The Inked Perspective

“It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness”, said Seneca. While not a Greek philosopher, Quentin Biggs (lovingly known as Q) encapsulates this mantra both as a tattoo artist at Liberation Tattoo in Springfield, Missouri and as a former apprentice of Marshall Richards, the shop’s owner.

Many people are under the false impression that anyone can tattoo. While the meat and potatoes of that statement are indeed true, the same can be said for anybody being able to open a restaurant or fly an F-16; just because you can, doesn’t mean you have the training, certifications, or supervised hours of practice to effectively do so. Tattoo apprentices, on the other hand, do (if the apprenticeship was done properly). According to the Missouri Office of Tattooing, Body Piercing, and Branding Licensing Requirements, apprentices must have at least 300 hours of practical experience (i.e. tattooing or learning how to do so), complete a minimum of fifty procedures, and complete a certification of a Bloodborne Pathogen Training Program. All of this must be completed under the supervision of a licensed professional within that shop.

Bear in mind, this is just a section pertaining to the apprenticeship. So not only is the apprentice faced with the possibility of failure or their apprenticeship taking a long time; their mentor’s (and future employer’s) neck is on the line throughout the whole process. To say that the experience is stressful is an understatement, but at the end it’s rewarding.

For Quentin Biggs, this was a 27-month process. When asked if there were any parts of the apprenticeship that were difficult, his answer was surprising. “The hardest part of the apprenticeship was managing the relationship with my mentor,” Q says. “Prior to my apprenticeship, he (Marshall Richards) was and still is my best friend. This caused us to clash heads, but as far as hardships during the apprenticeship there weren’t any.” As with any relationship, though, growth produces excellent results. “It was merely a matter of managing our new relationship of mentor and trainee.”

When asked about his most memorable experience during his apprenticeship, Q had two examples. “Well, I got my first head tattoo while I was apprenticing, so I’d say that was memorable. My other memorable experience was doing my first tattoo.”

For Marshall Richards, co-owner of Liberation Tattoo in Springfield, Missouri, he has the perspective of someone who has both been the apprentice and the mentor. “My favorite part about having an apprentice was rehashing what I know, while figuring out what I don’t know, so I can make sure they (the apprentice) know it.” “Re-establishing the passion for tattooing and the reasons why I tattoo were also important as well.”, says Marshall. When asked about a memorable moment during his time as a mentor, Marshall had this to say: “I go back to remember what Jerika (his mentor) said: Commit to the Line. Also, making sure that the apprentice knows that there must be commitment, dedication, and sacrifice to succeed.” He goes on to say, “It will give you a lot if you give it a lot.”

When asked about what advice Marshall would give to a potential apprentice, he says “Like I said before, it takes a lot of commitment, dedication, and sacrifice to do this work. I don’t think many people are fully aware of that just yet until they’re doing it, which makes it a moot point to bring up, but it takes so much if you want to do it how I perceive to do it or the loving way to do it.” Marshal also had this advice for someone looking to get into tattooing: “There’s this old saying ‘You got personal time, career time, and social life; you only get to pick two’. I don’t think a lot of people are ready to realize that they have to give up something.”

Aside from being steeped in tradition, the tattoo apprenticeship process is an important step in any artist’s journey. For the mentor, they can ensure that their protégé is ready to take on not just the clientele, but keep to the standards of the shop they will be working in. For the apprentice, the journey has just begun and there is a standard to uphold. At the end of the process, though, they are certified, practiced, and above all: licensed to thrill.