fair tattoo apprenticeship

I have been an apprentice for about a year now and things are kinda getting out of hand in my opinion and want to know what seasoned professional think about the situation. I paid 2000 dollars for my first year and i had to build the first shop for the owners without any help. then when that shop opened i started my duties. i cleaned, scrubbed tubes, took our garbage, etc. I had no problem with that. but as the months past i didn't get much guidence about the art of tattooing. I watched my mentor tattoo when i could, well if i wasn't running errands all day or stocking the bathroom with eight rolls of toilet paper, but never got any real instruction. so now a year later i am building the owners a second shop. for the last 4 weeks i havn't been around the old shop except to clean tubes garbage etc i don't draw, i don't watch, or tattoo for practice, which i was promised to do by now going into year two. i only am there to do chores and then over to the new shop to do construction for 8 hours in the day. i have tattooed in the shop and have been told i do a great job, but i havn't been able to do any more work since i am now a construction worker. did i mention no one but me has touched foot in the new shop. tell me if i am being irrational about saying i think i am getting the shaft. i know it takes sacrifice and putting up with doing all the shit around the shop but damn. where do i draw the line. i want to get a tattoo education not a constrution education. thanks all for hearing me out. ps. year two is here and the next 2000 is due what should i do?

split....

Even tho we're only hearing one side... I second that.

Build his new shop upside down then split!

Charge them $2000 for your construction services, or it can be a wash in exchange for the apprenticeship they promised.

most tatt shops will find some way to screw their apprentice, it's a fact of life. it's no different from any other path of life. most folks are dicks.

You pay to learn not to be someone's bitch. That mentor has no respect for the craft. Tell him to fuck himself and to setup the new shop with his own ass. Go and get a real apprenticeship somewhere else. What's the shop's website?

id rather not say the tattoo shop name just because i don't know what to do yet. i am a very dedicated apprentice and have a passion for tattooing and everything that goes with it and am afraid that that could hurt my chances to become a great tattoo artist. every one knows how hard it is to get an apprenticship and my mentor is one of the best artist in the twincities area. i am his first apprentice and not sure what to do about the situation yet. any more advice would help

Pal be straight forward. Ask him what his teaching policy is like. I know of artists going on their own after 4-6 month. At this point you should have a few good tattoos under your belt. This situation is convenient for him so if you don't say anything he may keep using your free housekeeping services. I would have confronted him long time ago. my $.2 PM me on tattooconnect if you want to vent out in private.

you are being shafted...i did something similar for my old boss....i now have been tattooin pro.for about 13 years

I haven't heard of anyone being charged $2k a year. Sorry to hear that you got dicked around. There is too many people tryin to apprentice right now, maybe he wanted to see if you're serious. Best let him know what time it is, or your out...the way you put it, he'll probably want to keep you around free from charging you. Make sure he teaches you some shit though!

hey i got dicked around for my first apprenticeship too. worked a year and got absolutely zero knowledge tattooing. worked 12 hours a day 7 days a week. didnt learn about machine tuning, tattoo application, nothing. i split. it took me 3 years to find someone to apprentice me that i felt comfortable with after that and now ive been tattooing steady for a while. i dont know if id be tattooing if i was still in that shop. some people are just fuckers

i understand your frustration,i am on 2 and a half years of mine and it has been full of bullshit.most meaning 95% of artist DONOT want you to succeed,they want free labor.especially if you show potential (as is my case)you will be the competition and they dont want that.you have to push,dont be afraid of bein a bit of an asshole.either youll get your way or you lose the "job".if you lose it, fuckit, who wants to be treated like a bitch all day .. besides if you dont push for it you be stuck on the perverbial treadmill forever. we dont want that.