Tattoo Topic - An Oversaturated Industry? | SullenTV

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts with us

Of course artists are claiming its oversaturated LOL
More shops & artists = less income for them :)

The good will survive,the bad will not.

next time get two chairs…it’s weird seeing a guy sitting and lady standing next to him

Absolutely it is over saturated

The only way someone feels it's over saturated is if you are worried a better artist will take away your clientele. This is a growing industry and ton of killer artists, with new talents, and new tattoo design ideas. So, why gatekeep?.... The good will continue to strive in this industry, while the bad ones will lose both engines and crash.

The industry is over saturated, and I’m a newer artist who’s only been tattooing 3 years now professionally. More artist, more styles, more unrealistic expectations, more clients expecting lower prices because they know someone who will do it cheaper.


During my apprenticeship I learned the proper way and what not to do. And so many artists are getting away with doing the bare minimum and making top dollar. Clients want faded, fine line, temporary tattoos. They don’t want good quality, solid line work, or expert shading. That’s the newer younger generations style.

How do you teach yourself to go against your own standard? How do you teach yourself to adapt to ways that aren’t proper and won’t yield a clean finished product? How do you train your eyes to complete a tattoo that’s meant to look unfinished?

And how do you train yourself to be satisfied with that when you know you’re capable of so much more?

Social media plays such a huge role in your exposure, you can’t just rely on regular walk in traffic anymore. You have to sell yourself out by constantly putting your face and body out there for social media attention. All of these things take away from the creative process, you become a puppet in a show, all competing for more attention hoping someone will hit you up. Let alone the economy being in a recession.


When I started my apprenticeship, I was in it for the art, for the method for the journey. I never wanted to be a social media influenced, the homies at my shop looked down on that. It does nothing for your creative skills.

I don’t think it matters if you have the best art, tattoos or techniques. It’s all a matter of chance and trend to me. In 2025, A success tattoo artist is a successful social media influencer.

Times have changed drastically, If you don’t have that, you won’t have clientele period.