Nick's Notebook

Nick Young, founder of Learn to Ink and a Kansas City tattoo artist specializing in cover-up tattoos, was recently featured by VoyageKC Magazine. In the interview, he shares his journey, the story behind building Learn to Ink, and why he’s working to raise the standard for professional tattoo education through structured, state-compliant apprenticeship training.

Kansas Board of Cosmetology Pathway: 1,350 hours of training—150 beyond Kansas’s 1,200-hour minimum—plus 50 supervised in-studio procedures, Kansas-aligned coursework, the state practical and written exam pathway, and required 8-hour BBP training. Enrollment is limited to one Kansas apprentice per training cycle, with direct 1:1 support throughout. Tuition: $17,500.

Kansas City Tattoo Arts Festival 2026 at Crown Center. See inside a tattoo convention + learn how to start a tattoo apprenticeship in KC.

Look, you can binge-watch tattoo tutorials on YouTube till your eyes bleed. But nothing replaces hands-on experience. An apprenticeship throws you into the fire with a seasoned pro guiding your every move. You learn the ropes, the tools, the hygiene, and the art of turning skin into a masterpiece.