Artist Salary: Textile Designer & Tattoo Artist Apprentice

Name: Heather T.
Job Title: Master Artist, Textile Designer, Tattoo Artist Apprentice
Where: Quaker Fabric Corporation, Fall River, Massachusetts
Works: Full-time
Years of Experience: 8
Education: BFA in Textile Design/Fiber Arts
Salary: $55,000/year

What does a textile designer do...

As a textile designer, I create patterns for woven upholstery fabric. As a true artist, my job is to generate ideas, from reference materials or verbal instructions, and create artwork that gets woven into fabric. The fabric is then used by furniture makers to upholster couches and chairs. So I guess one measure of success for me as a textile designer could be the number of people that sit on my work.

I chose to be a textile designer because...

In art school one semester, I needed an elective and the only class I could get into was Textile Design. I hated the class all the way through—but when I looked at all of my textile designs together at the end, I really loved it. I had a kind of awakening, and decided to change my major to textile design. I’ve been a textile designer ever since.

Who said being a textile designer was enough...

Right now, I’m apprenticing to be a tattoo artist. I’ve also studied to be a yoga teacher and I make screenprinted cards and crafts.

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• Textile design blog - layersofmeaning.org
• Learn about textile design jobs 
• What is the average salary for an artist?

Comments

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I got a similar tatto on the

neck, maybe i can send you

some pictures let me know.

[Becky Fried]

Don't know if you can help me. I found your site surfing. I am a freelance artist in the Atlanta, Georgia area with artwork that could possibly be used for textile design. Do you have ideas about contacting textile design companies (where to start, who/title of employee in a textile design company reviews artwork, suggestions for companies to contact...etc)?
Any start in the right direction would be most appreciated.
Thank you.

[Kayla]

do u like being a tattoo artist?
i want to have a career as a tattoo and body artist

[alice]

can you get textile design jobs without being a textile design major?

[Spiderz]

i would like if you would elaberate more on the tattoo artist if you can. Thank you.

[zoe]

Can you explain more about your daily duties as a textile designer? How proficient do you need to be with certain programs? Also, do you have to do any of the weaving yourself or do you just design the patterns?
Thank you.