The most difficult thing about learning to tattoo is finding personalized feedback.
Most new artists turn to their favorite tattoo forum, hoping the members will answer and give them the information they need.
To help, we’ve compiled this list of the best tattoo-related online forums, message boards, groups, and more so you can get answers to your most pressing questions.The Winner
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Tattooing 101's Online Forum
Created in 2012, Tattooing 101's Help Me Tattoo Forum is now the largest and most active online tattooing forum for beginner & aspiring artists. With over 10,000 members, this community sees plenty of activity throughout the day, so you can expect to find artists posting & giving feedback and suggestions on art, as well as discussing the latest techniques, tattoo news, drawing references, and tattoo machines.
For many artists, this is the first online community where they can find clearly labeled discussion tabs and threads that answer their questions. Best of all, it's free to create an account.
Facebook Group Forums
A Tattooing Facebook group is the best place to find an answer when you have a question for a more experienced artist.
For many professional tattoo artists, social media is already a part of their job, so having your question pop up in their feed makes it much easier for them to answer your question. You can get lots of advice in just a few hours this way, and they are free to join. You can take things a step further by starting a conversation in the comments or connecting with other tattoo artists through Facebook Messenger.
Some Facebook groups will host online events where members can talk about tattooing and the details of getting into the industry.
Be Warned:
The fastest way to annoy a tattoo artist is to ignore their advice. If they tell you something, make you sure you listen and implement their advice. Otherwise, it won’t be long before you stop hearing back from them.
Facebook Groups also allow you to see other helpful posts. The algorithm does a great job of popping topics that are most relevant to you right to the top of your feed so you can learn faster instead of scrolling your way through forum threads that are organized chronologically. Or, you can use the search option to easily look up a topic you need help with.
Getting Help from Professionals in Online Discussion Threads
The fastest way to annoy a tattoo artist is to ignore their advice. If they tell you something, make sure you listen and follow their advice. Otherwise, it won’t be long before you stop hearing back from them.
Warning About Facebook Groups and Forums
While the Facebook groups and forums listed in this post generally welcome new artists, there will occasionally be threads that take a negative turn.
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Self-taught Tattoo Artists Unite
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Tattoo Beginners
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Tattoo Artist Beginners
Another good spot for newbies, this Facebook group contains lots of information for beginner artists. There is also a helpful step-by-step guide to proper tattooing sanitation and hygiene in the “Guides” section so you can make sure you’re tattooing safely.
Q&A Forums
The runner-up when it comes to the most helpful forums online, Q&A Forums are great for new artists who want to look through previously asked questions and helpful blogs. Odds are, your question or concern has already been answered somewhere, and you can easily look through the best answers to learn more.
Each of these Q&A forums are subreddits that see a lot of activity and advice-related posts. However, if these forums don’t have the answer you need, Quora can be helpful, too.
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Reddit (r/tattooing)
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Reddit (r/TattooDesigns)
Psst! If you started on your own skin too early, this is a good place to get help with cover-up ideas from professional artists.)
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Reddit (r/tattoos)
This subreddit has a good mix of posts from both tattooers and customers, with most posts showing tattoos and explaining who and where the work was done. This is a great place to find professional artists near you, whether you’re looking to network with people in your area or get work done yourself.
Message Board Forums
Message board forums can be helpful, but they’re often outdated, as social media has become more popular. Many of the best answers you’ll find here are several years old, which might mean a more advanced technique has emerged since the last post.
While you can throw out whatever question you’d like, finding tattoo forums for beginners where experienced artists actually respond can be hard. Additionally, it can be very difficult to figure out if someone answering on a message board has any type of tattooing experience.
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Tattooing 101 Help Me Tattoo Forum
The only major exception to the “outdated” argument, Tattooing 101's Help Me Tattoo Forum sits head and shoulders above the rest as the largest and most active online community dedicated to tattooing.
Yes, we're a little biased, but we really feel the numbers speak for themselves. Check out the forum to learn more.
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Last Sparrow Tattoo Forum
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Big Tattoo Planet Community Forum
Thanks for sharing this comprehensive list of online tattoo forums! 🎨 As an aspiring tattoo artist, I’ve found communities like Tattooing 101's forum and the r/tattooing subreddit invaluable for feedback and learning new techniques. It’s amazing how these platforms can connect beginners and seasoned artists alike. The support and knowledge exchange really make the learning process smoother.
For anyone starting out, these forums are a great way to get constructive criticism, find inspiration, and ask burning questions. Tattooing might be a solitary art at times, but being part of such vibrant online communities makes the journey a lot more collaborative and enriching. Keep up the great work! 🖤
Thank you Nathan for this this great summary of different sources for tattoo artists. The internet is a fabulous place that allows us to connect and share knowledge. This is especially true for the tattoo artist community, who shares and supports each other a lot in my opinion.
Your comprehensive post really emphasizes this fact. But not just with this post, I have experienced the support and sharing of knowledge first hand on instagram and reddit, both plattforms helped me a lot on my personal tattoo journey. Thats why I have decided that I want to give back a little and started a blog on my own. It aims to provide all kinds of information for tattoo-artists who are looking to start an own tattoo-studio in germany.
I'm going to continue reading your articles and continue to learn more about this great hobby that turned into a profession!
Cheers =)