A beginner's guide How to become a tattoo artist in Birmingham
The route into tattooing in Birmingham is much the same as anywhere in England, with one local step: registering with Birmingham City Council. Here it is in order, from the artists of The Collective, who have over 50 years' experience between them.
1. Draw every day
Every good tattoo starts on paper. Copy the styles you admire, then work on designs of your own, and keep the best in a portfolio. Studios, trainers and clients will all want to see it.
2. Choose how you'll train
The traditional route is an apprenticeship: a year or more in one studio, often unpaid, and hard to land. The other is a structured course in a working studio. Our Tattoo Training Course in Birmingham is 10 teaching days and made for complete beginners, and the Hybrid Tattoo Course fits around a job. Our guide to tattoo apprenticeships in Birmingham compares the two.
3. Learn hygiene properly
Environmental Health officers will expect you to know this inside out. You need to understand cross contamination, sterile and single use equipment, skin preparation and aftercare. Good training covers all of it in depth.
4. Get insured
Insurers usually want evidence of training before they'll cover you to tattoo paying clients. A CPD accredited certificate gives them that, and you'll want cover in place before you register.
5. Register with Birmingham City Council
Before you tattoo anyone in Birmingham, you and the premises you work from have to be registered with Birmingham City Council's Environmental Health team. Working in Solihull, Wolverhampton, Coventry or elsewhere in the West Midlands? That council runs its own registration, so check with them. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have separate rules, and wherever you work, tattooing anyone under 18 is illegal.
6. Find work and keep improving
Most new artists start in an established studio, building a client list and learning from the experienced artists around them. Photograph your healed work for your portfolio and keep drawing. As you grow, add specialist skills such as fine line tattooing.
FAQ
Starting out: common questions
Do I need to register with Birmingham City Council?
Yes. Before you tattoo anyone in Birmingham, you need to register with Birmingham City Council's Environmental Health team. Other West Midlands councils run their own schemes, so if you'll work elsewhere, check with that council.
How long does it take to become a tattoo artist?
That depends on your route. Apprenticeships often take a year or longer. A structured course covers the foundations in days, and after that you improve with every tattoo you do.
What qualifications do tattoo artists need?
There's no single national qualification. Councils and insurers want to see training in hygiene and infection control, and a CPD accredited certificate is good evidence of it.
Do I have to be a great artist already?
No, but drawing matters. Steady lines and a good eye for design are what clients pay for, so keep a sketchbook going.
Can I tattoo from home?
Only if the council registers your home as tattoo premises. Anywhere you tattoo has to meet its hygiene requirements, so speak to Environmental Health before you start.
What's the minimum age for a tattoo?
18. Tattooing anyone under 18 in the UK is against the law, even with a parent's consent.
Small classes. Places go quickly.
Your tattoo career starts here.
Book your place →Questions first? Call 07341 067281 or email hello@birminghamtattooacademy.co.uk