Dissolving the Illustion
When I left behind my third tattoo apprenticeship, I realized I had to turn back to my roots to discover what happened to my motivation.
The technique for blending in color realism was a little over my head in the medium at hand. My "mentor" must have thought berating me for being too slow was more constructive than instructing me in proper technique.
"You don't have the luxury to take your time while you're learning".
Shortly after redesigning everyone's business cards, squeezing in clients on my days off and pumping out web advertising for the shop, all while keeping the shop itself in tip top physical shape until 10pm every night or later after my full-time gig, I received a shitty text from my boss.
"You have 2 weeks to shape up your game or you can find another job."
On a fucking mission, I packed my measly few grand worth of equipment before my boss made it to the shop and let him know he could find another artist. I'm not some fool scratcher who can't function well enough in society to find employment anywhere other than a third rate street shop; where you can find a bag of dope fallen on the bathroom floor accompanied by some bald headed cat in a goatee and a "Monster" fitted nodding out behind the service desk.
At home I started on the cardinal and this is what I was left with after about 12 hours stretched over a week or so. It has been, in my opinion, one of my more successful pieces as of late. But at least was proficient enough to pick up where I had left off about a year ago with the human figure. With all the time I spent at these apprenticeships, I felt as if i had neglected my family, friends and my traditional fine art projects. That was a few months ago but at this point I've pushed my work to the next level with having foreground and background elements especially, rather than a figure floating on the paper
even if she was sexy as hell
Thanks for reading, folks at Steemit!
For my first post, I thought I might introduce myself with my experience in this realm, since that all we have to build our identities. Otherwise, I'm Sean, a poly-medium art addict. Along with graphic design, I work in graphite, charcoal, oil & watercolor paints, pastel, photography & photo editing, digital illustration, memes, propaganda, tattooing & concept design and whatever else I can get my hands on. I'm looking to join the crypto market and make Art my primary practice
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Welcome to this incredible platform, hope everything will work out for you. Being here it’s not easy but not difficult neither only an extra effort will go a long way, engagement is the key good luck I’m @tinashe Start by Following ,Upvoting &Resteeming people and they will do the same.
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thank you, kind sir!
beautiful artwork @cosmekian .... upvoted, resteem and you've gain a follower
thanks! i appreciate the support!
Love the drawings! Thanks for sharing!
thanks!
most welcome. will be sure to follow and upvote you!
post moar naked blk women pls
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Tattoo Apprenticeships suck. I get it. I left mine half way through 25 years ago and now am trying to get back into it... but tattoo artists are the WORST assholes because they seem to fear competition so they make it so hard on you you either have to be strong enough to overcome that BS or you flip out and leave which is what I did. I am an artist with a lot of tattoos.
I hear ya, brother. Ive been offered a few since and ive declined. Id rather tattoo at home and most people i come across would rather house call, believe it or not. I also allowed assholes to drive me out. Ya have to real apathetic to work at a shop. But hey man, get back into it! Dm me and i can tell ya where i order my supplies. Theres quality equipment to be found in the right places
Really? You are sold on doing it at home, huh? My friend and I have been talking about opening a shop together and being better but with all the state regulations I am not sure it would be worth it... what's "Dm"?
I wouldnt say im sold on working from home. Its just that the right opportunity has to present itself. Dm means direct measage but i actually dont know if this website supports something like that... at any rate, you can find anything from workshorse irons available to the public at Nordic Tattoo Supply based in Finland or something. Theyre an official international distrubutor. Thats where i got my liner/shader by Mike Pike. For most supplies use Monster Steel. Ive been using them for years and theyre good for eveything except furniture. They just didnt have what i was looking for as far as machines is all. Lastly, Tatsoul will have all the furniture ya need, albeit pricey. Get the workhorse clip chords while on Nordic. You wont be disappointed
thank you! I actually have everything right now - I got it locally at the Denver Tattoo Supply place also I got my ink from Eternal Ink...my machines I got from someone's kit from Amazon and a friend rebuilt them for me but I will keep this for the future - because no one I know out here was honest with me when I asked about getting a reostat - they told me to use World Wide and I know they are BS...and Yea - I don't think steemit has DM - there is steemit chat - but I am not sure how to use it. Peace.
Wow. You redesigned their business cards and marketing for the shop for free? I guess these small shops try to keep the turn over rate high for apprentices. Can't beat it. Free labor and you have to pay to be an apprentice. They must have felt like they struck gold when you did all that extra stuff for them. Pieces of shit. Should firebomb their shop or at least throw flaming bags of shit at their houses. I can only imagine how deep their exploitation of others goes. Great job on the art and the blog post though!
I did learn a thing or two and made some money. Also never paid a dime for the apprenticeship itself. Exploitation is certainly a commonplace in the tattoo indusrty when it comes to apprentices. I do always bust my ass for the shops I work at too. But thanks brother!
Great work, excited to see more of your work. Welcome to steem, i also fallow @pattoos-ink. He is a local artists her in my town feel free to check him out. Thanks for the share @cosmekian. Cheers.
Thanks for the welcome! I'll give them a follow. I'll be posting tattoos as well as photography and design etc... follow on!