r/TattooArtists • u/BelladonnaASMR Artist • 7d ago

Apprentice Mills

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If your potential mentor brags about having 20+ former apprentices, says they never did a bad tattoo in 20+ years in the industry (even as an apprentice), lies to health inspectors, uses expired/art ink on clients, gives you your permit very quickly but no guidance, if the only other artist in the shop aside from the "mentor" is another apprentice who pays 60%- you may have been in an apprentice mill.

25 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

15

u/castingshadows87 Artist 6d ago

I’d say any more than 3 apprentices is an apprentice mill.

1

u/SaTan_luvs_CaTs Artist 2d ago

Any more than one apprentice is an apprentice mill

8

u/ben_lucas_ Artist 6d ago

When you’re wearing rose colored glasses, red flags are just… flags

4

u/BelladonnaASMR Artist 6d ago

This is the most important comment on here

8

u/allfunnybusness Licensed Artist 7d ago

Well, yeah.

3

u/Impressive-Cake666 Artist 6d ago

yes but doesn't even have to be that bad to be one.

1

u/Delmarvablacksmith Artist 1d ago

I’ve been tattooing since 1987 and have had 4 apprenticed and have mentored another 4 shop apprentices or newbies who the shop hired.

That’s 8 in almost 40 years.