​After my initial exercise in tonal values through the drawing of Frankensteins monster, my normal tasks resumed in the studio – mainly cleaning booths, sourcing supplies, and shadowing artists while asking questions. It has been brought to my attention multiple times that the way in which my apprenticeship was panning out was unconventional, in that I wasn’t being subject to insulting behaviour from my peers (at least not on a particularly harsh level). They would often give me examples of occasions during their apprenticeships where they had been asked to do unreasonable things, such as wash the boss’s car or do other entirely unrelated tasks to their education, and often be humiliated in the process.
 
At Triplesix it is clear that they have my best interest at heart, and although I am subject to some condescending comments and unpleasant behaviour, it is always meant in good fun, and offered as a side dish to an array of helpful and constructive advice. I’ve learned how to react to innuendos, and to recognise when jokes have been set up to which I am the punch line, meeting them in good humour (and occasionally respond accordingly, depending on my gauge of how sore the sting might be, and if it will be met at the level that can be still considered humorous!).
 
Part of what I’ve learned after working in the industry now for 3 and a half months is that tattooists are often sensitive beings who struggle with acceptance of social norms and cultural programming, and so react accordingly with jokes that might be considered politically incorrect, or other symbols of non-conformist lifestyle. While I initially struggled and felt that I might come across too serious (my experience of learning new skills has always been from an academic perspective, which is very much taught in a comparatively formal way) I realised that I shared more commonalities with my peers than any other group of individuals I had worked with with any other context. While my sensitivity is expressed through what might be considered ‘radical honesty’ (i.e being uncomfortably open about my insecurities, fears and flaws), others I work with express it and navigate their way through in with humour or lifestyle. There are multiple artists all with their own nuances, and it seems apparent that there is a common wave of something shared between them all – I believe I am also riding on that same wave, in some form or another.
 
My next drawing task was to sit and draw scrolls or banners, that are common subject in traditional or ‘old school’ tattooing. The task was set so that I began without any advice as to how to approach it, to demonstrate how it was incorrect and compare to an improved version that would be produced after being given some advice. When I sat down to begin, one of the artists came over to show me an example of possible ways to approach the task, which I then attempted, however we where both unaware that I was meant to perform the task incorrectly the first time.
 
When Bez, the studio founder, saw how I was approaching it, he commented that I was ‘supposed to do it wrong the first time so I can see how to do it right the second time’. Fortunately, I had still managed to do it incorrectly (which of course was pointed out with light hearted enthusiasm) and then shown how to perform it correctly after wards. The process involved creating a long horizontal curved line, and then mirroring with a second line underneath the first, and making sense of where vertical lines might then be placed to create the illusion or a wrapping scroll. Once this had been practised multiple times, I would then be able to consider the material of the scroll and how it might flow around the object that it was wrapping, and where the light might hit and affect the banner.
 
After multiple attempts met with insecurity in my ability to comprehend my approach, and anxiety that others would be able to observe my poor results, I began to recognise progress and logic to what I was putting on paper. What I was producing was starting to resemble what it was aimed to resemble, though despite looking correct I was struggling to be able to forecast the output prior to putting pencil on paper. After a few attempts I did begin to be able to plan the placement, flow, and texture of the scroll without needing to just figure it out as I went on, and my pages began to look intentional rather than exploratory.
 
Though the illustrative work I create may not necessarily utilise scrolls, the principles are certainly relevant to any elements of work that utilise flow, which is something I try to incorporate in my compositions often. It was additionally pointed out to me that the way in which I draw for myself will be very different how I might draw for a tattoo, as it wouldn’t be practical to spend 12 hours drawing for a 3-hour tattoo. The task was set in the understanding that in the early years of my career I would be largely doing ‘walk-in’ tattoos (names, symbols, small designs etc.), so wouldn’t necessarily have much more than 20 minutes to draw for such designs.
 
Though only a technical exercise that was conducted to allow me to approach my work with greater versatility, it also served as a demonstration into how a conventional tattoo brief may be instigated (i.e. the client want’s a name in a scroll that wraps around an image of ‘x’). Below are demonstrations of my attempts at the the exercises, in which my progress appears to be noticeable through practice.
 
While my PhD research (beginning in October) will serve to explore how multidisciplinary and cross-cultural influences can enrich contemporary tattooing, it is important to understand and recognise the traditions that are already in place in order to promote their artistic evolution. Exercises of such a nature are integral to the foundations of traditional tattooing, and contemporary approaches are rooted in the expansion of traditional foundations.  

After having apprenticed at Triplesix for only 2 months, I have become aware more of methods I need to practice to improve my drawing skills more than I had recognised in my whole freelance career. Though repetition of specific drawing styles may lead to improved technical ability and craftsmanship, there is little room for creative growth through repetition alone. To advance, it’s necessary to get uncomfortable.
 
The times I have tried out new techniques prior to my apprenticeship have generally been through digital means, with the comfort of the ‘cmd + z’ command on Photoshop to undo my errors. Following such methods don’t allow for advancement beyond what I am already capable of. The apprenticeship tasks appear to have forced me to push myself into uncomfortable territory, tackling areas of my work that may have been overlooked, and tightening the overall compositions simultaneously. In yoga, each asana is performed in perfect form when every element of the body is consciously considered. The same principles of awareness are applicable to illustration, design, and tattoo’s.
 
My first visual task assigned was to replicate a horror-themed image of Frankensteins monster, pictured below. Bez, the founder of Triplesix made it explicit that it was an exercise in viewing and in tonal work, and not an exercise in drawing/illustrating. The image was selected due to it’s high amounts of contrasting tonal values, which in tattooing are broken down into darks, mid-tones, and highlights.​

The process involved creating a stencil of the image outlines, before filling in all of the darker tones, then moving on the varying midtones, with the highlights mostly consisting of negative space. As Bez had forecasted, I found myself approaching the exercise simply as a drawing through ingrained muscle memory, spending more time on small sections at a time than I realised I should have been. The temptation is to utilise methods that are comfortable and familiar, and so to avoid this I was advised to break the image down into small sections, disregarding the image as a whole and approaching it merely as tonal rectangles.
 
The exercise was completed using pencil, which is a medium I utilise occasionally but in a somewhat restrictively stylized way. This method involved performing multiple passes of the graphite across sections that had already touched, building up tone in passes in a way that may be comparable to tattooing. After taking some time to complete the task (the result of which is shown below), being rather precious in the process, I showed it to Bez for feedback.
 
A lesson that I hadn’t quite anticipated learning during this exercise but was reminded of was to be thick-skinned, and that constructive feedback may be difficult but is essential for growth; as stated earlier, growth comes from discomfort. Bez broke down my errors bit by bit, highlighting my lack of midtones in the image, pointing out how I was still creating the image from an interpretive standpoint rather than a literal representation of the reference material. With a pencil in hand, he roughly darkened down all the areas that where still too light, that I had not had the confidence to touch in fear of destroying my image. Again, I had trouble reconciling that I was completing an exercise, and not a drawing.
​ 
My initial thoughts after the tough-love I received where that my image now looked flat, but I soon realised that it also shared a far greater likeness to the reference than it had prior, and just needed some more work to push the contrasting elements a little further. I spent some time attempting to correct my mistakes, this time with a little less of a delicate hand and a slightly less concern for the result appearing perfect. I found this approach to allow me to relax more into the process, and noticed myself deriving enjoyment from the task rather than feeling the anxiety about completing it correctly that I previously experienced. Not being as concerned about the final result allowed for a more recreational approach, as opposed to that of a work task.
 
Though certainly still very far from perfect, the finished result appears to have a more accurate aesthetic and greater textural properties than what I would have achieved had I not had the advice of a mentor. Though I have experience in teaching illustration to undergraduate students, my specialism is in conceptual development and encouraging lateral approaches to creativity. The specific practice of actual drawing techniques is something that I have not directly addressed for some time, but is crucial to advance to better communicate concepts. This first task of my apprenticeship has been a beneficial initiation back into studentship, from which I have a lot to learn. 
 

Through a combination of good fortune, persistence, and resistance to submitting to the typical 9 - 5 working life, i managed to secure a position at Triplesix Studios​ in Sunderland that began in May 2017.

Triplesix is recognised internationally as an award winning tattoo studio founded by the Richard Beston (or 'Bez') - a highly respected artists and product designer within the tattoo community. In addition to his prolific tattoo ability, Bez has created tattoo education DVD's, and his own tattoo machine product machine titled 'ego'. The studio hosts an array of high quality permanent artists, each with their own specialism, and regularly invites both international and national guest artists to tattoo in the additional booths that are available. In short, with the combined years of experience from all potential mentors employed, and the oversight of an innovator within the field, Triplesix seems the perfect studio in which to gain a high-quality apprenticeship and introduction to the tattoo industry. 

My apprenticeship began on the 19th of May, and my initial introduction into the studio mainly involved gaining an understanding of the booking system for appointments, shadowing artists while asking questions about their processes, and ensuring high standards of hygiene (or less formally articulated - cleaning). Though still in the early stages of the apprenticeship at the time of writing, it feels fair to suggest through retrospective evaluation that the first month is about demonstrating a sincere and authentic desire to learn about the discipline. This is achieved through a combination of positive attitude, willingness to learn, and evidence of appreciation of the rare opportunity that has been given.

A few examples of the not particularly creatively stimulating, yet necessary tasks include tearing rolls of kitchen towels into individual sheets that are used during the tattoo process to wipe away blood etc from the tattooed areas, deep cleaning artists booths - including the underside of the tattoo beds and inside drawers etc (which often have very stubborn ink stains), and sanitising the walls and floor with alcohol wipes and dettol fluid, going to the shop to stock up on baby wipes, cling film, vaseline, etc. Though these tasks may appear menial and not directly relevant to my career as a tattooist, they serve as a demonstration of my willingness to be in the studio, and my intuitive understanding when of the  practise of  good hygiene - both of which are integral traits of a tattoo studio that are perhaps valued higher at the early stages of an apprenticeship than actual ability. I personally regard it as a justifiable form of payment to the studio for the education which i will be given, that will result in my career stability and artistic progress generally. When compared to the accumulated debt typically incurred through academic education, cleaning toilets for a few months is not too high of a price to pay.

In addition to the less glamorous admin and hygiene tasks undertaken, shadowing artists and asking questions about their process is also a crucial aspect of the apprenticeship. As mentioned, Triplesix hosts a number of high quality artists with their own specialisms, who all work in unique ways. While initially I found the lack of certainty of structure intimidating in it's ambiguity, I came to recognise it as a liberating insight into how open-ended the discipline can be, and what can be offered from various technical approaches. Having come from a background where i have some experience working professionally as an illustrator and teaching Illustration and Design to undergraduate students, i thought that i may in an advantageous position through experience, however the level of expertise amongst me made it apparent that i am only in the very early stages of my career as a visual artist/designer.

This blog will aim to record my journey from apprentice through to tattooist, commenting on any inspirations, observations, questions, and findings that occur in the process. In addition to my apprenticeship, from October 2017 i will be undergoing part-time PhD research that investigates how multidisciplinary design process and cross-cultural influences may enrich contemporary tattooing and demonstrate it's relevance as a design discipline in the wider design and art community. The blog will also offer a platform to express my research journey and unite my academic and creative practice.