10-Day Beginner Tattoo Course
Go from complete beginner to tattooing a live model in ten days. Our most complete course, taught in small groups in central London.
£1,499 from
Secure your place with a £300 deposit.
East London
Tattoo Courses in Hackney
Want to learn to tattoo and based in Hackney? Train at London Tattoo College, an accredited college that is an easy trip from Hackney. Small classes, real skin and live models, and a CPD accredited course with a certificate of competence at the end.
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3 miles
Hackney to London
~10 min
By train
Small
Groups
London
City centre
Courses
Tattoo courses available to Hackney students
Every course is open to students travelling from Hackney and across East London.
4-Day Fine Line Course
Start straight into the fine-line style clients ask for most. Four focused days on delicate single-needle line work, for beginners.
£849 from
Secure your place with a £250 deposit.
2-Day Fine Line Course for experienced individuals
For SPMU, microblading and beauty professionals: add fine-line tattooing to your services in a focused two-day intensive.
£699 from
Secure your place with a £250 deposit.
Dates
Upcoming course dates
All dates are at our London studio and open to Hackney students. Places are limited to keep groups small.
10-Day Beginner Tattoo Course
4-Day Fine Line Course
What's included
Included on every course
- All equipment and materials while you are on the course
- Small groups, taught by artists who tattoo for a living
- Practice on artificial skin, then a supervised tattoo on a live model
- A CPD accredited course
- Certificate of competence on completion
- Hygiene and blood-borne pathogen certificate
- A portfolio of supervised work to show studios
- Ongoing student support after you finish
Who it is for
Who our tattoo courses are for
Different starting points, same goal. Find yours.
01
Complete beginners
Never held a machine? Start with the 10-Day Beginner Course and go from zero to tattooing a live model in two weeks.
10-Day Beginner Course
02
New fine-line artists
Want to specialise in the fine-line and single-needle style clients ask for most? The 4-Day Fine Line Course is built for that.
4-Day Fine Line Course
03
Beauty & aesthetics pros
Already work in SPMU, microblading or beauty? Add fine-line tattooing to your services in a focused two-day intensive.
2-Day Fine Line CourseLearning to tattoo from Hackney
Train in London, easy to reach from Hackney
Hackney is one of our closest neighbours. Hackney Wick is a single Overground stop from Stratford, and the rest of the borough is only a few minutes further, so training with us barely counts as a commute.
Given how creative Hackney is, it is no surprise that many of our students come from Dalston, Homerton, Clapton and London Fields. Whether you want the full beginner course or a focused fine line course, the studio is right on your side of the city.
Being surrounded by good tattooing is a real advantage and a real trap. You see the finished work constantly and almost never see the hygiene, the stencil work or the machine setup that made it possible. The course puts those first, in the order they actually matter.
Getting here
Travelling from Hackney to London
By train or Tube
about 10 minutes on the London Overground, with Hackney Wick just one stop from Stratford. Stratford is one of London's best-connected stations and the studio is a few minutes away.
By road
roughly 15–20 minutes by road, though the Overground is usually faster. In practice the Tube, Elizabeth line or Overground is usually faster than driving into London.
By bus or coach
several bus routes connect Hackney with Stratford throughout the day, dropping you close to the studio.
Hackney is close enough to walk, cycle or take one train, so local students never need to stay over, they simply travel in each day.
Find us
Where you'll be training in London
London Tattoo College
Celebration Avenue
Stratford City, London, E20 1DB
The studio is in Stratford, East London (E20), a few minutes from Stratford station, served by the Central & Jubilee lines, the Elizabeth line, DLR, London Overground and national rail. We send full arrival directions when you book.
Get directions View on Google MapsWhy make the trip
Why Hackney students choose us
01
Small groups
We cap every course at a handful of students so a tutor watches your work, not a lecture hall. You get real bench time, not a seat at the back.
02
Real skin and live models
Artificial skin is where you start, not where you finish. Every course ends with a supervised tattoo on a live model, because that is the only way to be ready.
03
Taught by working artists
Your tutors tattoo professionally. You learn how the craft actually works today, from technique to how a studio really runs.
04
Hygiene done right
Cross-contamination control and blood-borne pathogen safety run through every course, to the standards UK studios and clients expect.
05
A certificate and a portfolio
You finish with a London Tattoo College Certificate of Competence and a folder of supervised work you can put in front of any studio.
06
Support after you finish
Your questions do not stop on the last day. We help with your portfolio, finding work, and the steps to setting up on your own.
We regularly welcome students from across East London, including Dalston, Homerton, Clapton, Hackney Wick, London Fields, Stoke Newington.
We also train students from Canary Wharf, Croydon, Enfield, Brighton, Reading. See every area we cover.
Reviews
What our students say
5.0 · Google Reviews
-
★★★★★
I started the 10-day course never having held a machine and tattooed a live model by the end. The small group meant the tutor actually watched every line I did.
Aoife M.10-Day Beginner Tattoo Course -
★★★★★
The 4-day fine line course was exactly what I wanted. I came out able to hold a clean single-needle line and I've been building a fine-line portfolio since.
Cian D.4-Day Fine Line Course -
★★★★★
I run a microblading studio and the 2-day course let me add fine-line tattoos to my services in a weekend. It assumed I already knew skin and hygiene, which saved so much time.
Niamh R.2-Day Fine Line Course -
★★★★★
Genuinely the most professional training I looked at in London. Real bench time, real feedback, and the hygiene side was taken seriously from day one. Worth every penny.
Seán O'B.10-Day Beginner Tattoo Course -
★★★★★
Travelled in from Brighton for the beginner diploma and it was completely worth the trip. Small class, patient tutors, and I left with a portfolio I could actually show studios.
Méabh K.10-Day Beginner Tattoo Course -
★★★★★
I'd done an online course before and learned almost nothing. This was the opposite. Hands on machines from the first morning, corrected in real time. I finally feel ready to guest.
Jack F.4-Day Fine Line Course -
★★★★★
The hygiene and blood-borne pathogen side was covered properly, which is exactly what studios asked me about at interview. I walked in with a certificate and a portfolio and got the spot.
Orla C.10-Day Beginner Tattoo Course -
★★★★★
The small group meant I never felt lost or rushed. The tutors are working artists so the feedback is honest and current, not something read off a slide. Best decision I've made for my career.
Darragh L.10-Day Beginner Tattoo Course -
★★★★★
As an SPMU artist the 2-day course was perfect. Focused, no filler, and it respected what I already knew. I was offering fine-line tattoos to my clients the following week.
Saoirse B.2-Day Fine Line Course
Questions
Tattoo courses in Hackney: common questions
Is there a tattoo school in Hackney?
Studios, yes - Hackney has one of the densest concentrations of tattooists in London, from Dalston through to Hackney Wick. Structured training is the gap. Shop apprenticeships here are competitive, unpaid as often as not, and vary enormously in what you actually get taught. A course gives you the fundamentals, supervised, in a set time.
How do I get to the college from Hackney?
Hackney Wick is a single London Overground stop from Stratford, about ten minutes, and the rest of the borough only a few minutes further. Many students walk or cycle. By road it is roughly 15 to 20 minutes, though the Overground is usually faster. We send full arrival directions when you book.
How much does a tattoo course cost?
The 10-day beginner tattoo course is £1,499. The 4-day fine line course is £849, and the 2-day fine line course for experienced beauty professionals is £699. Equipment and materials are included for the duration of the course.
Do I need any experience to start?
No. The 10-day beginner course assumes you have never picked up a tattoo machine. You will start on artificial skin and build up to tattooing a live model under supervision in the second week. If you already work in SPMU or microblading, the shorter fine line courses may suit you better.
How long is the beginner course and when does it run?
Ten days across two weeks, Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm. Week one is theory, hygiene and practice on artificial skin; week two is hands-on tattooing. Upcoming dates and remaining places are listed further up this page, and places are limited because groups are kept small.
Will I get a qualification I can use?
Yes. The course is CPD accredited and you finish with a certificate of competence you can show to a studio anywhere, along with a portfolio of the work you produced during the course. We also cover the practical side of getting registered and finding your first shop.
Can I pay in instalments?
You do not have to pay it all at once. A deposit holds your place - £300 on the 10-day beginner course, £250 on either fine line course - and the balance is due 7 days before your course starts. You can also spread the cost with Klarna at checkout, or pay the full amount up front if you prefer.
What happens if I miss a day?
Let us know as soon as you can. The course builds day on day, so missing a session makes the rest harder to follow. In most cases your instructor can help you catch up during breaks and by spending extra time with you after the course. Get in touch and we will talk through your options.
Will you help me find work afterwards?
We do not place you in a job, and you should be wary of anyone who promises that. What you leave with is a portfolio of supervised work, a certificate of competence, and guidance on the practical side - getting registered with your council, putting a portfolio in front of a studio, and what shops actually look for. Our student support does not stop when the course does, so you can come back to us with questions.
Still weighing it up? Our guide to becoming a tattoo artist in the UK covers what training costs and what studios look for, and we have written an honest comparison of courses and tattoo apprenticeships.
Still deciding
Coming from Hackney? Ask us anything
If you are travelling from Hackney and want to check dates, plan your stay, or ask about a course, we are happy to help. Read our FAQs or get in touch and we will reply within one working day. You can also see all the places we welcome students from on our locations page.
From Hackney, ready to start