So let’s talk briefly about careers. When growing up, our parents influence our choice in the type of friends we make, our future husband/wife, and even careers later on in life. Typical parents would love for their sons or daughters to pursue the career of doctors or nurses, lawyers, politicians, or dentists. But the truth is, we will never know where we’ll end up until the day comes. One thing is for sure though; we are in charge of what becomes of our future. For those that follow the goals and dreams set out for them since the very first day they were born, they have things a bit easier knowing what lies ahead; but for other daring individuals out there that pursue a career in the artistic field, their dreams are unsure and discouraging at times. Artists, painters, professional sports player, and many others have to be prepared for success and failure when they chose that career path.
Business owners have to worry about their business being slow and not making profit. Singer and songwriters worry about whether people will like their music. Fashion designers worry about their designs not appealing to the fashion industry. It’s a risky job when you chose to follow the path of an artist. The career I’m going to talk about is being not only an artist, but an artist on skin. The choice to become a tattoo artist calls for a very unsteady income. Their income is based solely on the people and their desire for art. The artists still have to come in to work even if no one wants a tattoo. It just means they won’t get paid that day. Eight to nine hour shifts and not one penny to bring home. You never know when someone will walk in and get a five hundred dollar tattoo or a eighty dollar one. I’ll be interviewing Jerome Noveras about tattooing in today’s industry and his journey towards becoming a tattooer.
The Interview with Jerome Noveras
Michelle: So to start things off, tell me a little about yourself.
Jerome: My name is Jerome Noveras, I’m 21 years old and I’m currently tattooing at Royalty Tattoo Collective in Burlingame, California.
M: How did you decide that you wanted be a tattoo artist?
J: Well it started when I was young. I thought that all these people with tattoos were all “tough guys” and I wanted to be one of them. As I grew, so did my interest in tattoos not only because of the whole “tough guy” persona but the craftsmanship and the art. I always doodled in class and got in trouble a lot with it. Maybe it was in the 6th or 7th grade that I saw that I might actually have some drawing skills and I started to work with charcoal, oil paints, acrylics and whatever was at my disposal. When I was in high school I started to get into the punk rock scene and the graffiti scene, and that was where I started to see all the different styles of tattooing and I began seeing the intricacies of all these different tattoos and thinking to myself, “how the f*** did they do that?” from then on I was obsessed.
M: After your punk rock scene, when did you actually start tattooing? Did you actually use a tattoo machine or what did you use to imitate the machines?
J: Well I think I did my first tattoo when I was about sixteen and it was a stick and poke tattoo (the ones where you just get a needle, dip it in some ink and poke a design on your friend). I thought to myself that this was fun as sh*t! I did a few stick and pokes here and there but it wasn’t until my senior year of high school that I set out to look for an apprenticeship. That road was long and difficult to say the least (living in San Francisco the tattoo scene is very competitive). After spending most of my free time hanging out at tattoo shops and asking for apprenticeships pretty much everywhere and getting turned down, I decided that I would try to learn the best way I could, learn by trial and error. It was really hard at first but with a lot of patience I began tattooing (myself). The first tattoo I did was on my thigh and it wasn’t a complete disaster but I wasn’t a Horiyoshi III right away. Luckily I had some friends that were willing to let me practice on them, and what’s even luckier is that they’re still some of my best friends! They haven’t hated me yet for being my guinea pigs.
M: Let’s hear more about your journey. Like where you worked and how were those places like and how you got to where you are at now.
J: All of it has just been amazing and I’ve met a lot of amazing people on the way that helped me get to where I am today. At first I was just tattooing at home, trying to keep everything sanitary was hard though (so I don’t recommend tattooing out of your home). I used word of mouth to find new clients and at times it was slow and sometimes it was insane! Then in January of 2010 I started work at my first shop, The Artful Tattoo on Geary in the Richmond District of San Francisco. It was a little hole in the wall tattoo shop. It was a really good experience for me because I had to learn how to draw quickly and how to deal with customers. Then a couple of months later I found another shop that was hiring over in El Cerrito called Eclectic Tattoo. This shop was cool and all but I didn’t really like the environment plus the 35mins to an hour commute there just wasn’t what I was looking for. Recently, I’d say 2 weeks or so ago, I started work at the shop I am at now, Royalty Tattoo Collective. The owners are super chill and the environment was pretty much what I’ve been looking for. I found what was lacking at Eclectic over at Royalty. It’s a new shop and everyone is doing things as it goes along but it’s been great so far. I’m only in the beginning of my journey and I hope that I have many more years to come.
M: What is it like working at the shop? Tell me about the goods and bads of being an artist.
J: First off, we don’t get paid the same way as a minimum wage or a salary paying job. We don’t get paid vacation time or get any time off unless necessary. Every day is a business day and missing one day can be crucial; whether it was a big client or a small one, we try to accommodate all because they’re the ones that determine our income. Working at a shop, we have to treat every one that walks in as a customer and some days, there will be multiple artists working so if someone is tattooing already, the client can be for the artists that is free; unless the customer request the other artists based on the art style he/she is more experienced in tattooing. Most shops have a shop minimum, that is, no matter what size the customer wants, they will have to pay a minimum of say $80. Then the artist builds on to that eighty bucks and charges the customer the amount they believe the tattoo is worth. The shop then receives about 60% of the whole total and the artists gets only 40%. On good days, I can make about $500 just for 4 hours of tattoo. But then you have the slow days where no one comes in and no money is being made. I guess it somewhat balances out, although it’d be cool if I can make money every day!
The $500 tattoo he did. A buff man with a buff tattoo.
M: Now what is it like tattooing in today’s industry?
J: It can get hectic but all in all it’s so much fun. There are a lot of what we in the industry call “scratchers”. “Scratchers” is a term that refers to the people who are in the tattoo industry strictly for the money with barely to no experience. Tattooing is a life style and a lot of friends of mine that also tattoo, have dedicated their whole lives to the art of tattooing. You occasionally get those people who come into your shop and ask you for a quote and when you give it to them they’re all like “DAMN that’s a lot! I know a guy that can do it for like 1/3 of the price.” Whenever that happens, I either tell them to go to the other guy or I explain to them that tattoos aren’t like shoes that you can throw away when you’re tired of them. Another thing is that there is a lot more competition and a hell of a lot more tattoo shops than there were just ten years ago. I think that tattooing in today’s industry is also much easier because we have the internet, an almost unlimited source for references and an easier way to connect with other tattoo artists.
As you can see, this is considered a "scratcher" tattoo.
M: Who are some of the people who inspire you?
J: Horiyoshi the third, Shigenori Iwasaki (aka Shige), Bert Krak, Megan Wilson, Clifton Carter, Daryl Rodriguez just to name a few! When I first started tattooing I would go to the Japantown book store and read the Horiyoshi books they have there. It’s the one place I am able to find actual books on him. But there are so many great artists out there, and so many sources of inspiration that it’s crazy!
M: Is there anything you would like to say to the readers, and to the readers that might want to become tattoo artists themselves?
J: When choosing someone to do your tattoo, DO YOUR RESEARCH and find someone with a style that matches what you want to get done. Look at their portfolios and talk to them, tattooer’s aren’t a bunch of thugs, they’re really nice people. When looking at a certain tattoo shop, look around and see if they’re clean (also a good thing to do is check their bathroom for cleanliness). And for those of you who want to become tattoo artists, look for an apprenticeship! I didn’t take that route but I sure as hell wish that I could’ve found someone to teach me the right way from the get go. Tattooing isn’t for everyone and you should leave it to the professionals. You also have to remember that if you do want to become a tattoo artist, you’re going to be dealing with a bunch of knuckleheads, a**holes, and lowballers. It ain’t for the faint of heart they say.
So I don’t know if you can tell but this is the stuff that intrigues me about the tattoo industry. Everything about it from the hardship an artist goes through just to make their dreams come true to making bank in less than 4 hours. I have to work over 50 hours in order to make five hundred dollars. This also goes to show that if you are passionate about something, go ahead and do it! You’ll be more willing and enjoy it more than being forced to sit in a little office or cubical doing things that are lifeless and boring! Until next post, stay put for more tattoo fun!
As if my post isn't ridiculously long enough, here are some tattoos done by Jerome.
Lastly, the work in progress of my leg piece. The upside of having a boyfriend that tattoos, I don't need to pay for my tattoos since from the amount of work done on just the outline and some shading of this bottom lotus, I would have to pay over $200 dollars!
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