I've been tattooing for 8 years, my designs have developed from my lifetime love of art, i was always drawing as a kid. I built my first machines when i was 14, started on pig skin, and learnt all i could, but there were'nt any tattooists anywhere near me, and even if there was, there's no way i could have afforded apprenticeship costs like they are now. So why are there loads of people giving me flak just because they did an apprenticeship and i didn't - some of the best artists in the world are self taught, yet i've still got idiots on other sites i've posted in giving me all this hate because i didn't do what they did - it's sad, unecessary, and detracts from the community as a whole - I'm sure there are great and bad self taught & apprenticed artists out there - what's with all the war?