Begin your career as a tattoo artist with a stunning portfolio of work.
A portfolio is a collection of an artist's best work. Artists use their portfolios to accrue interest in their work, receive commissioned jobs and build a client base. A diverse and potent portfolio is especially important to a tattoo artist, as the work he performs will be permanently penned on the client's body. While painters or photographers may organize their portfolios according to chronology or subject matter, tattoo artists should aim to display the best of the best.
Instructions
1. Contact past clients and schedule a photo shoot. Select clients who can display your very best work. If you already have prints of all of your work, proceed to Step 4.
2. Photograph your clients' tattoos. Take the photographs in bright light to bring out the tattoo's tone, color and contrast. For your very best tattoos, shoot from several different angles.
3. Make high-quality, full-color prints of the photographs. A standard 4-by-6-inch print is too small to show a tattoo's detail, so opt for 5-by-8-inch or 8-by-10-inch prints.
4. Place about 15 to 20 prints in a portfolio folder. Arrange the prints so that your second best piece is at the front and your very best piece is at the end. Attach statements of satisfaction from clients to the back of the prints, if desired.
5. Create a personal website if you work independently. The website should feature high-quality samples of your work, a short personal bio and a brief description of your experience as a tattoo artist.
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