Nestorbot
Arts & EntertainmentISCO 3435

Body artist

A body artist is a person who decorates clients' skin: making tattoos and piercings, permanently or for a time.

Check your gapsCheck yourself in a minute ↓AI risk: 24/100 (low risk)

Check yourself in a minute: body artist

Rate 5 of the 12 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.

sterilise working environment

order supplies

maintain equipment

identify customer's needs

stay alert

About body artist

The work starts with a design and a conversation. The artist develops the creative concept, settles the design, its size and its place on the body with the client, then transfers it onto the skin: tattooing with a machine or making a piercing. The design is adapted to the client's needs and to the place on the body.

The artist sterilises the workstation and the instruments, works with single-use needles and in gloves, maintains the equipment and stays alert, because breaking the surface of the skin opens a way in for infection. Clients are advised on aftercare: what to wash with, what to apply, what to avoid and when to see a doctor.

The artist also gives appropriate information to people seeking body modification: how the procedure goes, the pain, the healing time, how lasting the result is, and what cannot be done safely. Supplies are ordered — inks, needles, jewellery, dressings — and personal professional development managed. A studio answers to sanitary requirements and to inspection by the public health authority.

Key Work Functions

Core areas of responsibility for a body artist.

1

Client Consultation and Design

  • Identify and understand each customer's needs, preferences, and vision
  • Develop creative design ideas tailored to individual clients
  • Create custom artwork or adapt existing designs to client specifications
  • Discuss body placement and design considerations with clients
  • Advise clients on design suitability, longevity, and lifestyle factors
2

Safety and Sanitation Management

  • Sterilize all working equipment and tools according to health standards
  • Maintain sterile working environment throughout all procedures
  • Stay alert to potential health and safety concerns during all operations
  • Comply with all sanitation protocols and health regulations
  • Use appropriate protective equipment and follow infection control procedures
3

Procedure Performance and Technique

  • Perform tattooing and piercing procedures with artistic precision
  • Use body adornment equipment with expert skill and control
  • Apply various techniques appropriate to different body modification types
  • Ensure even color saturation, precise lines, and professional results
  • Work efficiently while maintaining highest quality standards
4

Customer Care and Education

  • Inform customers about body modification procedures and expectations
  • Advise customers on aftercare to prevent infection and ensure proper healing
  • Provide customized products and recommendations for aftercare
  • Maintain excellent customer service and professional relationships
  • Follow up with clients regarding healing progress and satisfaction
5

Supply Management and Professional Development

  • Order and maintain supplies of needles, ink, jewelry, and other materials
  • Maintain and properly store all equipment and supplies
  • Manage personal professional development and skill enhancement
  • Stay current with latest techniques, styles, and industry innovations

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (12)

sterilise working environmentsterilise working environmentMake sure all working equipment, jewellery and skin is made sterile, before performing skin treatment or body modifications such as tattooing or piercing, to prevent infections or the transfer of dise...order suppliesorder suppliesCommand products from relevant suppliers to get convenient and profitable products to purchase.maintain equipmentmaintain equipmentRegularly inspect and perform all required activities to maintain the equipment in functional order prior or after its use.identify customer's needsidentify customer's needsUse appropriate questions and active listening in order to identify customer expectations, desires and requirements according to product and services.stay alertstay alertStay focused and alert at all times; react quickly in the case of unexpected events. Concentrate and do not get distracted performing a task over a long period of time.maintain customer servicemaintain customer serviceKeep the highest possible customer service and make sure that the customer service is at all times performed in a professional way. Help customers or participants feel at ease and support special requ...develop creative ideasdevelop creative ideasDeveloping new artistic concepts and creative ideas.manage personal professional developmentmanage personal professional developmentTake responsibility for lifelong learning and continuous professional development. Engage in learning to support and update professional competence. Identify priority areas for professional developmen...advise customers on body adornmentadvise customers on body adornmentProvide customers with advice on the choice of body decoration or ornaments, such as paintings, piercings, ear stretches or tattoos, taking into account the customers wishes.provide customised productsprovide customised productsMake and develop custom-made products and solutions for customer's specific needs.use body adornment equipmentuse body adornment equipmentUse hand tools and machines to decorate people's bodies, such as needles, brushes, tattoo machines or scalpels, depending on the kind of adornment.inform customers about body modificationsinform customers about body modificationsMake sure that customers are properly informed about services such as tattooing, body piercing or other body modifications and ensure that they are aware of the permanency and the risks of these modif...
Optional (19) — show
hair removal techniqueshair removal techniquesThe various methods used for removing unwanted hair either by depilation, including shaving and trimming, or by epilation, such as waxing, sugaring, lasering, plucking etc.carry out wound carecarry out wound careCleanse, irrigate, probe, debride, pack and dress wounds.entertain peopleentertain peopleProvide people with amusement by doing or offering a performance, like a show, a play or an artistic performance.trade in jewellerytrade in jewelleryBuy and sell jewellery, or serve as an intermediate between potential buyers and sellers.manage a small-to-medium businessmanage a small-to-medium businessManage the organisational, financial and day-to-day operation of a small-to-medium enterprise.apply permanent make-upapply permanent make-upUse needles to apply the pigment into the top layer of the skin in order to perform cosmetic tattooing on specific parts of the face such as the lips or the eyebrows.use artistic materials for drawinguse artistic materials for drawingUse artistic materials such as paint, paintbrushes, ink, watercolours, charcoal, oil, or computer software to create artwork.tattoo customerstattoo customersMake paintings or mark symbols on parts of people's bodies by injecting pigment under the skin, with the use of electrically-operated needles.use digital illustration techniquesuse digital illustration techniquesCreate drawings using digital illustration programmes and techniques.apply body paintapply body paintApply special paint on parts of or on the whole body.keep personal administrationkeep personal administrationFile and organise personal administration documents comprehensively.perform body piercingsperform body piercingsPuncture or cut parts of people's bodies, to create an opening for jewellery or rings.select illustration stylesselect illustration stylesSelect the appropriate style, medium, and techniques of illustration in line with the needs of the project and client's requests.develop professional networkdevelop professional networkReach out to and meet up with people in a professional context. Find common ground and use your contacts for mutual benefit. Keep track of the people in your personal professional network and stay up ...use body modification techniquesuse body modification techniquesUse techniques to change the shape of or create patterns in the human skin, such as cutting, branding, manipulating, stretching or scarring, by use of scalpels, heat and restraining techniques.give care instructionsgive care instructionsInform clients or patients on the medical attention required to ensure a smooth wound healing process.create original paintingscreate original paintingsCreate paintings, drawing from your experience, inspiration and techniques.train employeestrain employeesLead and guide employees through a process in which they are taught the necessary skills for the perspective job. Organise activities aimed at introducing the work and systems or improving the perform...maintain an artistic portfoliomaintain an artistic portfolioMaintain portfolios of artistic work to show styles, interests, abilities and realisations.

Related Occupations

Occupations that need many of the same essential skills, so the move between them is shortest.

manicurist4 shared essential skillspedicurist4 shared essential skillsaesthetician3 shared essential skillsbarber3 shared essential skillshair removal technician3 shared essential skillshairdresser3 shared essential skillshairdresser assistant3 shared essential skillsmasseur/masseuse3 shared essential skills

Frequently asked questions

What does a body artist do?

Body artists decorate clients' skin temporarily or permanently. They use various techniques such as tattooing or piercing. Body artists follow clients' preferences in terms of tattoo's or piercing's design and body surface and apply it safely. They also advise on methods to avoid infection following the procedures on clients' bodies.

What skills does a body artist need?

A body artist needs 12 essential skills, including sterilise working environment, order supplies, maintain equipment, identify customer's needs, stay alert.

Will AI replace body artist jobs?

The AI disruption score for body artist is 24/100 (low risk). Skills most exposed to automation: keep personal administration, order supplies, maintain customer service. Most resilient: use body modification techniques, entertain people, apply permanent make-up.

Quick Facts

SectorArts & Entertainment
ISCO GroupLegal, social, cultural and related associate professionals
Essential Skills12

What are you missing to work as body artist?

The free skill gap analysis compares your skills with what this occupation requires and shows where to start.

Check your gaps