[thefirstlady]

Some apprenticeships are like that, but all the tattoo artists I know, along with myself do bitch work. It's sort of a right of passage. We clean, we take trash out, we do everything. Sure they teach us and we tattoo on grapefruits, but there's a lot of work we do around the shop as a way to help pay off the apprenticeship. Also learn the parts of the tattoo machine, learn about the different types of lining needles, shading needles, power sources, etc. There's a lot to learn and it does take time. You never stop learning!