user-friendly applications. Sub-Dermal Temporary Tattoos Developed by a small company called Ephemeral, this new tech in tattooing is intended to reach any individual who is uncertain about the idea of permanently inking their body. Rather than using a hi-tech machinery, this innovation is thanks to specially formulated inks that are designed to fade from the skin after a year or so, with an option to use a specialized device to fade them out even faster. Founder and CEO Seung Shin originally developed the concept as a result of a personal experience he had as a college student when he got a tattoo on his arm. His family’s reaction was extremely negative, and he actually ended up getting the tattoo removed eventually. However, he found the entire process of laser tattoo removal to be quite painful, and it left unsightly scarring. After graduating from New York University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical and biomolecular engineering, Shin decided to put his education and experience to work developing a better temporary tattoo ink. The secret is in the molecular structure of the ink, which Shin describes as a transparent sphere of biomaterial that is filled with smaller dye molecules. The bonds of these ink molecules naturally decay over time, but can also be broken up more rapidly using a device they have developed as a part of the process. They are currently seeking investors, and expect to have their temporary tattoo ink to market by 2018. Biotech Tattoos New Deal Design is a tech firm that spearheaded much of the wearable fitness tech we see today, such as FitBit. Their current innovation, Project Underskin, is to create a smart digital biotech tattoo that acts as an credentials implant for opening doors in secure locations or accessing user profiles and secure files on a computer or network. These tattoos would also have biosensor functions for personal health monitoring similar to current wearables, and would even allow contact transfer of information by touching specialized sensor interfaces. This technology is still in the very early stages of development, but their president states that once the flexibility issue has been resolved, products that integrate these technologies for sub-dermal implants and tattoos could be available as soon as the next ten years. Soundwave Tattoos This fascinating technology was designed by California-based artist Nate Siggard, who worked with a team of experts in various fields to create his unique and personalized augmented reality tattoos. Using an app called SkinMotion, users upload a recorded audio message in a clip to an online server. They then have their personalized soundwave tattooed on their skin by a certified Skin Motion artist. The resulting tattoo can be scanned with the app and the audio clip replayed. Other Skin Motion users can scan your tattoos and hear your audio clips, making your tattoos a visual and auditory statement. Popular choices for a Soundwave Tattoo include recordings of a loved ones voice or a favorite song. Conclusion Overall, tattoos and their overall perception have changed drastically in the past several decades, and the taboos surrounding their application and use are changing even further thanks to cutting edge research by innovators around the world in every area of the sciences. While some may be concerned about the moral and personal privacy implications of wearing one’s actual identity in their skin for anyone with the right devices to read or compromise, the fact remains that scientists are embracing this unique form of cultural art and adapting it to become a part of our future. Mankind has been inscribing ink in its skin over the past 5,000 years of recorded history, and tattoos are far more than a passing fad or trend. The idea that an integral part of our past is quickly becoming our future is a fascinating reciprocal relationship. It all seems so fitting that one of the innovations of our past, once considered savage or barbaric, is not only a mainstream part of culture around the world, but it is soon to become a symbol of the synthesis between the ancient and the brand-new. Perhaps one day, not inking your skin will be the cultural taboo, rather than the other way around. Do you want to learn more about tattoos? How about becoming a professional tattoo artist? Body Art & Soul Tattoos inspires, educates, and empowers artists who embody excellence in the tattoo industry worldwide, and with that, revolutionizes the possibilities and opportunities for artists to achieve total fulfillment, freedom, and financial abundance, worldwide. Learn more about us or or give us a call today at 1-844-882-8866! - Back To School With Tattoo ApprenticeshipsAugust 22, 2017Are You Ready to Become a Tattoo Artist? Have you ever thought about becoming a tattoo artist? Usually, if you wanted to break into this exciting and rewarding career, you would have to apprentice with someone at their studio and learn the ins and outs of the job on the fly. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always result in a high-quality education as you can only master the techniques that person knows. With a tattoo apprenticeship at Body Art & Soul Tattoos, however, you will study everything you need to know about tattoo artistry so that you can create your own career path. While all of your friends are going back to school and learning new skills, what are you going to do with your time? If you weren’t sure about switching careers before, now is the perfect time to make a change and transform your life through a tattoo apprenticeship with Body Art & Soul Tattoos. Why Should You Enroll at Body Art & Soul? First of all, attending a tattoo apprenticeship with Body Art & Soul (B.A.S.) is unlike any other educational experience you’ve had. Because the goal is to help you follow your passion, our programs are much more engaging and rewarding than traditional schools. That being said, here are a few of the top reasons that you should seriously consider coming to B.A.S. Learn from the Best We have some of the most talented tattoo artists, who specialize in a range of styles, providing lessons to our students. Unlike a traditional apprenticeship, you will learn different techniques from highly skilled professionals so that you can hone your abilities. Simply put, you will learn as much as possible about the art of tattooing from those who have been doing it professionally for a long time. Guaranteed Job Offer These days, the job market can be a bit sketchy, so it’s always best to go for a sure thing. At B.A.S. we guarantee a job offer on our staff to all apprentices who complete our tattoo apprenticeships. Unlike other trade schools, you won’t have to face any uncertainty about how you can start your career after the completion of your apprenticeship. Best of all, by taking the lessons that you receive in class and applying them in real world situations, you can become better prepared for the kind of career you want. So, if you are interested in starting your own parlor, you can learn the business side first and then get your studio up and running once you have gained all of the experience necessary to succeed. What’s Included in the Apprenticeship? As we mentioned, we have a comprehensive curriculum that will ensure that you learn everything there is to know about tattoo artistry. Our apprenticeship covers all of the following aspects of the job so that you can be ready to start earning money as soon as you complete the apprenticeship. Drawing Techniques: learn to master your own style Design Elements: create stunning images on your clients Portfolio Development: go into the business with a full slate of designs Machine Maintenance: never let your equipment fail Sanitation Procedures: ensure the highest quality and safety for your customers Hands-On Practice: see what your designs look like in real life and master your technique Training for State Exams: know what to expect for licensing in each state Where are Body Art & Soul Apprenticeships Located? Right now, we are mostly focused on the East Coast, but we have a school in Los Angeles, and we are in the process of opening more. If you are interested in enrolling, you can contact our locations in Brooklyn, New York Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Los Angeles, California New Haven, Connecticut What is the Enrollment Process Like? When you first come to B.A.S., you will attend a workshop so that you can experience everything that we have to offer and see if it is right for you. This workshop is where you can see other students in action, ask as many questions as you want, and look at our class schedule. Upon completion of the workshop, you can apply for the tattoo apprenticeship. The curriculum is divided into four parts, and you can choose the times that work best for you. This way, if you have a job or other responsibilities, you can manage them and your new career effectively. The four parts of the curriculum are: Flash Portfolio Building Practice Pads Supervised Tattooing 90-Day Paid Internship How Long Does it Take? If you attend our courses full time, then you should be done within about 12 months. Part-time students can take up to two years to complete your apprenticeship, but it depends on your schedule and commitment. If becoming a tattoo artist sounds like the career of your dreams, then contact us at Body Art & Soul Tattoos today. You can contact us online or call us at 1-844-882-8866. We are always happy to answer any questions you may have, and we will help you make your dreams come true. Don't settle for a regular job; choose a career you're passionate about, and in the end, you'll never work a day in your life!
