About the college
Birmingham Tattoo College trains the next generation of tattoo artists in a working studio in the centre of Birmingham.
Most people who want to tattoo have nowhere safe to learn. Apprenticeships are rare and inconsistent. Online courses skip the parts that matter most. We built Birmingham Tattoo College to fix that.
Our courses put you on real equipment from day one, supervised by artists who tattoo every day. You leave with sound fundamentals, safe practice, a diploma, and work you can show a studio.
Our approach
A real college, not a weekend crash course
Most people learn to tattoo by scraping together YouTube videos and hoping for the best. We built the opposite: a structured, assessed course that takes you from your first line to tattooing a live model, in small groups, under artists who tattoo for a living. Every stage is taught, watched and corrected, so you build proper habits from day one instead of unlearning bad ones later.
Inside the studio
Our courses run in a licensed, fully equipped studio in the centre of Birmingham. You work on professional machines from day one, on real skin, in a room set up exactly like the studios you will go on to work in.
What you leave with
More than a certificate
- An accredited diploma and a hygiene & blood-borne pathogen certificate
- A portfolio of supervised work to show studios
- Real, logged hours on artificial skin and live models
- The technique, hygiene standards and confidence to keep working
- Ongoing student support and studio-startup guidance after you finish
Who trains here
Complete beginners welcome
You do not need any tattooing experience to start. Our students are career changers, artists moving into tattooing, and beauty professionals adding fine line to their services. You should be over 18 and comfortable with basic drawing. We handle the rest, one small group at a time.
Reviews
What our students say
5.0 · Google Reviews
-
★★★★★
I started the 10-day course never having held a machine and tattooed a live model by the end. The small group meant the tutor actually watched every line I did.
Aoife M.10-Day Beginner Tattoo Course -
★★★★★
The 4-day fine line course was exactly what I wanted. I came out able to hold a clean single-needle line and I've been building a fine-line portfolio since.
Cian D.4-Day Fine Line Course -
★★★★★
I run a microblading studio and the 2-day course let me add fine-line tattoos to my services in a weekend. It assumed I already knew skin and hygiene, which saved so much time.
Niamh R.2-Day Fine Line Course -
★★★★★
Genuinely the most professional training I looked at in Birmingham. Real bench time, real feedback, and the hygiene side was taken seriously from day one. Worth every penny.
Seán O'B.10-Day Beginner Tattoo Course -
★★★★★
Travelled in from Brighton for the beginner diploma and it was completely worth the trip. Small class, patient tutors, and I left with a portfolio I could actually show studios.
Méabh K.10-Day Beginner Tattoo Course -
★★★★★
I'd done an online course before and learned almost nothing. This was the opposite. Hands on machines from the first morning, corrected in real time. I finally feel ready to guest.
Jack F.4-Day Fine Line Course -
★★★★★
The hygiene and blood-borne pathogen side was covered properly, which is exactly what studios asked me about at interview. I walked in with a certificate and a portfolio and got the spot.
Orla C.10-Day Beginner Tattoo Course -
★★★★★
The small group meant I never felt lost or rushed. The tutors are working artists so the feedback is honest and current, not something read off a slide. Best decision I've made for my career.
Darragh L.10-Day Beginner Tattoo Course -
★★★★★
As an SPMU artist the 2-day course was perfect. Focused, no filler, and it respected what I already knew. I was offering fine-line tattoos to my clients the following week.
Saoirse B.2-Day Fine Line Course