u/AnalBaggins

I've been talking to some artists about apprenticing and they said that especially when it comes to traditional designs, I should be tracing OG designs and coloring/shading them with colored pencils to show I have the technique down rather than trying to only produce completely original designs because I don't yet have an understanding of the rules of traditional tattooing.

I have a few pieces in my portfolio now that aren't my own designs, but I traced them out and did the coloring and shading. It's about 70% my own work & 30% designs that I've traced out from books. I will definitely be up front about how they're not my own designs, but this still feels wrong.

In your experience, is their sentiment a common one? I'm not 100% sure that my ideal artist is able to take me on yet so I'm worried about going around to other shops and getting ripped into for including designs that aren't my own.

Love the music but they show absolutely no love to their fans. Seeming more and more like they're just another commercial product of the industry placating to an "anti-establishment" fan base by esthetics alone