Holly! I doubt you remember me since you know you get so many comments but I got my apprenticeship!!! I wrote on one of your videos (cant find which one) and told you about my struggles. I kept it up and now Im an apprentice!! Thank you for telling me not to give up!!

Your portfolio is impressive, you already had the style down.

You're such a positive tattoo artist, most of the artists I've talked to are super negative about the industry which is clearly a way to scare my off but I've been getting tattooed by different artist and can of dipping my toe in a bit without being forward about wanting an apprenticeship just because I'm still in art school. So all this knowledge you share is super helpful and generous. Thank you so much!

I love how you say lady faces! It reminds me of how Phil Lester said lady door

I’m meeting with an artist near me next weekend to show him my work and talk about a potential apprenticeship. Videos like this are so helpful while preparing

So my question is, how do you feel after 3 years as a tattoo artist. I just became an apprentice and I'm loving every moment of it. My boss isn't a douche and isn't making me do weird stuff like wash his car, he's actually teaching me. Not sure if that correlates to how you perceive the career later on. I feel like people who have a bad apprenticeship generally had a bad taste in their mouth for the industry

Thanks for sharing ! :) My shop was just looking for part time help and maybe a bit of art preparation. I was maybe only a year out of school and had a ton of art to show but nothing really 'tattooesque' . But i just organised a portfolio with what i had making sure to put a mixture of every style and medium I've tried. They took me on immediately, i was full time within the first month and offered an Apprenticeship a year into working there. It all comes down to luck and perseverance i think, work hard to learn new styles and techniques and people will most certainly notice! Loved the video Holly :)

I just realised that I watched this video ages ago, I can't quite remember the context but I think it was around the time I got interested in tattooing. I've managed to stumble across it once again while looking for tips on how to build a portfolio and I just wanted to let you know how helpful this video was

This was really inspiring!! Tattooing is something I really want to pursue in the near future, seeing stuff like this really adds fuel to my fire!! Thank you!

I’m 29 and as an artist, I never experienced happiness in any job I had before... as a kid, art was more of a hobby to me..having a steady ($) job wasn’t counting art at all..starving artists..I’m talking about the 90s..mom used to say “I don’t wanna see you at the corner of the street selling your art and starving to death”...talk about dream killer..ironically, art brought me back to not starving to death today ( got a job at Sephora) and let me tell you, I was a cashier and I didn’t care that I wasn’t on stage doing client’s makeup.. and I didn’t care that I was standing up for so many hrs to come out after 12am for a two hr ride from Manhattan all the way to Rockaway (that meant the A line all the way to the last stop and then walk 15 minutes)I didn’t care.. I was so happy..I was in the middle of Times Square working at Sephora!... that was only a seasonal job..(at this point I finished drawing and inking one sketchbook..everyday I would draw in the train) and I made up my mind..and decided to become a tattoo artist.. idk what it is about the sound of that machine mannnn lol ..let’s just say I’m practicing everyday ..whether it’s drawing in my sketchbook or coming up with ideas for my portfolio or watching KZfaq videos or tattoing on practice skin ..it’s trilling..I’m happy (sorry for the long message)

I am IN LOVE with your skeleton Barbie drawing. It’s beautiful.

Those tea pots are excellent!

Your videos have made me so excited to finally make a portfolio!! I've always considered being a tattooist but I've always assumed I would never be confident enough with my art to permanently put it on someone's body. I recently started doing henna, though, and practicing designs I would want as tattoos and I think it's extremely fun (though I'm not very good at it yet) and people have suddenly been telling me that they would get my designs as tattoos and someone even recently asked me if they could get one of my drawings as a tattoo!! So thank you for giving me the confidence to actually take the first steps to trying to become an apprentice.

Did you draw these straight onto the paper or draw them in a sketchbook and scan them in to organise them etc? Love your vids!! So so helpful thank you

6:48 I just saw a tattoo on the first episode of the newest current season of ink master that looked just like, or very similar, to your moth drawing. It even had the skull, and I honestly think that your drawing looks so so much better.

What medium did you use? Sharpie? Pencil? Pen? I'm sure you used color pencils for the colored ones.

My portfolio sucked but thankfully I was accepted by my mentor.

Love all of these! If I was a tattooer I'd hire you on the spot. Also I want that dotd Barbie. So cute!

I do simple tattoos. Solid black and blackout tattoos. Basic colour tattoos. Cartoon characters and anthropomorphic head tattoos

I just turned 16 and I’ve been drawing and doing art all my life. I just started working on my portfolio. But after I get that finished do I just walk into a tattoo shop and talk to them about an apprenticeship

thank you for sharing and being so colourful Holly =]

Wow, honestly I didn't expect that they are so minimalist, I mean they are very good, but when I heard I need a good portfolio I was like omg I will need to do like fckn realistic portraits of people and dogs and colorful tattoostyles, level 10000 detailed things. But I guess it also depends on where you want to be an apprentice. I hope one day I can be confident with my portfolio to show it to an artist too. And thank you your videos help a lot!

I wanted to do this when I got out of high-school. My parents wanted me too. Then people started to make comments about "it's on them for life" then I had a bad tattoo (still do unfortunately) and that totally derailed my idea and love. I may do this and try now that I'm older and wiser. Thank you.

Did you draw these in sharpee or pencil? I’m 17 and I really want to start early as a tattoo artist! How old do you have to be to become an apprentice?

Thank Holly! Beautiful work and just the insight I needed on portfolio work. I just recently started taking my art seriously and am considering an apprenticeship.

Wow!!! This helps me feel a lot more confident with my work. I do a lot of realistic charcoal portraits, I think I'll include a lot of those in my portfolio while looking for an apprenticeship

Soooo in love with the second to last sheet overall but specifically the bird skulls omg 😍♥️😍♥️😍♥️😍♥️

Thankyou too much for your input and inspiration! Amazing work! God Bless!

love the purple eyebrow!!!

I was just wondering, before you got your apprenticeship, have you ever practice tattooing maybe on fake skin, fruits or something similar? Because becoming a tattoo artist is a big dream of mine but I though that apart from drawings done on paper you had to also show works done with a tattoo machine. Thank you for making this video, it was very helpful

The phases of the moon drawings are incredible

Love your accent! I've never been interested in going into this sort of work but it is fairly interesting. Keep up the good videos!!

You keep me motivated so much, thank you Holly!

Thank you so much for posting this! It really helps out xxxxx

So portfolios are more so drawings and not actual photos of you practicing ink on another person? Interesting! Thanks!

My parents are hell bent on me not becoming a tattoo artist but it is my dream.

Thank you for sharing!

Loving the necklace

Thank you for sharing. Great example of an apprenticeship earning portfolio!

Hey Holly! I have a question about apprenticeships. To put a long story short, the only places looking for apprentices at the moment aren't the best shops. they're not bad, just very standard. As someone looking for an apprenticeship, is an okay shop better than nothing? or should I wait it out? Honestly no amazing shops are taking apprenticeships anywhere near me and I've been accepted to a few in more average level shops. I've been debating this for a while!! Sorry that wasn't really a long story short was it? Hope you can answer!

Thank you.

Wow this actually doesn’t look hard I’m so excited to start my tattoo portfolio I’m 17 rn

This is extremely helpful!! Thank you!

good drawings, especially the banner, haha "lady faces" that's cute!!!

This was super motivational! Thank you!

How many of these drawings are from your imagination? I struggle to draw what’s in my head but can draw well. Do I need to be able to draw from imagination

Thank you, this video really helped me! Your drawings are so amazing! My portfolio needs to be done in an year so I'm working hard :))

i hot a question, would you judt put the original drawings into a portfolio or does it also work with copies of drawings? my best ones are in sketchbooks that i would rather not cut out

Did anyone else watching this video look at one of her drawings and felt tempted to redraw it😭... anyone is me

This help so much!! I want to be a tattoo artist and then this pops up in my recommended. It’s fate

Yeah!!!Thank you!

That skeleton barbie 💖💖💖💖💖

Thank you so much for sharing!!!

Did you go to uni to study art? How did u prepare for the apprenticeship?

These are all excellent pieces

What age would be best to start an apprenticeship????? I want to start when I've done my GCSEs but I'd be 16 and I don't know if I'd be allowed to do it that young

HOLY COW ! tu es forte !!!!!

I love your drawings u are an artist!! Very inspiring!! I want a tattoo by u

Geez. I see this and realize I definitely don't have the level... I knew it. But that's a slap in the face

Do you pay for apprenticeship?

I appreciate this! Thank you

love the lil burger necklace!!!!

I also share your hatred for banners, great work as always.....even though they're older drawings, still good.

mostly i was looking at your eyebrows when watching this :D i like the "unusuality" in it :D

very inspiring ! Thank you !

looks easy here i thought you need to show some mad drawing skills

What number graphic pen do you use when drawing designs?

Nice work!

okay i love your portfolio! But the drawings you have there, are they in their original form? Like, did just draw them and put it in the portfolio or did you take a picture or something and then put it on the portfolio? Just because it all looks really clean and organized!

I love the fact that you have liquid dnb in most of your videos 😂.

I love the underboob heart with flowers. First time ever considering. So pretty and cute. I love looking at these.

Olá sou do Brasil , estudando muito tatuagem com você.

great video and great work :)

Do you have any digital art in your portfolios? I have a decent amount of pencil drawings but, recently got a ipad and have bin expierementing with digital i was just wondering if I should drop it for a while, while working on my portfolio or should i continue and add it on.

I think I've seen the last page on Pinterest or a very similar design.

How did you become a tattoo artist? I want to become a tattoo artist like you and I draw my own designs but I don't know where to start. Where did you start to become a tattoo artist, what did you do first e.g. health care, design, etc? Advice would be much appreciated, thank you

Hey Holly! Thank you so much for your honest and helpful videos. I have a quick question that maybe you could help me with. I would be very very grateful if you have a second. I actually am not sure if portfolio for tattoo apprenticeship should be all hand-drawn originals or it should be prints of your designs (so in that case i can also draw on ipad, im a huge fan of digital painting)? I am pretty confused about this and sorry for my lack of knowledge haha :)

Your art is so cheerful and vibrant. What a breath of fresh air. Are you using a mechanical pen in your drawings? How do you get such consistent line quality and width in your drawings?

what work are known best for? color, back and grey, ect...

Beautiful 💕

really enjoyed this one (as I do with your other videos). could I ask what media you used for the colours? tbh am OK at drawing black and grey but my colour needs improving! peace

Did you trace over your sketches using procreate? I don’t have an iPad and I am not sure what program I can use on android

I've been working towards my portfolio for a while no and not really known how to progress it further, so this video has really helped. I have been drawing with pencils and paper and digitally also just to experiment and see what i can do. Bit of a weird question but for your colour designs are you just using basic colouring pencils you can buy from a craft shop or is it something else? TIA Jasmin

ha, nice timing for a little bit of bonus passag? #frecklyfrida is healing nicely x

Nice portfolio! Awesome creativity! Are you still doing tattoos for same place you started at, or?

Awesome! 👌

How old are you and for how long have you been drawing? Im asking because some people starts later in life.

also, did you stencil any or are all these free hand. they look great !

My portfolio looked similar to this and I asked around and alot of studios said it was limited...i feel like I'm stuck here

Good job

How do you get inspired? Are these paintings all just created by your mind or do you have a picture in front of you ?

are these all drawn on the same piece of paper or printed? can i use my ipad for some of the work and mix it in with handdrawn stuff>

Dope !

I’m not a very good drawer but I really want to pursu this as a career any advice

I do big A1 size hyper realistic drawings and I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to bring them in to the tattoo place 🤣, also can you JUST bring realism drawings or do you need a mix of a lot of styles💜💜💜

Ayyyyyyyyyyyyyeeee Mamiiiiiiiiiii$$$$iiiiiii🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤iiiiiiiiii…iiii 🌈🌈🌈🌈

Come back to the Netherlands please, I want your work on me!! :D

I’m trying to get better at drawing. Any suggestions?

Hi there, I have followed you for a while now & I appreciate your advice about tattoo apprenticeships. I wondered as I have started putting a portfolio together & I do free hand drawings but they look really messy & untidy, how do yours look so perfect? Thanks in advance :) xx

Hello ma'am... Do you sell your flashes? They're awesome!!