Licensed tattoo artist with 7 years in custom shops, specializing in fine-line botanical and black and gray realism. Books 3 to 4 months out and completed 600+ custom pieces with a 4.9-star average on 250 reviews. Holds an Oregon tattoo license and current bloodborne pathogens certification.
Experience
Tattoo Artist, Black Fern Tattoo (Portland, OR)
Jul 2021 – Present
Design and tattoo custom fine-line and black and gray pieces, booking 3 to 4 months out
Completed 600+ custom tattoos with a 4.9-star average across 250 Google and Instagram reviews
Draw every design in Procreate and run consults, deposits and scheduling through Square Appointments
Follow Oregon Health Licensing Office rules for single-use needles, barrier film and autoclave spore testing
Apprentice, then Tattoo Artist, Iron Oak Tattoo (Salem, OR)
Feb 2019 – Jun 2021
Completed a 2-year apprenticeship covering line work, shading, machine setup and sterilization
Tattooed 200+ walk-in and flash pieces after licensing
Projects
Tattoo portfolio (instagram.com/inkbymarenk)
Healed fine-line botanical and black and gray realism pieces with process sketches
Education
B.F.A. in Illustration, Willamette Valley College of Art (Sep 2014 – Jun 2018)
Skills
Tattooing: Fine line, black and gray realism, botanical, cover-ups
A strong Tattoo Artist resume shows the work you made, the audiences it reached, and the briefs you delivered on. Put your most relevant recent role first and make every bullet show a result, not a duty.
Sections, in order
Summary
Experience
Projects
Skills
Education
Length: One page for most candidates; move to two only if every line is relevant.
Summary: Write two or three lines: your role, your strongest skills, and one result that proves them.
Skills to feature
Storytelling
Content strategy
Adobe Creative Cloud
Video production
Copywriting and editing
Brand guidelines
Social media
Art direction
Project management
Audience analytics
Example bullet points
Produced a 12-episode video series that reached 4.8M views and grew the channel by 120k subscribers
Art-directed the rebrand across 60 assets, delivered two weeks ahead of the product launch
Edited 300 articles a year as managing editor, raising average time on page by 35%
Tips from recruiters
Link your portfolio or reel in the header; it matters more than any layout choice.
Name clients, publications or brands when you are allowed to.
A more expressive template is fine for creative roles, but keep the text easy to scan.
Recommended templates
Vanguard (ATS-friendly): Bold display name, accent-led headings with line rules
Timeline (ATS-friendly): Clean accent layout with a dated career timeline
Tattoo Artist resume FAQ
What should a Tattoo Artist resume include?
A Tattoo Artist resume should show the work you made, the audiences it reached, and the briefs you delivered on. Use these sections in this order: Summary, Experience, Projects, Skills and Education. Put your most relevant recent role first and make every bullet show a result, not a duty.
What is the best resume template for a Tattoo Artist?
Vanguard, Elegant and Timeline work well for Tattoo Artist roles. They are single-column with standard headings, so applicant tracking systems (ATS) parse them reliably.
How long should a Tattoo Artist resume be?
One page for most candidates; move to two only if every line is relevant.
Which skills should a Tattoo Artist put on a resume?
Prioritize the skills named in the job posting. Common ones for Tattoo Artist roles are Storytelling, Content strategy, Adobe Creative Cloud, Video production, Copywriting and editing and Brand guidelines.
How do I write strong Tattoo Artist resume bullet points?
Start with an action verb, say what you did, and end with a measurable result such as views, engagement rate and audience growth. For example: "Produced a 12-episode video series that reached 4.8M views and grew the channel by 120k subscribers."