Has it always been your dream to become a tattoo artist?

If so, you’re choosing a great career path. A stunning one in five American adults now has one or more tattoos, meaning it’s more popular than ever before to get inked.

When it comes to learning the skills of this trade, however, things become complicated. Some people will tell you to take on a tattoo apprenticeship with a working tattoo artist; others will insist you should attend a school that teaches people how to tattoo. Generally, schools dedicated to tattoo education are more preferable, as they’re guaranteed to teach you the skills and techniques you’ll need to become a professional tattoo artist.

Not sure if you’re choosing the right art school for tattooing? Make sure you get a tattoo education at the best school possible by looking for these three things:

Several years’ experience in tattoo training

Generally, you should seek out tattoo academies and schools that have been educating people just like you for at least 10 years. This way, you can be confident that you’ll be getting a tattoo education that has helped hundreds of other people just like you enter the career field of their dreams. The school should provide plenty of images, videos and other materials to show examples of its tattoo training.

World-renowned instructors

No matter how good a school’s reputation may be, it won’t mean anything if the school doesn’t employ qualified, experienced instructors who have worked as professional tattoo artists. While you don’t necessarily need world-class teachers, your instructors should at least have a good local reputation in your area.

Graduates who have gone on to great things

Your ideal tattoo school should offer plenty of success stories that show where its graduates have gone after their education. Choose a school that can provide at least 50 testimonials from former students, with examples of the tattoos they’ve designed and created during their education.

Have any other questions about how to learn to tattoo and become a tattoo artist at a school for tattooing and piercing? Ask us anything — simply leave a comment below.