Today was an odd one...

Set up this morning as usual, answered emails and phone calls as usual, tried to work on the fake skin and couldn't get a single straight line at all! So I gave up for a little while frustrated and stressed, then it was pointed out to me that I'd forgotten my elastic band, doh! No wonder I couldn't get a decent line! Then it got more frustrating... I had to tattoo with the fake skin strapped to an arm, I've already been working with it resting on my leg (so I'm not working on a flat surface) but this was so different. I understand that eventually I will be working on arms and legs and everything in between but I wasn't ready for it today. With the afternoons frustration built up and the lack of a 'minute to think' about what I was doing it all ended in tears. Today has definitely been a 'I'm not cut out for this' day, fresh start again tomorrow though, I'm not giving up just yet...

Feeling ill and making stencils...

This morning I felt so ill I didn't think I was going to make it through the day, the drive from York was horrible, I thought I was going to fall asleep. When I got to the studio I managed to perk myself up with some painkillers and a gallon of tea. Luckily the day went by fast enough and I'm now tucked up in my pj's ready for an early night. I did manage to make some stencils of letters ready for tomorrows practice skins, I even have a photo...

I'll try and get another photo tomorrow of my tattooed letters, hopefully they won't be too wonky!
I'm mostly working with letters at the moment because thats one of the best things for practicing line work, also the fake 'skin' I'm working on isn't great for anything other than practicing lines. Once I get better at the lines it'll be onto the pig skin to try everything else...

The last two days have been so much happier than the days before.
I couldn't post last night due to internet connectivity issues so I should have plently to say tonight... but I don't, it's been quite quiet, unless I want my lunch (or a cup of tea) and then it gets busy, hahaha
I've been working with my pen in my machine and with needles and ink on the fake 'skin' again and my lines are getting smoother, still not amazing but there's been an improvement. I'll try get a picture of the next one... I did some drawing too, I don't know why I didn't finish off the unfinished drawings I have rather than start new ones but thats just what happens when you get inspired. If I ever finish off the unfinished pieces I have lying around then I'll have tons of new art to show, I really do need more time! Tonight though I'm going for an early night, I'm so tired, I have a feeling I'll get into bed and then be struck by the drawing bug but if I try I might just fall asleep x

Whinging, prints and drawing time!

One thing after another at the minute, now Chris's car is knackered too and a little bit beyond our means to fix, waahhhh! hahaha
Ok then, whinge over, going to have to rein the whinges in from now on, I've been a whinge monster lately, I'm doing my own head in!
I have pictures today....
Of prints that I made last week and my power pack and pink clip cord.

The prints are just waiting to be signed and wrapped now, I can't wait to get them sorted :D
I'm planning on a mega drawing session tonight, I need to put this nervous energy to good use and fire out some art work!!

A strange day, I've been annoyed, wound up and then completely de-stressed again. I love my friends and family, I don't know what I'd do without them.
I had plans to paint this evening but they've been stomped all over, now I'm tired and in need of my bed, Monday always tends to be a bust! I've been practicing with my pen and machine again today and I feel like I may have made some progress, perhaps in the most obvious way... I realised I'd been watching the line I'd drawn (to see how straight it was) rather the the line I was following, sounds simple (and also stupid!) but I feel like it's made a massive difference, plus I'm not really getting hand ache anymore, am I finally getting use to the weight of my heavy machine?!?! I hope so :)

Trying to relax....

Day off and I still get messages from work, on my only day with Chris, wahhh!! I think I may start turning my phone off when I leave the shop on a Saturday night and not turn it back on again until about half 10 on Monday morning...
I didn't get back to York until after 9 last night so I'm trying to have a chilled out day today, I've been feeling pretty stressed this week. Being around other people who are stressed takes it out of you, especially if you're like me and take everything to heart, I hate walking around on eggshells. I'm currently watching old episodes of Friends and drinking tea, later I'll get my pen and tattoo machine out and have a practice tracing letters and words again. I've been thinking a lot about the painting projects I want to start soon, it's been ages since I've properly sat down and painted and I miss it loads. Chris is going to make some boards for me to paint on and I can't wait to get started on something more relaxing that I can actually do for a change.

All I can say about today is that it's been horrible, I'll be glad when I'm on my way back to York to the boyfriend and cat tomorrow night.... Can I have more nice days please?

Today was productive, even if I didn't get to do everything I set out to. I drew with my pen in my machine, I was loads smoother than yesterday but I still have some way to go. Then my power supply, footswitch and clip cord (its pink!) turned up and I was able to start on the fake 'skin' we have at the studio with actual needles and ink.... I was rubbish! I struggled with maintaining depth, speed, the right angle, luckily I had someone there to tell me what I was doing wrong and I'm so glad I wasn't thrown in at the deep end on real skin. Hopefully next time I'll be better, I'll just have to keep practicing with my pen, on the 'skin' and then I've been told I'll be moving on to pigskin.... yuukkk! Surely the only way is up now?!?!
I'm now in the process of sorting out my diary for the year and organising the drawing and painting projects I have on the go, busy busy! I wish tattooing could be as simple as painting....

Feeling down and planning ahead...

I was feeling a little ill and down yesterday so I wasn't really in the mood to post. I'd been working with my pen in my tattoo machine and I couldn't seem to draw any straight lines, that coupled with looking at some amazing artwork made me feel like I wasn't good enough to be learning to tattoo. So I had an early night last night woke up feeling well rested and a little bit more positive. There are always going to be down days, its part of the artistic temperament, I just have to keep reminding myself that John wouldn't have taken me on if he didn't think I could do it! Today I'm making plans and generally trying to prepare myself more for what's ahead, I need to organise (in fact I still need a diary for this year!) and get on top of things, its going to be a busy one... 

Tattoo Machine!!

Whoo hooo!! My tattoo machine arrived today, my first official machine! It's a Sunskin liner, I love it!
For the last few months I've been practicing drawing things with a pencil in a tattoo machine, scripts and tribals and then just before Christmas I was drawing with the pencil machine while it was plugged into a power supply. All this to get my hand strong and use to the weight, its a little bit heavier than a pencil and vibrates just a little more too, lol. Now I can practice with my own machine, I was also able to order my own power supply today too, so it looks like I'm getting closer to actual skin finally! :D

What a busy weekend! I'm so tired and a little bit hungover today, me and Chris finally got back to York at about 5pm. I've been chilling out watching tv all evening wrapped in my dressing gown and feeling sorry for myself. Not as sorry as Chris though who has a massively swollen leg after his tattoo on Sunday and has been sat on the couch with his leg up since we got back. I'll try and get a picture of it to post but probably not tonight, I can't be bothered!
The convention was still a little bit stressful, I was happy when we were all packed up at about half seven and could go for a drink, everyone could finally relax. It was amazing to be there as part of a team and I met some new people but the thought of having to do this every month for the next few is quite scary, I better get used to it quick. Now I'm off for an early night before I have to drive back up to Seaham tomorrow, I might not be able to face it otherwise. Night x

Stress headed-ness and a pencil drawing....

Today was one of those days where nothing really happened but it still went by really quickly. My friend got tattooed, we had a bit of a catch up, all was good. Right now I should be packing for the weekend in Telford but I've been putting it off for a while, I'm sick of packing!! Tomorrow I have to go to the studio to get things packed up, then I have to got to York to pick up Chris, then I have to drive to Telford, so I'm not looking forward to all of the driving either. I have that nervous stressing feeling I get when I'm not really in control of what's going to be happening, I certainly don't have any control over what's going to be happening for the next few days. I just like to have a plan, I'm a right stress head, I wish I didn't worry about things that are outside of my control because worrying doesn't help, its not going to change anything, its just going to make me unhappy until everything is over and back to normal. Maybe once I've finished this post and packed my bag I'll feel less stressed, maybe....
I've kind of sorted some pictures out so here is an original pencil sketch and a finished drawing I worked on a while ago now. Once I get a decent picture I'll post the finished drawing again.

It's pencil on bristol board, this is almost a new medium to me since its something I very rarely work with, I'm still learning! I enjoyed working on it and I'm hoping to do some more pencil work soon, I also did a pencil portrait drawing before Christmas (well two actually but one was sold) and again once I have a good picture I'll get her posted.

Right, packing and sleep time....

Birthday's, Friday the 13th and conventions...

Didn't get to post last night, my mum turned 50 yesterday so I was out with family celebrating, I had a lovely night. Today however I am feeling a bit down, missing the boyfriend and the cat I think...
Tomorrow is Friday 13th and my friend is getting tattooed at the studio, I'm looking forward to a good catch up because I haven't seen her since before Christmas now, plus she's all excited because she's getting her 13th tattoo on Friday the 13th, hahaha
This weekend the studio is off to the Tattoo Freeze convention in Telford, I'm excited because although it's not my first convention, it's my first convention where I'm going as part of a tattoo studio. The idea of meeting new people is making me nervous but I'm sure I'll settle once I'm there and 'working'. I wish I could have gotten booked in for a tattoo with somebody, infact I'm determined to get booked in with somebody this year, I just don't know who. I have a list as long as my arm of people I'd like to get tattooed by and I don't know what I'd like from any of them yet.....
No pictures tonight, I have a pile full of drawings but no decent pictures of any of them, I'll work on it for tomorrow x

Dragons....

I must admit I was totally dreading attempting to draw the dragons, I drew some dragon heads earlier today, they weren't as bad as I was expecting. There are definitely things that need ironing out but that will come with practice, I am officially completely out of my comfort zone when it comes to drawing dragons since it's not a subject matter I know at all!

Still working on body shapes now....

More homework...

Well I say homework, I'll probably be working on them at the shop tomorrow. Drawings of a Japanese dragon and a tribal piece for a bicep, oh the joys! I know nothing about Japanese work at all so I'm frantically trying to research now and as for tribal... well it's all about fit and flow with the body so as long as I have an image of a bicep near by I should be able to work out something that will kind of fit, I am still just learning after all!!
Here is another half finished picture of my biro drawing...

I wish I'd done her eyes already, I think it will look completely different when her eyes are finished. I might get her done soon, man I hate being slow. I don't think I'll ever get round to producing a nice, neat finished one that doesn't have biro construction lines all over her face! Perhaps I'm a little bit stressed tonight?!?

Day off...

I didn't get to post yesterday, I was too busy!
The shop was mega busy all day and then I had to drive back to York last night, so I tried to chill out when I got in.
Mega lie in this morning, today is my day off so I always plan to do nothing but end up feeling guilty and then the pencils and paper come out. I've been working on my biro drawing on and off for the last few days, I've managed to get a fair bit done today but my pen has ran out of ink. Also I don't have my camera to show you my progress so this is kind of a pointless post... again...
My day in York always goes by really quick and I'm already feeling sad about leaving Chris and Jack again, I look forward to the day when I'm tattooing and able to spend more time with my little family, miss you two x

Today I've been tired, headachy and just generally feeling stressed, probably because of the headache!   It's hard to be to be happy and welcoming and patient and polite and nice to everyone especially when I'm not feeling my best (isn't it the same for us all?). I could have just curled up in a ball somewhere quiet and slept until the headache went away.... it's safe to say that to day has not been an inspired one!
My head still hurts now so I'm going to bed in the hope that I'll wake up feeling fresh as a daisy tomorrow. Tomorrow is also the day I get to go back to York so I'm looking forward to seeing Chris and my cat Jack :D

Biro drawing...

I didn't even get started on my biro drawings last night, inspiration was not my friend! So I had to start one today at the studio...

No pencil sketching at all, everything was sketched with the biro, so she's always going to have those lovely construction lines through her face! I really enjoyed doing it actually, I thought that if I couldn't get things sketched out and right with a pencil first I'd hate it. But it was fun and I'm actually looking forward to getting her a bit more finished now.

Biro pen 'homework'

So tired today, I think an early night is in order, so much for giving up sleep to paint!Today I mentioned that I wanted to try and do some biro pen drawings, so that instantly became my 'homework', I have to do one completely in biro, from sketch to finished piece (eekkk!) and one how I usually work with a pencil drawing as a starting point, this should be fun. Now, what to draw....
Update later?!

How I got my apprenticeship...

Well if I'm going to start a diary I may as well tell you a little bit about how I got my apprenticeship. I'd been trying to get into a tattoo studio, as an apprentice, for the better part of 2 years, before this I was working as a prop maker / painter at a workshop in York, it wasn't for me. I spoke with and visited a few tattoo studios, in and around the north of England, I had some good experiences and some bad but ultimately nothing came from this. I decided that the little portfolio of work I had wasn't good enough and that I'd work on my art until I felt ready to try for an apprenticeship again. My confidence grew and I took part in an art exhibition. Then in May / June last year I decided that I was going to book in for a tattoo with someone who's work I was a massive fan of, my friend had recently been for a tattoo from John and she seemed to think there might be space at the studio for an apprentice (thanks Pauline!). I was going to show him my artwork while I was there, I was skint but wanted to take the chance and nearly bottled the whole thing when I found out how honest he was rumoured to be, I still didn't have the confidence to ask about an apprenticeship! Luckily with the help of a pushy boyfriend (thanks Chris!) I showed John one of my paintings, it went down well and this is how I got my apprenticeship.
So currently I live in York, work in Seaham and stay with family most of the week in Hartlepool, I feel like I spend most of my time driving but I know how lucky I am, both with the apprenticeship and with having such a supportive family.
And since I feel like I've written an essay.... here is a painting that I've nearly finished, I feel like I've been working on it forever but since starting the apprenticeship there hasn't been a whole lot of time for painting (which I miss a lot, but drawing has taken over), I think I may give up sleep just so I have more painting time, I always feel more inspired on a night anyway....

 night night x

New year, apprenticeship diary?!

Well, it's now officially 2012, a whole year since I started blogging and last year I was so forgetful, this year I'm going to try and blog every day. I'd like to record my feelings and thoughts about my tattoo apprenticeship over the next year, I'm already 6 months in and I've never been so excited, confused and completely consumed by anything like this before. I'll also try and share as many new drawings, sketches and paintings as I can and hopefully soon I'll be able to share my tattoos too. Best wishes for 2012 everybody :) x