Tattooing is without doubt one lucrative career option. While it has been pretty much nonexistent in this part of the world a decade and half back, tattooing has turned out to be the best career opportunity for artists recently. The most important reasons being it still a fresh field and the exploding popularity. The remuneration in comparison to the world’s highest paying jobs is also standing tall, with top rated artists in the country charging close to one lakh per sitting. Recognition, fame and job satisfaction is also leading factors that attract raw talents to the trade.Due to the lack of a governing body that regulates the standards of the field, an increase in rookies practicing tattooing with less than basic knowledge of the various aspects of the process and disregard for the safety of their clients is also on the rise, Anoop J, Founder of Restless Monkey Clan Tattoos notes. This phenomenon is happening due to a few reasons he says, the main being the lack of proper training facilities in Kerala.

I’ve been approached by a lot of people who wanted to know the basics like what voltage should a machine be operated, which inks to use and so on. These are very basic things, and they have approached many studios and who refused to give out these info. While I have no issues in sharing stuff we do and Restless Monkey Clan is always welcoming of visitors and customers alike, it’s also notable that most of these guys have already started tattooing. And that’s one worrying factor. Information like what voltage one machine is operating is not at all helpful for anyone, because each machine is different and there are a lot of other factors regarding tattoo machine operation that decide whether your work will turn out to be fine. And those things can’t be learned by a mere visit to a studio. Anoop adds- This is one of the main reasons why we decided to start a proper tattoo course with a curriculum designed to take someone with a good aptitude and artistic talent to work through the various aspects of tattooing, releasing their full potential There’s a pronounced lack of awareness in the general public too, as to what’s a good tattoo and a bad one. People often try to get a bargain or offers, and end up permanently damaging their skin, sometimes in ways even a cover up can’t salvage. The rise in number of people who call themselves tattoo artists and does these kind of messed up tattoos are bringing bad reputation for the whole industry. People still relates tattoos with the kind of antisocial behaviour and illegalities once it was known for. Tattoos have changed since, and the industry is now thriving, with more and more professionals and celebrities getting inked and the art form being accepted in all walks of life in general. We still have a lot more to go, and this can only be achieved by giving more popularity to good art and artists.

Parents of kids who want to pursue a career in Tattoo art are also still wary of the reputation the title of a Tattoo artist holds. As a form of self-expression and personal development, tattooing is getting more and more accepted day by day. It was a lot harder to make a good living being an artist a few decades back. Todays reputed tattoo artists are nothing short of rock stars, recognized globally and living a lifestyle others can merely aspire. A good tattoo artist can find job in any part of the world, as studios are open to visiting artists with a good client base and social media following. You don’t have to hesitate to move anywhere, as your portfolio speaks for itself and exposure and acceptance is also much higher in the western world. Restless Monkey Clan’s tattoo course curriculum is designed to train an upcoming artist through all aspects of tattooing, starting from basic expression in art and digital sketching. The whole atmosphere is very much conductive and learning oriented. Someone with a good grasp in painting/sketching is well appreciated, no matter they have an experience in tattoos or not. Students here are pushed to think creatively and develop a style of their own, rather than blindly follow the trends.

When I and my brother Aadarsh started Restless Monkey Clan Tattoos, it was based on a simple ideology to bring international work standards to tattooing here in our home state- Anoop states. It took us almost a decade to reach where we are, and it has been a path of constant learning. With no one to guide and lack of information, it was a difficult path indeed. We are happy to share what we have learned and that’s what we do at Restless Monkey. With our tattoo learning program, we believe what took us years can be achieved in months. You just need right guidance and support, apart from a passion for the art and talent. We are welcoming art enthusiasts from anywhere, and the fees structure has also been designed to keep it affordable. When there is no course that assures a good paying job as soon as the course is completed, students who just completed our course are placed in newly opening studios with good salary very easily. Restless Monkey Clan has also offered an internship program along with the course, with a salary, so that students who complete the course can also get more experience working under guidance from the faculty.

In Anoop’s own words, Art has always been a way to bring and share happiness and Tattooart is nothing different. We are determined to spread more happiness for sure and our clan of happiness dealers is growing very fast with every new batch.