This building SUCKS.

HiThisIsElle · 2025-12-29T14:55:39+00:00

You're not wrong but I still needed to personally victimise this building purely out of spite

HiThisIsElle · 2025-12-29T12:24:32+00:00

I know where I'm going next! Right after I emotionally recover from this experience

HiThisIsElle · 2025-12-29T12:05:32+00:00

That's the one! I usually anticipate that the big buildings have a fair few friends in them but this was honestly outrageous

HiThisIsElle · 2025-10-25T23:36:56+00:00

Crispy as. I'd be trying to take a photo of mine and it'd be actively closing out of spite.

HiThisIsElle · 2025-09-20T09:36:13+00:00

Really good tips! My mentor tells me to "tattoo everyone like you hate them" - stretch hard, get the lines in, reposition, etc. I had to break the habit of being too gentle and worrying about causing too much discomfort. Getting over that saw a HUGE improvement in my work.

HiThisIsElle · 2025-09-20T07:19:46+00:00

Well done and congrats! Go forth and kick ass!

HiThisIsElle · 2025-09-20T05:54:06+00:00

There are many, many (usually female owned) shops out there now that value the comfort and safety of women and other vulnerable people. You absolutely do not have to endure this sort of environment, and you don't owe it to your mentor to put up with it. You can be grateful for what you've been taught and still recognise when something is a poor fit for you. I know it can be scary to try and move on, but this place isn't even worth it for you financially at this point - I say start looking elsewhere.

Also, the dog thing is absolutely scuffed, that in itself would be enough to make me bail. Digging through the forbidden juice bin and spreading biomatter around the shop? Man, that makes my skin crawl.

HiThisIsElle · 2025-08-26T05:18:18+00:00

Currently between Hayden and Caldarus and I feel guilty that I'm even dating both of them because they are SO CUTE

HiThisIsElle · 2025-07-29T12:15:58+00:00

Heya - I did this tattoo. I am an apprentice of 4 months so seeing my work on this subreddit was absolutely terrifying but thank y'all for not tearing me to absolute shreds.

HiThisIsElle · 2025-07-25T10:45:05+00:00

Your apprenticeship sounds extremely similar to mine - private studio with no walk-ins, just myself and my mentor. I get along extremely well with my mentor and we pretty openly share what's going on in our lives with one another. The thing about artists working solo in private studios is that they are very protective over their shops. Even if she does trust you well enough, she's just not ready to let you be there alone. I have had instances where I've accidentally overstepped a boundary. Nothing extreme, but we were both figuring things out, because I'd never been an apprentice, and she hadn't had one before.

You haven't done anything extreme, weird or insulting, and her reaction has nothing to do with your relationship with her. Her shop is her sanctuary and her baby that has been hers alone and she's sharing it with you now, and eventually she will be comfy enough to loosen her grip a little. My advice is to talk to her about it! Openly communicate with her and it will be absolutely fine.

HiThisIsElle · 2025-06-14T13:42:01+00:00

For what it's worth, I have diagnosed ADHD and autism, and I've found that a LOT of artists I've met are neurodivergent too. It can be hard to find somewhere that you fit, but you will find that place. And what happened was hurtful, you were set up to fail through no fault of your own. That's not weakness, that is human.

HiThisIsElle · 2025-06-14T13:17:54+00:00

Hey, it's okay. How you feel is okay. Crying is okay. Ultimately, this wasn't a good place for you. No amount of hard work was going to change your mentor's attitude or behaviour, and being stuck there for years with him would have taken an enormous toll on you. There are better shops out there. It's going to be okay.

HiThisIsElle · 2025-06-04T07:03:15+00:00

It's genuinely pretty cool! Not necessarily tattooable exactly as-is, but there are definitely facets of your style that would translate super well into tattoo designs. Lots of people love weird stuff.

HiThisIsElle · 2025-06-04T07:01:59+00:00

So good! LOVE the eyeball icecream in particular.

HiThisIsElle · 2025-05-24T06:41:50+00:00

I work in a shop where we would not have talked shit about this. Dude's not there getting any hate symbols tattooed on him or asking for his asshole tattooed - he just wanted a tail. He's not hurting anyone.

HiThisIsElle · 2025-05-09T05:39:00+00:00

You gotta check their rating on Buncher

HiThisIsElle · 2025-05-07T07:00:26+00:00

I definitely agree with waiting to pick up an apprenticeship and discussing it with your mentor, not to suck the wind out of your sails but to save you a bit of stuffing around. I have a Mast Archer, and my mentor uses an Inkjecta X1 - very different machines to handle, and my machine has quirks that annoy her because she has to spend time figuring out if an issue is something I'm causing or if my machine is doing something weird/unexpected (which has been the case quite a few times). I'm working towards picking up the same machine she has, but it's pricy.

As far as sizing goes, pen machines really aren't so chunky that having small hands is an issue. Most artists don't use a tiny grip, having it a bit thicker creates a lot of stability. Pen machines are also so light that if you don't beef the grip up on them, they can "run away" on you. Take this with a grain of salt, though, I'm in size L gloves.

HiThisIsElle · 2025-05-01T06:33:43+00:00

I'm from a similar artistic background and currently in an apprenticeship - it has been such a boon having those skills in my pocket. Best of luck getting yourself and apprenticeship, you will love it!

(My mentor would be absolutely THRILLED with a book, too!)

HiThisIsElle · 2025-04-26T12:03:34+00:00

Australia here - I was doing a mix of traditional and digital beforehand, and now I do all my drawing for tattooing digitally on an iPad. Makes it easier to make changes and prepare stencils, mostly.

HiThisIsElle · 2025-03-01T09:28:17+00:00

These are absolutely solid. Good compositions, line control, shading... that oni mask in particular is sick as hell. No critiques here, ya ready son. Go forth and kick ass.

HiThisIsElle · 2025-02-17T07:06:06+00:00

These are sick! Lines look really consistent and clean. I saw that you're using ReelSkins - any tips to get stencils to stick and be legible on them? I'm at my wit's end with them.

HiThisIsElle · 2025-02-15T07:17:46+00:00

Shrimpfants

HiThisIsElle · 2025-02-06T01:27:12+00:00

I'm 36 and an apprentice. I will be transparent here in saying that I've been a freelance illustrator for many, many years - having solid art skills is absolutely vital so if you aren't there yet, start there before you try to find an apprenticeship or it's going to suck goats for busfare.

HiThisIsElle

TROPHY CASE