Open Part time tattoo artist wanted. Central/west London

Hi, we are looking for an artist to work at our studio in West/Central London on Mondays and Tuesdays as a job share with our current artist who works Wednesdays-Saturdays, and occasionally on other days to cover her when she is on holiday. We are a small tattoo studio attached to a hair salon and you will be the sole artist on the days that you are working. The position is as a self-employed artist, working on commission on a 50/50 split with the management and the artist supplying materials and equipment. You need to be able to do small walk-ins and also bigger pieces and we are flexible about the style that you specialise in. It is quieter in the winter but we tend to get a lot of tourists in the summer as walk-ins wanting smaller tattoos. A minimum of three years tattooing experience is required with evidence of your work (portfolio, Instagram page, etc.) and you will need to have your own insurance (or be prepared to take out insurance). Your own clientele will be a bonus but not a necessity. Please contact us with some examples of your work (or links to social media) and information about yourself.
Here is the IG for the studio: Login • Instagram
And the website: Home | Gold Tattoo London
(the website needs updating as it is still showing Daniele, the artist that has just left. We are seeking a replacement for him.)

The current artist who the applicant will be job sharing with is me by the way!

Is 50% a London thing? 50% is a big cut to the shop especially if you have to supply all your own equipment and materials, once costs are taken out it doesn’t leave much for the artist.

marked 4 life said:

Is 50% a London thing? 50% is a big cut to the shop especially if you have to supply all your own equipment and materials, once costs are taken out it doesn’t leave much for the artist.

Click to expand...

Yes it seems to be at a lot of places. I have worked at 3 studios apart from this one and all were on this basis, apart from the one where I had my apprenticeship, where the artist that was teaching me was on a 50/50 split but the studio provided some materials. I was even offered a job once where it was 60/40 in favour of the management! (I didn't take it...)

anything between 25/40% is what we class as normal, usually if 50% then the shop would supply everything except machine’s and power Supplies, we charge the junior in our shop 25% and we supply waste contract, printer, stencil machine, couch and more as well, we must be too soft

marked 4 life said:

Is 50% a London thing? 50% is a big cut to the shop especially if you have to supply all your own equipment and materials, once costs are taken out it doesn’t leave much for the artist.

Click to expand...

Just out of interest, where in the country are you based and what is the usual set up there?

schwartzy said:

Just out of interest, where in the country are you based and what is the usual set up there?

Click to expand...

We are in Stoke on Trent, I have a studio with my daughter, the usual is no more than 40% and even at 40% some shops supply gloves, paper towels and other bits and pieces

marked 4 life said:

anything between 25/40% is what we class as normal, usually if 50% then the shop would supply everything except machine’s and power Supplies, we charge the junior in our shop 25% and we supply waste contract, printer, stencil machine, couch and more as well, we must be too soft

Click to expand...

The management supply the clinical waste collection and furniture and went half with me on a stencil machine, and pay the licence, which is a yearly thing here (every London borough is different when it comes to licencing and we are in Westminster where it is £1,000 a year).

I get free hair cuts though (the studio is attached to a hairdresser)

It is interesting how things work in different places. I've had a couple of tattoos in Bulgaria and there are absolutely no licencing requirements there. Anyone can just open a studio without having to show any knowledge of hygiene or safety. (the artist that did them was doing it all correctly though).

schwartzy said:

The management supply the clinical waste collection and furniture and went half with me on a stencil machine, and pay the licence, which is a yearly thing here (every London borough is different when it comes to licencing and we are in Westminster where it is £1,000 a year).

Click to expand...

I saw a post last week about licence and registration, I didn’t realise some boroughs charge annually for licensing, we pay a one off fee to register the premises then a one off fee for each artist or new artist and that’s it

Yes that is also how it works with most places here. Westminster is a strange exception. I worked in Lewisham and it worked that way, and in Wandsworth where I was an apprentice the individual artist is licenced rather than the studio, so once you have your licence you can start work immediately at any studio in the borough. To get my licence there I had to go to the council for an interview about hygiene, sterilisation, safety etc but they didn't want to see any of my work, so in theory a nurse or doctor could become a licenced tattoo artist there! I think that is is really odd that there aren't any national rules that apply everywhere.

schwartzy said:

once you have your licence you can start work immediately at any studio in the borough.

Click to expand...

Interesting. In my borough I have a home license that has been active since 2016 (though I don’t tattoo at home anymore), and the studio I’m in had to purchase my current license, even though it’s the same borough for both. Here, it’s based on one license per address you are tattooing at…I think they currently cost £130 one-off payment. I believe there is some ‘flexibility’ afforded to guest artists coming into the area for a short period.