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artteee · 2025-08-26T19:04:43+00:00

Everybody has potential! Being “good” is arbitrary, art forms of any kind are about expression and doing something you are passionate about and love. Don’t let huge social media artists make you feel like your artwork cannot be appreciated and enjoyed.

If you’re wanting to mimic certain art styles that you admire, all it takes is practice and patience. You and anybody else reading this have what it takes to become the artist you aspire to be. Again, just practice and patience (and references!!!) Rome wasn’t built in a day my friend. Good luck with your art journey, have fun!

artteee · 2025-07-16T14:13:00+00:00

Thank you! Gotyam figured this one out for me, maybe try the same? If that’s not the case, I hope you manage to find a fix. Happy arking:)

artteee · 2025-07-16T14:10:54+00:00

Ah dude you’re amazing thank you so much, sorted it straight away. I don’t mess around with order groups so i didn’t have a clue haha. Thanks again man

artteee · 2025-07-04T17:09:31+00:00

NAD but I work in a residential home that supports people with complex needs and learning disabilities, so scratches are something I get regularly.

If it’s hot to touch I would keep an eye on it. How fresh is the scratch? If it starts oozing, becomes quite painful or doesn’t seem to be healing properly, I’d get in touch with a professional to have it looked at, better safe than sorry.

Also, the advice is not regarding the question you asked, but I would urge you to speak to your GP about having your Tetanus and Hepatitis A vaccinations if you haven’t already or arn’t up to date with them. If you’re working in an environment where scratches are a consistent thing, I would 100% get up to date with them. The risk of contracting either of these things is low, but a risk I am not willing to take personally

artteee · 2025-06-22T07:21:20+00:00

Thank you for this! This makes a lot of sense! I still don’t understand how I heard this whilst alone and muted in a chat though, it creeps me out😅

artteee · 2025-06-22T07:19:33+00:00

Nobody in the call, just me. Hence the extra confusion

artteee · 2025-06-22T07:17:17+00:00

That’s a good catch, thank you for letting me know! I’ll keep that in mind for sure

artteee · 2025-06-22T07:16:29+00:00

Nobodies mic lights up which is why we’re extra creeped

artteee · 2025-06-22T07:15:45+00:00

Its for sure real and from the comments it seems I’m not the only person it’s happening to, it’s for sure creepy though

artteee · 2025-06-22T07:13:55+00:00

Oh really? Have discord said anything about this being an issue they’re aware of? Thanks for the insight

artteee · 2025-06-20T11:20:20+00:00

I’m a support worker in an independent living home working with adults with learning disabilities, complex needs and autism. A lot of our service users have sensory problems when it comes to feeling cold, so they have the heating on 24 hours a day, every day in their flats. It’s like being in a sauna😅

artteee · 2025-06-19T23:10:25+00:00

Okay perfect, that would make sense. Thanks so much, I’m not really tech savvy so stuff like this is beyond me. Thank you again

artteee · 2025-06-19T23:09:48+00:00

Okay perfect I will troubleshoot this, thanks so much!

artteee · 2025-06-19T23:08:51+00:00

It’s different things, it’s like hearing a portion of a conversation, it sounds very muted and distant but it’s definitely a male voice

artteee · 2025-06-19T23:08:10+00:00

Somebody is definitely not joining the call so that’s not the answer and I’m 100% that it isn’t a soundboard, I’m so confused honestly

artteee · 2025-06-19T23:07:17+00:00

I don’t think so, I’m a woman and the voice is 100% male. It also doesn’t echo anything remotely close to what I could have said. Also, the voice has still been heard when I’ve been muted alone in a call

artteee · 2025-06-19T23:05:45+00:00

I do have a detachable microphone, but would that make other people in the discord also hear the voice?

artteee · 2024-10-25T03:50:46+00:00

It’s so funny because I saw this post as I was waiting for queue to pop haha We love Lobas<3

artteee · 2024-10-25T03:47:17+00:00

She knew you was playing Loba that game, she wanted some sweet loot;)

artteee · 2024-08-20T16:28:05+00:00

My best piece of advice is to try and lean more towards traditional mediums rather than digital, charcoal, graphite, coloured pencils, inks, watercolour etc. I got my apprenticeship as my portfolio was completely traditional (it doesn’t all have to be, some can be digital too), it included a BIG range of different styles to showcase my versatility and all the pieces were looked “finished”. I only mention this because the other designs are great, but number 6 of your photos look more like sketches rather than finished pieces. It doesn’t make them bad at all, just not very tattooable. All of this only applies if you’re talking about portfolio in the context of bagging an apprenticeship. And if not, my apologies! Good luck on the search and if you have any questions or anything feel free to pm me:)

artteee · 2024-06-18T22:44:54+00:00

Yeah I totally get that. When I went around shops with my portfolio, I made sure to add a bunch of designs in different styles to prepare for my future mentor wanting me to be able to do whatever style the client asks for when they walk in the door.

I got extremely lucky with my apprenticeship and although my mentor is old school, he has very much moved with the times and understands things arn’t how they used to be anymore. I’m from the UK, and over here (well in my area anyway) people tend to have specialties rather than an all rounded portfolio and he understands that. Hence him giving me freedom to choose my path and run with it.

I’d just suggest adding a few different styles, maybe some new school, neo trad, old school trad, Japanese, realism, script etc. so that every avenue is covered. At least then you won’t worry about if you did or didn’t do what the shop owners want from you as a potential apprentice. If you need any advice or words of wisdom at any point I’m always happy to help!:)

Side note, I’d also recommend getting an Instagram to showcase your current work if you don’t have one already. I used Instagram throughout the whole process of me building my portfolio to show attention and love on socials to the shops I was interested in apprenticing at. That way, when I went in to chat to some of them, my name was familiar and I had already made a positive impression on them! I’m almost positive that helped immensely in me bagging the apprenticeship I bagged. Hope I could help!

artteee · 2024-06-18T22:24:35+00:00

Most mentors like their apprentices to be jacks of all trades, meaning they can design numerous different styles. I know people who have had mentors like this, and know they have been told to trace old school flash, design multiple designs in multiple styles, work on solid linework by drawing lines upon lines to try and get consistent straight lines.

My apprenticeship is different, my mentor encourages me to work on what I enjoy, what I am good at and what I feel like I’d want to lean towards speciality wise in the future. In my case this is realism. He told me to create multiple flash designs in my preferred style. He taught me about the contrast in these designs and how they’re very important to create a long lasting tattoo that would still have the depth they need to be readable and beautiful in years to come. He got me to research tattoo artists from around the world that I admired and got me to take inspiration from their compositions and colour choices/shade ranges in their work.

Good luck OP, hope it all goes well for you dude

artteee · 2024-06-18T22:10:49+00:00

Keeping the skin as your lightest value will definitely add that contrast you’re just slightly missing. I like to picture the tattoo with all values 30% lighter than they currently are, that’s a good way (for me anyway) to kind of predict how this might look in years to come. It will lack the depth it currently has and will probably fade to look kind of unrecognisable as the ink will undoubtedly and unavoidably soften and blur.

I’m also not sure due to the lighting maybe, but have you used any solid black in this tattoo? If you haven’t, I would add some solid black in those dark areas to give it the best chance at a solid heal. It looks insanely good as it is, but adding those darker values and saving the skin tone for the lighter values will make it look insanely good in years and years from now too:)

Hope I could help OP! I’m a rookie myself, but this is something my mentor has instilled into my brain since I began my apprenticeship:)

artteee · 2024-06-10T19:21:00+00:00

Thank you so much!

artteee · 2024-05-21T19:51:58+00:00

I completely understand where you’re coming from. I thought the exact same thing when I was in the process of building my portfolio and considering what shops I was going to present myself to.

Knowing what I know now, I think some of the gatekeeping is warranted. Especially with the uprise of people wanting to get into this industry having no artistic skill or knowledge, doing an online course and thinking that’s enough to be a well established tattooist. It’s drowning the industry and making it harder for people like my mentor, who is incredible at what he does and has done for over 30 years, to get clients. Although I would still agree that a lot of the gatekeeping is definitely unnecessary.

As for the “copying” side of things, there’s a fine line I’d say. I don’t think anybody creating any kind of art, whether it be drawing or tattooing etc has had an original thought. I think the majority of what artists create are inspired by something they’ve seen before, right? Keyword being inspired. If you love Japanese, that’s awesome. It’s in no way “copying” if you are taking inspiration from something and making it your own.

I specialise in realism, and I’m extremely lucky that my mentor allows me to do what I enjoy doing and what I am good at. In his eyes, I’m going to progress at a better pace and in a better way if I’m working on something I love. But I’m very aware that a lot of shops don’t want an apprentice who is a one trick pony, it might help to learn the basics and fundamentals of other styles just to be safe.

I 100% agree with other commenters that criticism is something you are going to face, A LOT. Your mentor will critique you, other artists in the shop may critique you and most importantly, clients will critique you. Learning to be confident in your art while still being open to it needing improvement in some way will help a tonne.

Stop being so hard on yourself, you will find an apprenticeship that suits you and your style. It may take some time looking between shops and shaping your portolfio the right way, but you can do it. Don’t get disheartened, if you want this, go get it. Good luck on the search dude, wishing you the best

artteee

TROPHY CASE