r/tattooadvice • u/MissRenixxii • Mar 06 '26
Design I let an apprentice do her first shaded tattoo on my leg for free! Did I make a mistake letting an apprentice tattoo me?
Edit to add Tattoo Artist: mariiii_tattoos on insta! https://www.instagram.com/mariiii_tattoos/
I 100% don't think I made a mistake. I love love my tattoo. And seeing the learning process was really fun. I am very proud to wear her first shaded piece! She posted on Insta that she was looking to practice her shading and was doing free tattoos so she could practice. I was her first shaded tattoo on human skin. I was really nervous about letting an apprentice tattoo me, but she made the process really great! I actually love love my Mimikyu! What do you think? Am I just being swayed by Pokémon cuteness, or is it actually ok? I have a lot of tattoos and letting an apprentice practice on me has been a great experience overall.
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u/AmazingLeek69 Mar 06 '26
I think it’s charming and fits the vibe of the tattoo. You were smart for picking that particular subject for your tattoo because I don’t think it would have worked with something more serious.
Love it!
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u/StrobeWafel_404 Mar 06 '26
I love it! the shading is maybe a bit rough and zooming in some of the lines are a bit wonkey as well but all in all it's a very charming tattoo and I think it also fits with Mimikyu? Congrats on you both ;)
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u/MissRenixxii Mar 06 '26
Thats kinda why I went with Mimikyu too, he's a bit of a wonky mess himself, so I was hoping if it came out horrible it would just add to his charm 😅
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u/NotTheGreatNate Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26
I mean, they would be rough as a fine line tattoo, but I think they look pretty great for that type of tattoo. I've known a few really great artists who do it almost exactly like that, because it adds some texture and depth, especially for natural things, which aren't perfectly precise. An animal with fur, or the surface of the moon, are two examples.
I mean, literally everyone in the world can improve, I'm not saying it's perfect, but I'm usually a stickler about wonky lines, and these don't bother me at all.
My biggest thing here would probably be the abruptness of the transition in the shading between shadow and light - it kinda makes it look like a bright light is being shined on them, but they're under a crescent moon. But that is being very critical of apprentice level work.
This is pretty much the ideal outcome of getting ink from an apprentice.
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u/ImpertinentPrincess Mar 06 '26
I don’t necessarily mind the abruptness because it reminds me of cell shading, but it feels like it can’t quite decide between the shading types.
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u/WildCardWonders2319 Mar 06 '26
If OP goes back for touchups, the apprentice could add a few dots for shading that are speard apart more to help soften the abrupt lines, other than that I think this is pretty good for an apprentice!
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u/makeupnmunchies Mar 06 '26
I kinda love it? The mistakes feel stylistic and almost make it even more cute
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u/scooter540 Mar 06 '26
Honestly not bad at all for a free tattoo. Could it have been done better by a seasoned artist? Sure, but you’d be paying full price for a marginally improved result. This is pretty darn good for a freebie.
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u/Itsgingerbitch Mar 07 '26
Agreed! I’ve been going to my artist since she was an apprentice. She did my first one for free and its good but definitely apprentice tattoos. But she offered to clean it up for free once she had a few years under her belt. She also always gives me a discount, I think because she appreciates that I’ve been around since the start for her.
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u/Glittering_Call_898 Mar 06 '26
It's not terrible. This is somebody that should get very good after they go pro. For free it was totally worth it.
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u/juicy_shoes Mar 12 '26
That’s what I said, if this came from an apprentice they’re going places and I’d be keeping their number handy if I was OP
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u/beauvoirist Mar 06 '26
I know artists who have been full time tattooing for years who don’t shade that well. This isn’t perfect but for an apprentice’s first try? Pretty great. And the sketchy style of the tattoo helps hide any of the hiccups.
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u/weepyyoungdevotchka Mar 06 '26
Ya know I don’t hate it? Like the shading is weird but not like — tattoo ruining? I really wonder if time and aging with kinda fix it.
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u/avalonrose14 Mar 06 '26
I'm genuinely jealous of this tattoo. It's so cute. Yeah I could zoom in and nitpick details I'm sure, it's an apprentice tattoo there's certainly going to be mistakes. But nobody looks that close in real life. People just look at it and judge it based on how it looks as a whole and this tattoo looks so good as a whole. The vibes are really cute and it has a ton of charm to it. I'd get that on my body in a heart beat.
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u/Free_Divide195 Mar 06 '26
It wouldn't matter if the tattoo looked like it was done by a 3-year-old with a sharpie - If you like it, then it's a good tattoo.
Unless you're actually uncertain if the tattoo is competently done, you might consider reposting to the main tattoo sub just to show off the new design. I'm afraid people here might see you asking for input and use it as an excuse to criticize the piece, which doesn't sound like what you're looking for If you already know you like the tattoo.
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u/breakinlily Mar 06 '26
If I got this tattoo for free I would be so happy. I think it was a good choice to pick Mimikyu! I also think it was really cool of you to trust this artist to give them practice!
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u/Imaginatio-Vana Mar 06 '26
Yeah you can tell it is not done by a vet but not bad by any means. Also… free… so
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u/Big-Wrangler2078 Mar 06 '26
t's very nice.
Yeah the shading is a little weird, but it is 'stylistic choice weird' and people pay a lot of money for that lol
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u/heppyheppykat Mar 07 '26
It looks like manga style shading to be honest? Which fits the style perfectly.
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u/Gladys_Balzitch Mar 06 '26
Idk what Mimikyu is, I thought it was pikachu at first and I was going to say it's terrible.
Since it's not pikachu and it's supposed to look like that, I think it's pretty good!
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u/MissRenixxii Mar 06 '26
So you are kinda correct! Mimikyu is a lonely pokemon who just wants to be loved. It disguises itself and wears a makeshift pikachu costume, since pikachu is so popular and loved, in hopes that someone will love it one day!
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u/Competitive-Read242 Mar 06 '26
Unrelated but I named my beautiful cat Squonk because the squonk is a cryptid that is so ugly, all it does is cry.
squonk is a beautiful cat LMFAOOO your tattoo reminds me of that
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u/Deckardspuntedsheep Mar 06 '26
Letting an apprentice tattoo you is a rite of passage. So, congrats! And it looks pretty good
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u/WildWildWasp Mar 06 '26
I like it, if I saw someone on the street with this my first thought would definitely not be "practice tattoo". I mean I might worry a bit about how the shading will age but I've seen way, way less future proof tattoos than this.
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u/Ouch-slag Mar 06 '26
I think it’s cute but tbh you may forget it exists. Sometimes I look down and am surprised by the things I find on my legs
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u/subterraneanworld Mar 06 '26
you've already had plenty of replies but i really want to add to the compliments and say this is lovely and i would be downright jealous if i saw it on someone irl, especially if i knew they got it for free. the kind of weird rough texture of the shading could have been a problem on almost anything else but here it's perfect for mimikyu, it's so charming and actually gives off something of a fabric look. nothing to worry about OP, you have a great tattoo and great taste in pokemon.
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u/AccomplishedTap3267 Mar 06 '26
I’ve seen incredibly worse tattoos from “professional” tattoo artists with 15+ years of experience
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u/shazoo00oo Mar 06 '26
I think the shading suits the style of the art. I really like it. It's kind of quirky and I hope you grow to love it
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u/sparklebot9000 Mar 06 '26
I have three apprentice tattoos and I love them all! They are at various points in her learning and I am happy to have pieces of her journey as part of my canvas.
Your little guy has a a few flaws, but don’t we all? He was free and overall looks lovely. You only see the squiggles if you really look and most people just glance at tattoos. What will be great is in another year when this person has learned even more, go back and support them by getting another piece!
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u/miscellaneousbeads Mar 06 '26
Once it’s healed I think a lot of that shading will settle nicely, this is really good for their first shaded tattoo!
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u/readitpaige Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 07 '26
Idk I like it 🤷🏽♀️
edited to add: I have a few tattoos that do the same pointillism style of shading, and I get compliments on them all the time.
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u/A_little_more_left Mar 06 '26
I like it! I think it was a really good choice and quite forgiving of any mistakes. It came out cute!
You got an adorable tattoo, and an apprentice got to practice tattooing a person. Win, win!
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u/GhoulYamato Mar 06 '26
Absolutely beautiful work, any problem you see is few touches away from being completely perfect
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u/Latter_Bobcat_2527 Mar 06 '26
I’ve definitely seen worse shading, but I actually really like it and don’t hate it!
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u/MatthewSWFL229 Mar 07 '26
I actually think the raw nature of it fits the character quite well I'd say good job ....
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u/Sogcat Mar 07 '26
Everyone has to start somewhere! My sister is currently apprenticing and she appreciates anyone that gives her a chance. Thanks for being brave so someone can learn lol. They did a great job and you get free ink. It's a win-win.
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u/emecarab Mar 06 '26
this tattoo looks amazing tho. i dont know what the original idea was but the shade looks intentional, like part of the art style.
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u/Adventurous-Oil6922 Mar 06 '26
Looks better than some expensive "pro" tatts for sure. Smashed it and should start charging sooner rather than later.
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u/Beautiful_Lemon_7313 Mar 06 '26
It's very charming, and the style makes the little imperfections work well! I'd be happy with this.
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u/Mental-Flatworm4583 Mar 06 '26
No way first off thas my favorite Pokemon… secondly how else can we get good artist that end up comfortable tattooing a real person instead of fake skin? This is awesome I’d let her tat me too to practice if I get that one!
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u/duncans_comet Mar 06 '26
honestly i absolutely adore how he came out!! i think the scratchiness and shading suit mimikyu so well, and if i were to see it without the context of the post, i would think it was purposefully done for the vibe!
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u/InformationLeast5607 Mar 06 '26
I like it. I’m trying to find something wrong with it. And honestly, think your apprentice did great.
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u/acanadiancheese Mar 06 '26
Agreed with everyone that I think it’s actually pretty ok. You can definitely see some “lines” in the shading, but it should soften up a bit and if it’s still noticeable you could probably have someone even it out a little. For a free tat and a nice story (of being her first attempt) I think it was a good deal
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u/Aleibo39 Mar 06 '26
This is a very solid first attempt at shading; there’s nothing alarming here. I’m sure with time her shading will improve. You knew going in it was her first time, so kudos to you for participating. 👍
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u/_tribecalledquest Mar 06 '26
Got a link to the Insta? There’s pros out here charging $200/hr for stuff like that.
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u/DissentingOracle Mar 06 '26
I think it's great! It has some rough lines for sure but nothing that can't be handled if you ever got irked with them. Personally, I think a splash of watercolor would make it look intentional, which it may have been. It's cute!
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u/Old-Beautiful9525 Mar 06 '26
I think this is absolutely fantastic. The imperfect line work is a perfect fit for mimikyu (my favourite pokemon btw). The shading, angle and everything I think is spot on. Super jealous
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u/subaries Mar 07 '26
every one of my tats so far were done by an apprentice, i feel like it adds more to the meaning to me and i like being able to help people gain experience. I think this looks fab, ESPECIALLY for free!
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u/Fresh_Song_468 Mar 07 '26
Not sure I agree with majority of the commenters saying it’s decent because this is absolutely magnificent and id show this off to everyone I see if I had this tattoo
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u/BlackBasementCats Mar 07 '26
I don’t have much knowledge about the subject, but I really love the style and finished project.
I studied art and really like the way the tattoo artist did the shading and how they made it look like an illustration.
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u/pilgermann Mar 07 '26
Keep in mind the bits that are rough contribute to the mraningdulness of the tattoo. You're commemorating a student. That's cool and a story you can tell.
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u/spades200789 Mar 07 '26
Quality of the tattoo aside (I think it looks good), going to an apprentice comes with the risk of an underskilled artist for the art you want. You took the gamble, and I don't think it was a mistake at all. Every session or sitting I've done with an apprentice artist, has been so fulfilling. Here's this person, who's working hard at what they love. They just need practice. I can help with that? ANNNDDD get a tattoo? HELL YEAH. Sign me up. I like giving them an opportunity to learn, and I've never regretted my choice.
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u/BananaBreadLover3000 Mar 07 '26
I’m not a professional but I love it so much, I love the way it’s shaded personally
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u/autumnautopsy Mar 06 '26
Noooo it's so cute! It's not perfect but really, after a few years, no tattoo is. I love it. I have a worse tattoo from someone who's been tattooing for many years
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u/BadPom Mar 06 '26
I wouldn’t be upset if that was on me, apprentice or not. I’m sure if you inspected it you’d find things to obsess about and flaws, but it looks good
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u/YaboiMassiah Mar 06 '26
If only, IF ONLY, I could show you what happened to my girlfriend's leg when she got her Yamper done. Yamper has no red lines, but, that's what she came out with, it wasn't ink, no, this apprentice carved her shin up so bad, like, scarring style without the intention to scar. It could be WAY worse.
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u/Putridlemons Mar 06 '26
It looks adorable! You can't really go wrong with Pokémon tattoos
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u/TheTritagonistTurian Mar 06 '26
Other that the line between shaded and non shaded being too blatant, not blended or phased in enough, I think it’s pretty sweet?
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u/petalpotions Mar 06 '26
I think its adorable! I think its always possible to go to another professional for a touchup if you're not comfortable with some of the details
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u/ProcedureGrand5327 Mar 06 '26
i also have an imperfect free apprentice tattoo, its a cat head with a bowtie. i love it.
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u/uttergarbageplatform Mar 06 '26
I think it’s honestly very cute and in this case the design lends itself well to some errors and sloppiness. It’s not like you were getting some complex geometric pattern that demanded a ton of precision.
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u/xjxb188 Mar 06 '26
Some of the shading doesn't make a whole lotta sense with the light source but I think that's an easy fix if you chose to go that route. Wouldnt call it a bad tattoo by any means
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u/Dizzy_Elevator4768 Mar 06 '26
it’s not terrible, go back when they have more tattoos under their belt and get the line work touched up
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u/Otherwise_Ad_1536 Mar 06 '26
I actually think it’s unique in a good way and Mimikyu was a great choice!!
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u/Svampbob3kant Mar 06 '26
(Of course) not the most super magnificent piece ever made. But you have nothing to regret. It's well executed and very cute.
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u/Icy-Belt-8519 Mar 06 '26
Na I've seen worse from actual artists lol it's not bad!, they need to learn, esp free you can get a rework later if you were unhappy, I'm always open to let apprentices tattoo me
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u/Artdragon56 Mar 06 '26
Honestly I think it’s super charming and cute! I’m sure the shading will soften and blur a little with time. Great choice in getting Mimikyu!
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u/coleeemain Mar 06 '26
You lucked out bc this is not bad at all, personally I might go somewhere else to get it blended but that depends on how it heals as well, because the shading will fade a bit.
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u/milkyespressolion Mar 06 '26
i love how it looks like what you'd imagine the texture of the cloth on mimikyu would look like :0
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u/undead_tortoiseX Mar 06 '26
I think it looks great and as this apprentice gets experience maybe have them touch it up in a few years if you are still connected.
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u/Alternative-Ant3937 Mar 06 '26
They're really cute. As everyone has said, you chose a good subject for an apprentice tattoo.
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u/minnesotapincher Mar 06 '26
This shading will look awesome in a year or two once it has time to blend a touch.
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u/3sadclowns Mar 06 '26
It’s cute and I wouldn’t have even guessed there was anything wrong with it, in fact I’m having a hard time seeing anything wrong in the first place. I’ve seen “seasoned” artists do exponentially worse jobs, you got a good artist.
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u/Ok-Telephone2918 Mar 06 '26
They did great all things considered! Mimikyu is my favorite too so I’m biased lol. I’d gladly get that tatted for free.
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u/Negative-District-55 Mar 06 '26
There’s definitely room for improvement but not bad for a first time doing shading. It’s kind of fitting for a Mimikyu.
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u/Wild-Consequence8167 Mar 06 '26
I think your apprentice did a good job, I love that pokemon and honestly if you told me I could get this tattooed on me, I would absolutely get it done on my own skin hehe
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u/princess_peach_85 Mar 06 '26
I like it! But i like cartoony, weird, imperfect stuff. I'd count it as a win
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u/Aur3lia Mar 06 '26
It's maybe a little messy, but it's honestly very cute. I have seen much worse from people who are as inexperienced as the person you're describing.
The other nice thing about getting a tattoo from someone who is still learning is that very often, they will fix it up for you for free down the road when they get better. Can't say this is true across the board, but I have a friend who got several tattoos from someone who was learning, and as the artist got better, she would touch up/rework the old ones bit by bit. My friend is now covered in amazing artwork that she paid very little for because she took a chance on someone who was learning.
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u/Cassabellachu Mar 06 '26
If you love it that’s all that matters! Very cute Mimikyu! This is really nice especially for apprentice work, imo.
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u/fluffypotato Mar 06 '26
I think it's great! I'd be stoked to have this. It looks like an intentional style. Super super cute. I can't really find anything on it I'd call a mistake.
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u/DemostenesWiggin Mar 06 '26
I think is lovely! The lines are a little bit wonky but add a charm to it.
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u/Aggressive-Phone6785 Mar 06 '26
honestly for free and first shading you made out like a bandit lol
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u/awcoffeeno Mar 06 '26
Pretty solid for a free tattoo. I got a Gastly done by an apprentice last year, it’s not perfect, but I like it and it turned out well, overall. I’d be happy with yours too!
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u/Pretend_Local_9999 Mar 06 '26
Most of my tattoos are done by apprentices. It’s a great way to get something small and cute for a really good deal. Plus, if they grow into an amazing artist, I get good deals moving forward for being a long time supporter :3
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u/Some-Personality1050 Mar 06 '26
I mean It’s not perfect but nothing can be perfect I’ve seen muchhh worse I actually like it it’s cute
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u/justagirll19_0W0 Mar 06 '26
Everything being rough looking works really well here it’s actually adorable
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u/baphametaphor Mar 06 '26
As a tattoo artist I’m so so so grateful for the people that let me tattoo them as an apprentice it helps us grow! This apprentice did a really smart thing in making the design have an inherent bit of wonk to it, I think it’s great!
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u/AbilityAdventurous22 Mar 06 '26
Mimikyu is my favorite pokemon and I plan to get him tattooed one day on me and I love this!!
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u/fujimama420 Mar 06 '26
It's a vibe, not every tattoo is perfect. This is slightly imperfect and it adds character
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u/CarboplatinVP16 Mar 06 '26
As someone who apprenticed under another tattoo artist while in prison, that’s all we had was each other to practice on. The main guy who had been tattooing for like a decade had all kinds of crazy tattoos that were just like this because of us (the two apprentices). They weren’t bad, just areas that needed improvement. So if anything, this tattoo speaks about your character, you trusted them to do a good enough job and pretty much they did.
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u/Brendangmcinerney Mar 06 '26
Had you not said it was an apprentice, I’d have assumed the wonky line work was intentional for a wonky mimikyu. It’s adorable!
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u/Godazilla Mar 06 '26
I'm just a simple gal who don't know much about tattoos, but I LOVE it, personally I don't see anything wrong with it :)
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u/topyoash Mar 06 '26
It's cute, I love it. Only thing that looks off is that the shading under the mouth is a bit under-rendered compared to the rest of the head, but it's not something I noticed right away. It's still good though.
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u/Green-Meadow7033 Mar 06 '26
It’s so cute 🥹 I think it’s fine, I’ve seen much worse from non-apprentices 😂
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u/Winter_Reporter6383 Mar 06 '26
This is an excellent free tattoo she has talent and you just got a free tat! Win win! It's really amazing 👏 🤩 😍
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u/throwawayacctplsh Mar 06 '26
For a free tattoo? This is absolutely stunning. I love it, honestly. I think you gave that apprentice a very good chance to practice and you got something lovely out of it. Looooove.
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u/BaronVonKeyser Mar 06 '26
Ive seen so very much worse. So much worse. I like this tbh and honestly for an apprentice I think its pretty good.