Signing up for your first tattoo course is a big step, and not knowing what happens can make it feel bigger than it is. Here is how a structured beginner course runs, using our 10-day diploma in Birmingham as the example.
Before you start
You do not need any tattooing experience. You should be over 18 and comfortable with basic drawing. That is it. Good courses assume you have never held a machine and build from there.
Week one: theory and safety
The first week is where safe habits are set. You cover hygiene and cross-contamination, blood-borne pathogens, skin, machines, needles, inks, consent and client care. It ends with a written assessment. It is not the glamorous part, but it is the part that makes you employable and keeps clients safe.
Week two: hands on
Now you tattoo. You set up a machine, learn needle depth and hand speed, and practise lining and shading on artificial skin. As your control improves you move onto colour, then to a supervised tattoo on a live model under a tutor.
Your first tattoo on real skin
This is the moment students remember. It is nerve-racking and it should be, but with a tutor beside you and weeks of preparation behind you, it is very doable. Finishing a clean piece on a real person is what turns a hobbyist into a beginner artist.
What you leave with
By the end you have a diploma, a certificate in hygiene and blood-borne pathogen awareness, a starter kit, and a portfolio of supervised work to show studios. More importantly, you have the fundamentals to keep improving on your own.
Ready to start?
Our 10-Day Beginner Tattoo Course follows exactly this structure in small classes in central Birmingham. Browse all our courses or book a place.