Starting a Little Later in Life.

Exitas · 10 Jan 2013

I'm 40 years old. To me, this is a tad late in life to get started in tattooing. I'm not letting it stop me, and my husband has been really encouraging, but I still have a few doubts about it because I know it takes years to become really good. Are any of you getting started at this a little later in life too?

I've been drawing since around the age of 7 or so, with some breaks here and there, but I've always had a love and appreciation for art. I sit back and think, ya know, why did I wait so long? When I was younger and people told me "you'll never make money at art" I listened to them, and kick myself for doing that.

fronshee · 10 Jan 2013

I'm 40 too.. I had all the same doubts, but on thinking about it I figured if I didn't do it now I would kick myself like I did all the times I didn't.I have two kids and wasn't able to be very selfish, plus I tried for years to get someone to apprentice me and no-one would, I live in the ass end of nowhere and opportunities aren't there, but kids are getting older now, and I've discovered that I can learn everything I need to know on t'internet. When the student is ready, the teacher appears, n' all that. Good for us I say girl! Let's do it and be the granny scribblers and show all 'em all. The way I see it, I've had lots of time to learn how to learn, and am picking this up much more quickly than I would have done as a flibbertygibbet young 'un.

Good luck! Don't give up!

Exitas · 10 Jan 2013

fronshee said:
I'm 40 too.. I had all the same doubts, but on thinking about it I figured if I didn't do it now I would kick myself like I did all the times I didn't.I have two kids and wasn't able to be very selfish, plus I tried for years to get someone to apprentice me and no-one would, I live in the ass end of nowhere and opportunities aren't there, but kids are getting older now, and I've discovered that I can learn everything I need to know on t'internet. When the student is ready, the teacher appears, n' all that. Good for us I say girl! Let's do it and be the granny scribblers and show all 'em all. The way I see it, I've had lots of time to learn how to learn, and am picking this up much more quickly than I would have done as a flibbertygibbet young 'un. Good luck! Don't give up!

You have a great way of looking at it. Ya! lets do this :icon_biggrin:

fuzzybadfoot · 10 Jan 2013

im 37 and started tattooing a few months ago.dont let age stop you,what else are you going to do?always remember that with age comes wisdom and grey hairs,lots of grey hairs.

fuzzybadfoot · 10 Jan 2013

oh yeah forgot to say if you need any help just shout.loudly though as im getting deaf in my old age

fronshee · 10 Jan 2013

Exitas said:
You have a great way of looking at it. Ya! lets do this :icon_biggrin:

Woohoo!! :icon_razz:

TattooJay · 10 Jan 2013

It's never to late to start something new. Welcome to the forums.

maggot · 10 Jan 2013

I'm 46 and not getting any younger

DISORDERLYG · 10 Jan 2013

I'm 43 never drawn any thing since i was at school it seemed like a good idea to take up some thing new and im loveing it found my self drawing cupcakes of all things today and suprising myself so it is never to late to start anything new and lf you have been drawing you have a head start on me at least. i think once you get going you will realy like it.

Dark Reign · 10 Jan 2013

I'm 44 :icon_eek: and your never too old :icon_cheesygrin:

covertmaniac · 10 Jan 2013

im 42, started about 3 years ago...never too old to learn

jcroe · 10 Jan 2013

Dont worry .....seems like you're in good company

Im 42 and just picked it back up after years.

blackjack · 10 Jan 2013

Beat this you lot, 49!!! Started at 48, never too late to start. I have 2 kids ages 2 and 4, that was a bit too late as bloody hard work! :icon_eek:

Exitas · 10 Jan 2013

fuzzybadfoot said:
im 37 and started tattooing a few months ago.dont let age stop you,what else are you going to do?always remember that with age comes wisdom and grey hairs,lots of grey hairs.

Definitely doing well in the grey hair department :icon_lol: . Glad to see I'm not alone!

Dark Reign · 10 Jan 2013

Atom said:
Beat this you lot, 49!!! Started at 48, never too late to start. I have 2 kids ages 2 and 4, that was a bit too late as bloody hard work! :icon_eek:

I know how you feel bud, I've got two kids aswell, Aged 1 and 4 and flying off to tenerife next friday for two weeks :icon_mrgreen: Can't wait

mikefuup · 10 Jan 2013

38 but i feel 21(most of the time) 3 kids and already gave my oldest her first tattoo, something she will have long after I'm dead and gone, something no one can take from her. With the economy being shitty, i had to cut out the middleman, cuz i'm kind of addicted to tats, and do my own,(up to a certain point) Welcome to the forum, may we all live long enough to tattoo our grandchildren.

lamb of god · 11 Jan 2013

It's never too late to do anything, and it's better to do it now before regretting it later

for me, sometimes I ask myself...am I too young to tattoo? and I think the answer is yes lol...cuz when I tell some people that i'm learning to tattoo...they don't believe it...especially with my 14 year old baby face (i'm 18 btw lol)

Sylence · 11 Jan 2013

i am 31 ,welcome to the forum :icon_biggrin:

Exitas · 11 Jan 2013

I have 2 children as well, an 11 and 21 year old. My oldest told me she would be proud to have me give her, her 1st one. I told her she has a while to wait :icon_smile:. I'll be hitting my very 1st practice skin this weekend, and I need to hit the butcher shop for some pig skins. I'm very excited :icon_mrgreen:.

schwartzy · 11 Jan 2013

I'm 48. Started on the tattooing a couple of years ago. Seeing as the retirement age for our generation is planned to be 68 at the moment and will probably go up, we've still got another 20 years before we hit retirement. And remember, there's always hair dye and lying about your age if you really need to!:icon_cheesygrin:

tatteredone · 11 Jan 2013

36 here, i have tattooing for years but just picked it back up again after some time off

TexasPT · 11 Jan 2013

started at 39...40 now.

steveo9441 · 11 Jan 2013

Well i'm 54, guess i'm a pensioner then

You are never to old to learn ... still in there and still learning like music

iNeuron · 11 Jan 2013

I feel like such a brat now, thanks guys : (((
Im 21

PiratePete · 12 Jan 2013

Im 38 and only started last year, been drawing all my life and as far as im concerned, older is better! You tend to be more focused as u mature. Im still trying to finish my apprentership and not gonna stop till im the bees knees. I would always push for studio experience where possible but u gotta do what u gotta do. Like the other guy said, "what else u gonna do?"..keep the faith and power to you.

jb62 · 7 Feb 2013

I'm 50 soon to be 51 and I thought age was against me.
But now I feel at ease knowing I'm not alone and can ask for help and who knows maybe one day I'll get a shop..
So I'll be asking much to get my brain ready pmsl.

- - - Updated - - -

I'm 50 soon to be 51 and I thought age was against me.
But now I feel at ease knowing I'm not alone and can ask for help and who knows maybe one day I'll get a shop..
So I'll be asking much to get my brain ready pmsl.

Skorprick · 7 Feb 2013

41 here and started 2 months ago ... I always was more the geometrical typ and never thought one could tattoo this ...

because of the little difficulties at this age I started a group here for ~40+ starters ... feel free to join ...

and yes ... YOU ARE NOT ALONE .. never stop living your life, you only got this one

BLinkY · 7 Feb 2013

I guess it all depends where you want to go with it. If you are looking for an apprenticeship, the older you are probably the harder you will find it getting one. but if like me you just enjoy it as a hobby would it matter if you were 70? It's not particularly nice getting older but letting it hold you back from doing anything you want to do is a cop out.:icon_biggrin:

I'm old enough to know better btw and young enough to not quit doing anything I want to.:icon_wink:

benaziir butthole · 7 Feb 2013

Im 40, its never too late to learn, wen i was in my 30s i thought it was too late to learn but na, go for it. tyrell started in his mid 30s i believe, and apprenticed for just 3 months haha, thats a kick in the face to all the stuck up elitists who recon at least 5 years lmfao.

Bluejen · 7 Feb 2013

Age is just a number.

Rising Star · 7 Feb 2013

Wow, I can't believe how many people here are 40+ - A great thing by the way. Many of you have probably slaved away in shitty job's and even if they have rewarded you financially they are/were still shitty or something is/was missing?

I have wanted to become a Tattoo artist for over 10 years but for many reasons left it alone = College, Uni, needing a job to move out of the parents, buying a house, getting married, confidence etc. I know have all of these things and something is missing - Job satisfaction!

When I finish a tattoo and the person can't thank me enough and is amazed the sense of personal satisfaction is beyond words!

Like they say, If you do something you love, you will never have to work again! I like many others on this site am far from making this my living but it sure gives me drive to become better day by day one day make my dream reality :icon_wink:

Good luck to everyone here!

30 by the way

Dave

Jammer · 20 Aug 2019

maggot said:
I'm 46 and not getting any younger

Im 62 yrs young and just getting started! You are never too old for anything!

schwartzy · 20 Aug 2019

Well I'm 55 now! I got my first licence a month after turning 50 and have now been working as a tattoo artist for 5 years. There's been a lot to learn and you never stop learning. I thought that my age would go against me (and was going to knock ten years off my age if anyone asked) but it has totally gone in may favour as people trust you more if you are older. I didn't actually tell my age to the guy that I eventually got an apprenticeship with (I was 49 and he was 33 when I started) and he assumed that I was in my late 30s until I mentioned something about going out drinking in the early 80s and he worked it out, but he knew me by then and it was fine. It has been a long hard slog but so worth it!

schwartzy · 20 Aug 2019

BLinkY said:
I guess it all depends where you want to go with it. If you are looking for an apprenticeship, the older you are probably the harder you will find it getting one. but if like me you just enjoy it as a hobby would it matter if you were 70? It's not particularly nice getting older but letting it hold you back from doing anything you want to do is a cop out.:icon_biggrin:

I'm old enough to know better btw and young enough to not quit doing anything I want to.:icon_wink:

I was a 49 year old apprentice! (I managed to get a part time apprenticeship for 3 days a week, worked 3 days to earn money and had Sundays off)

Dazza · 20 Aug 2019

Good on you Rachel

Parrington21 · 20 Aug 2019

schwartzy said:
Well I'm 55 now! I got my first licence a month after turning 50 and have now been working as a tattoo artist for 5 years. There's been a lot to learn and you never stop learning. I thought that my age would go against me (and was going to knock ten years off my age if anyone asked) but it has totally gone in may favour as people trust you more if you are older. I didn't actually tell my age to the guy that I eventually got an apprenticeship with (I was 49 and he was 33 when I started) and he assumed that I was in my late 30s until I mentioned something about going out drinking in the early 80s and he worked it out, but he knew me by then and it was fine. It has been a long hard slog but so worth it!

Did you get your licence in your own work space or go to a shop? I'm curious if not just nosey as to whether you make enough money doing it from home? If you're full time? I ask because I guy I used to be close friends with has opened up his own shop and is without doubt the best around. Just wondering if theres actually a lot of money to be made??

schwartzy · 20 Aug 2019

I got my first licence in the place where i apprenticed and then worked in a couple of shops but part time and wasn't earning a huge amount at first as the 'newbies' get the small basic tattoos to do and so was doing part time work as well to make ends meet (some propmaking, which I had done in the past, and call centre and cleaning work). I then set up a studio with a more experienced artist that I had been working with and that was good experience going through the whole set up to get licenced by the council and got more experience there. It was a working studio, not a home studio. Unfortunately there just wasn't enough work for two people in that area, and also my business partner turned out to be a racist alcoholic

who was drinking while tattooing! (the moral of this story is never to go into business with someone that you don't know very well...) I then got a job where i am now, which is great. It is a small studio attached to a hairdressers and is just me doing the tattooing and piercing (top tip, do a piercing course, it really adds to your income as piercings are quick to do). I've been here for two and a half years now and it is pretty busy in the summer as it is fairly central London and in an area with tourist hotels and lots of local workers. It can be a bit quiet at times in the winter so I do bits of prop making and cleaning on the side when needed but I'm making a living and most of it is from tattooing and piercing. I still have credit card debts to pay off though as you don't get student loans for training in tattooing!

schwartzy · 20 Aug 2019

The set up where i work now is that I'm self employed and the management get a percentage of each tattoo and piercing that i do, and they are responsible for the bills, clinical waste collection etc and for the licence (which as it is expensive Westminster has to be renewed yearly at a cost of over £1000). As to making money, I'm not making huge amounts but am making enough to live on, especially in the summer with all of the tourists coming in for little 'souvenir of London' tattoos that are quick and really add up, on top of the bigger more interesting pieces

Girlie666 · 20 Aug 2019

I wish I had the guts to just quit my job and do tattooing full time... I’m 42 and wish I did something years ago ??

schwartzy · 20 Aug 2019

I didn't just suddenly quit my old job. I was working full time as a lecturer in an F.E. college and so got a part time job doing the same thing so I had at least some money coming in while i was at first trying to teach myself to tattoo and working on my drawing, and then I eventually got an apprenticeship, which was luckily part time so that I could still work. I couldn't have afforded to do a full time apprenticeship with no income coming in! i didn't even think about becoming a tattoo artist until i was 46. I hated teaching and wanted to do something new.

BlackBuddha · 22 Aug 2019

I started with 40 .. age has advantages
The learning curve is more efficient because of othe life-experiences ..
Did appreantance in Shop near me .. got certified 2014 and worked whenever I could as a freelancer in a shop ..
Always had a fulltime-normal-job to pay the bills beside tatooing

ATM I do less and focus on my 2 kids
But I will never stop .. tatooing is an addiction ?
And when the kids are bigger .. we will see what happens

Chopper20 · 22 Aug 2019

I’m also 40. It seems like a popular age to start tattooing. I like to think we’re maybe less reckless at this age ?

Yrmff!! · 23 Aug 2019

Hmm.. Im 53, and started this summer by ... misstake!

but actually started when i was 16 whith handpoking ....a short carier

I bought a kit to my sons girlfriend whitch is very talented in drawing and interested in tattoo. (18 y ).
I thouth it would bee a good idea for her to practice on meee becauce i hav quite a few crappy stamps already!

My wife refused mee to give it to her to avoid bad karma from her parents!

So here i am fillning my legs and loving it!
Best regards H

Parrington21 · 23 Aug 2019

MalligaMallan is like 100 and shes doing ok. So dont worry to much ???

stevie_stevo · 26 Jan 2020

I'm a 46 year old teenager! (soon 47) and only started about two months ago. I wanted to do it for a few years and this year fate kind of pushed me towards it through a bizarre set of events. I started drawing again after 30 years of not drawing a thing when I found a pencil during cleaning the apartment and that's what set me off. That was a couple of months ago and now I'm getting paid to do pet portraits. I dream of being a good realism tattooist in a cool studio.....that's really what I want. I just hope I can get there....

Good luck to all of us oldies!!!

marked 4 life · 26 Jan 2020

Age is just a number, never too late to learn, im probably one of the oldest here ?

on a side note after reading these posts, how many members give up but there is still an handful of us who have been here since at least 2011 ?

79josh81 · 26 Jan 2020

I recently started taking tattooing seriously and I’m 38. I felt kind of old too until I realized Bob Tyrrell didn’t start tattooing until he was like 36 years old and now look at the B&G work he puts out at 57.

DKJ · 26 Jan 2020

All these roadblocks we put inside our own minds.

Why care about such things ?
Why wait to be absolutly senile before doing anything ?
And who said we don't have the right to just try ?

My excuses as a geezer, living the good life for 45 years.

Peace, let the dream devour your life before life devours your dream.

DKJ

stevie_stevo · 26 Jan 2020

DKJ said:
All these roadblocks we put inside our own minds.

Why care about such things ?
Why wait to be absolutly senile before doing anything ?
And who said we don't have the right to just try ?

My excuses as a geezer, living the good life for 45 years.

Peace, let the dream devour your life before life devours your dream.

DKJ

Amen to that

DKJ · 26 Jan 2020

stevie_stevo said:
Amen to that

I believe that as soon as you understand that there's only one way to the good life, which is your way, you really feel better about what your doing.
People fear mostly to look unlike others.
But if we give an honest look at who are the people who stay in our hearts and in history, they are a bunch of true individuals.
From artists to scientists to politicians to heroes to monsters, a lot of them have been going where others didn't dare to.
We're not all going to mark History, but we sure can mark some hearts.
So quitting our look-alike habits and trying (only trying, really) will give us plenty of answers abour ourselves, what we love is where we all wanna be.

Peace,

DKJ

Starting a Little Later in Life.

mikeFUup

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