Advanced Foundation in Artistic Tattooing - Colour
This apprenticeship program is designed to introduce students to the foundational skills and knowledge required for creating colour microrealism and structural pieces without relying on the use of lines in artistic tattooing. The program has a 2-month duration, with students advancing only after completing the previous month's assignments.
The tuition is paid monthly. The curriculum is structured to build upon each skill incrementally, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the art and practice of tattooing.
Program Curriculum
Month 1: Values & Observational Skills
Overview: Observational skills enable the artist to capture the intricate details, proportions, and expressions necessary for a realistic depiction. Meanwhile, a deep understanding of values—how light and dark tones interact—allows the artist to create depth, contrast, and balance in their work, making the tattoo appear three-dimensional and true to life.
Key Topics:
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Accurate Proportions: Understanding and maintaining the correct proportions of the subject is vital for ensuring the tattoo's realism and visual appeal. This involves accurately replicating the size and scale of elements to each other.
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Capturing Expressions: Observational skills are crucial for accurately portraying the expressions and emotional nuances of a subject. Capturing these subtleties brings life and personality to the tattoo, making it more than just a representation of the subject.
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Importance of Values: Mastering the use of values—lightness and darkness of colours—is essential for creating depth and dimension within the tattoo. Properly applied values make the tattoo appear three-dimensional and lifelike.
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Balancing Contrast and Harmony: Effective use of values allows for creating contrast, which highlights important details while maintaining overall balance and harmony in the design. This ensures that the tattoo is visually striking yet cohesive.
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Practice on Fake Skin: Practicing on fake skin is a crucial part of developing these skills. It allows artists to refine their observational abilities, experiment with values, and perfect techniques without the pressure of working on a live subject. This practice helps build confidence and precision, essential for successful micro realism tattooing.
Month 2: Design & Tattoo
In the second month of the apprenticeship program, students will transition from foundational theory to practical design creation. This phase focuses on developing original tattoo designs, choosing the right images, and mastering the art of collage to create compelling compositions. By the end of this month, students will apply their designs to live canvases, gaining hands-on experience in bringing their concepts to life on skin.
Key Topics:
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Creating Original Designs: Students will learn how to conceptualize and sketch original tattoo designs, translating their creative ideas into tangible artworks. This includes understanding the elements of design that work best for tattoos, such as composition, flow, and readability.
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Choosing the Right Images: Selecting the right reference images is crucial for creating a successful tattoo. Students will be taught how to evaluate and choose images that align with their artistic vision, ensuring that they work well within the tattooing medium.
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Mastering Collage Techniques: Collage is a powerful tool in tattoo design, allowing artists to combine multiple elements into a cohesive piece. Students will explore various collage techniques, learning how to blend and layer images to create unique and dynamic designs.
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Tattooing on Live Canvas: The culmination of this month’s learning involves applying the created designs to live canvases. This hands-on experience is critical for understanding how designs translate from paper to skin, considering factors such as skin texture, elasticity, and client comfort.
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Client Consultation and Collaboration: An essential part of tattooing is working with clients to refine and finalize designs. Students will practice consulting with clients, discussing their ideas, and making collaborative adjustments to ensure the final design meets both the artist’s and client’s expectations.
Upon successful completion of all levels, students will receive a certificate recognizing their accomplishment and readiness to advance in their tattooing career.