F.A.Q.
Don't hesitate to ask
2. General questions
Polis Decay Art is an applied arts school with fast-paced in-person courses for drawing, tattooing, architectural design, digital drawing, photography, etc, in a comprehensive education program and the beginning of your career as a professional artist or Tattoo Artist.
Πάθος - You have to be interested in drawing, combined with strong motivation to develop your skills. You don’t need to have a background or any knowledge around drawing and tattooing.
Team spirit - it’s important to be able to work in a team in order to compete designs and projects within the deadlines and to overcome obstacles.
Creativity - You will have to be able to quickly find innovative solutions and visualize different approaches around drawing and tattoo, in order to solve complex problems and balance your professionalism in artistic matters.
Επιμονή - It’s important to maintain your motivation and stay diligent despite the increasing difficulty of designs (or tattoo designs) that you will have to create.
We do not test your mathematical skills – passion, teamwork, perseverance and creativity are much stronger indicators to measure your ability in drawing and tattooing.
The training costs are up to you, depending on the level you want to reach and the expectations you have. You can take all Special Courses individually or in combination with a discount. The Main Courses module is essential if you want to continue to the Special Courses, which are advanced level.
Our school’s admissions office is located at Riga Palamidou 5 in Athens. The courses take place in four venues in Athens, close to metro stations and other modes of transport. Depending on the number of students, it’s decided where the particular courses will take place just before the term starts.
No, the training provided by Polis Decay Art is exclusively in the capital of Greece, Athens, and requires the physical presence of students for most courses. Mainly for the Main Courses of drawing and tattooing.
Polis Decay Art is the only school in Greece that provides the most comprehensive curriculum around tattooing and drawing. The creator of Polis Decay Art, Panos Georgoulias, is a graduate of the Athens School of Fine Arts (ASFA) and the Facultad de Bellas Artes (UCM) in Spain. Panos holds over 70 tattoo awards globally and stands out in the artistic world due to his special surreal artistic style.
Of course! And that is the dynamic of our school! You can see the student results on our website and video on our YouTube channel where students talk about their experience at the school without having any knowledge in tattooing or drawing.
This question concerns many parents mainly around the certification of the career path of their children, and more. On its own, tattooing is not a certifiable “art”, validated by universities and educational institutions. This makes the process of certification not possible so far on a global level. The strange thing is that no art space, like a gallery, will request certification. Or a tattoo studio. The certification is the volume of work and the quality of a comprehensive artistic portfolio equivalent in level to the art space or tattoo studio that each artist makes contact with. It’s different for a student that will remain in our space for two months compared to a student that will stay in our school for a year. It’s clear that the second student will achieve a much higher level and gain more knowledge than the first.
Polis Decay Art is the most well-known drawing and tattoo school in Greece. Our students are now working in the best tattoo studios in Greece and abroad. For more you can enroll in our school and see how the online platform with our artist portfolios works.
A tattooer is someone who knows the basics of tattoos and has focused on the technical aspect of simple tattoos, without having a personal style. On the other hand, a Tattoo Artist pays more attention to the creativity of one or more tattoo styles in order to create his or her own personal style. Usually, a tattoo artist can charge more for tattoos compared to a simple tattooer. A Tattoo Artist will always pass from the tattooer phase, in fact that’s the period during which he or she will evolve his or her technique. Someone can become a tattooer by completing our school’s Main Courses, while a tattoo artist needs to invest more time in our school and in the Special Courses in order to achieve the best results.
There are some courses that can take place in the form of private tutoring with extra cost, on days and times that the teachers and the school will decide. Private tutoring is offered in case a student wants to make up a lesson. However it’s better for someone to attend the group courses in order to familiarize himself with teamwork and exchanging views with other students in class.
2. Our Courses
Our school features 3 modules. Main Courses, Special Courses, and Apprenticeship.
The Main Courses consist of three parts. The “Principles of Drawing”, where a student learns the rules concerning the way of drawing in order to build his or her own portfolio that will help him be recognized and form his artistic identity. Then we have the “Principles of Tattooing”, where the student learns everything about tattoo techniques as well as what is needed for such a space to function professionally. Finally, we have “Introduction to Tattoo Styles” where we do an analysis of all main tattoo styles and each lecture features an analysis of the design and technical aspect of each style.
Of course! Every year, part of our students select our school for the fast-paced effective method we follow for drawing. Tattoo courses are not compulsory for these students.
Unfortunately not. Polis Decay Art is a school where the basis is drawing and drawing skills. This is what makes the school stand out compared to other tattoo schools, professional schools and Tattoo Academies. In our time, evolving in tattooing is based on a combination of drawing skills, good technique and style themes. That means that drawing is the beginning of everything and it is necessary for our school regardless of the student’s level.
Special Courses are very advanced courses for artists and tattoo artists who want to take their work to a global level. Here is where a simple Tattooer is distinguished from a Tattoo Artist. These Artists and Tattoo Artists are those who want to take part in tattoo festivals or international art competitions. In fact, someone can create a style where he will stand out on a local and global level and make his clients travel from all over the world to get a tattoo design from him. These courses are constantly updated in our curriculum.
The Special Courses do not have set days and hours like the Main Courses but function by the hour and their cost differs depending on the teacher, the students and the difficulty level of each lesson.
Unfortunately not. At any level the student might be in terms of drawing, tattoo, etc, the “Main Courses” are a communication language that exists in our school so that someone can continue on to the “Special Courses”. In the past, there were students in our school who were tattoo artists and graduates of art schools, architecture, graphic design, etc. that despite their hesitancy they admitted that there were many aspects in drawing and tattoo that they did not know.
The Apprenticeship follows after the Main Course module. At this stage, students can begin tattooing on real skin with the help of expert instructors and there is detailed preparation for each tattoo design in order to prevent mistakes. A good tattoo can become a movable advertisement while a bad tattoo is a movable defamation. You can do the Apprenticeship in parallel with the Special Courses.
3. Curriculum details
Polis Decay Art School was created by Panos Georgoulias and his team. Panos studied painting and sculpture at the Athens School of Fine Art and Complutense Bellas Artes in Madrid, where he graduated with distinction. He is one of the multi-awarded Tattoo Artists in global events with more than 70 awards. The team at Polis Decay Art consists of a large number of distinguished artists and more. In every field of our school, all persons are distinguished in their fields.
The Main Courses take place once or twice a week. The Special Courses function by the hour, and the schedule of these courses depends on how each teacher shapes the curriculum.
The structure of the courses has both a theoretical and a practical aspect. There are exercises that are given to our students in order for them to adjust them as they wish in their schedule. Especially if they work or study at another school.
Of course! Our curriculum is organized in such a way to allow it.
Because many times the courses are only conducted once a week, we would suggest that you not miss them. However if a student misses one or two lessons that is not a problem and these can be made up. In case a student for his or her own reasons misses the term or stops in the middle, he or she can make up all the courses in the next term if there is a place available, after communicating with the admissions office of our school.
At the moment we do not offer scholarships. However it’s a good idea to follow our social media in case there is some giveaway, or even our Newsletter in case something changes and there is an announcement.
At our school there is no grading system at the moment. Good perception in drawing requires a different time frame from each person. It’s certain that the more a student works, the easier it is to achieve the best results compared to a student that is not diligent in the exercises given and doesn’t put in much effort. At the end of the courses there are extra payable lessons where the student can work as much as he or she wants to reach the desired level.
Usually the Main Courses take 7 to 8 hours each day. Special Courses function by the hour and each course differs depending on complexity, difficulty, and the teacher’s teaching style.
No, you don’t need to. Our school offers discounts in collaboration with Art & Tattoo Supplies which helps you in the purchasing of materials in every way.
The selection of materials is in each student’s discretion. The instructors and teachers are here to guide you so that you can make the best choice adjusting it to your budget and to the tattoo styles you want to follow. If you have your own equipment you can use it freely during the tattoo courses.
The tattoo practice takes place on a special synthetic material (vegan) and then we proceed to real human skin always guided and organized by experts.
Of course you can. Just be aware that in this case there are no refunds.
No. During studying at our school it is strictly forbidden to pursue any kind of collaboration with any tattoo studio (in Greece or abroad). In case we are notified the student is expelled without a refund. Tattooing is a responsibility on the human body that cannot be fixed. It is our responsibility to teach you in the correct way. We ask that you comply with the school’s rules which you sign when you go through the enrollment application process. Our rules are the same for everyone and we cannot make exceptions.
Polis Decay Art is constantly evolving and networking all over the world. Stay tuned so that you won’t miss any news taking place on our facilities.
4. Admissions Procedure
Training at Polis Decay Art is offered to persons 16 years of age and over, while for the Tattoo Courses applicants must be 18 and older. Past experience in drawing, tattoo or academic titles are not prerequisites for submitting an application.
Admissions are open throughout the year. At the moment, two terms are available (one in October and one in April). Pre-payment for each course is required before the course starts. For example, in case you want to enroll for the October term, you need to pay for the “Principles of Drawing” Course as early as possible. This amount you can separate in as many installments as you want in order to complete the payment before courses start. During the year we announce on our website, as well as in press releases, when the admissions period opens. If at the current moment the admissions are not open, you can visit the website again or follow us on social media or sign up for our newsletter for future updates.
No that’s not necessary. It’s necessary to have pre-paid for only one course and then you pay for the next one before it starts and so on.
If you don’t live in Athens but you have the ability to relocate to the Greek capital, you can submit your application for Polis Decay Art. The Program does not include accommodation options for students from other cities or countries. If you live in another country but you wish to enroll in Polis Decay Art, you can submit your application provided that you meet the requirements to officially reside in Greece. It’s important to understand that any expenses for travel, residence permits and relocation are exclusively your responsibility, since Polis Decay Art does not provide any financial aid for such matters.
Yes, applicants must be at least 16 years old to enroll in our school for drawing and 18 years old for the tattoo courses.
Of course! You can enter in any term you like provided that you notify our space in time so that we can ensure you have a place in the respective class. If there is no available place you will have to wait for the next term.
Of course. And continue in the next term if there is an available place. Always in communication with the admissions office of our school.
We do not offer refunds for any amount that has already been paid. However you can enter the next term with the money you have paid. The amount you have paid will be deducted from the payable amount in each respective term. (The cost may differ compared to the initial price you had received depending on the term, the time period, and any changes that may have taken place in the courses.)
The offer for tuition is valid for the next 10 days after you have received it. The amount may change because the demands for the number of students may change or for any other reason in the school’s discretion.
We usually open two terms in our school. One in October and one in April. Admissions are open throughout the year. It’s important to book your place in time, at least 4-5 months before the term starts so that it is ensured. The closer to the term start you submit your application, the higher the risk to not find a place. That means you will have to attend classes at the start of the next term.
The cost of the courses may differ from term to term. Pre-payments can take place in as many installments as you want, provided that each course is paid in full before it starts. For example, pre-payment for the course Principles of Drawing for Main Courses. Once this course starts you can pre-pay for Principles of Tattoo and so on.
5. Find a job directly after training
The aim of the school is for new artists to find jobs directly. If a student chooses tattooing as a direction they can find a job immediately, especially in the case of a strong portfolio.
Polis Decay Art is here to help you in your every choice regarding your personal goals that you have set for yourself. Depending on the time you have invested in the creation of your portfolio and the field you have chosen we can guide you on the options you have.
You can log in through the option “My Portfolio” and upload your work depending on the fields in which you specialize. Group your work based on the guidelines in every category. Good and clear photos are an important factor that will help in who you want to select you and where to focus on your effort. Avoid having dirty or smudged sketches, bad lighting, shine on the photographs, etc.
Of course. Polis Decay Art gives the opportunity to all Tattoo Artists from all over the world to find jobs in every place on the planet and in the style of Tattoo Studio that they wish to work with.
The Polis Decay Art Community is constantly growing. You can follow through our website and social media all the spaces and tattoo studios that we work with or any future collaborations.
Yes of course. There are tattoo shops all over the world looking for different artist profiles with their own personal style. Share your goals with us and we will reach the top together!
For many new artists and tattoo artists there is no objectivity in their work. This is due to lack of knowledge, aesthetics and how high they have set the bar against artists or tattoo artists with a similar style to theirs. We are always by your side to give you honest criticism and help you exceed yourself. As time passes we have seen many of our students lose their contact with our space and fall behind compared to those who stayed with us for a longer period of time in their career.
At the end of your training you do not get a diploma or certificate validated by the state/ministry, because this particular training model does not correspond to any traditional definition.
However, this is not a problem in the field of tattooing and visual arts, since spaces are interested in what you can do, who you are, how you work, and what portfolio you have.
Our school is an applied arts school concerning the handling of visual arts tools aiming to immediately jump start the careers of artists. How each student uses the tools we give them is up to them and how they will combine them. So you can set a goal for an artistic or other profession that you want and use every piece of information you gained with us. Our students have found jobs in architecture firms, as assistant directors, graphic designers, etc.
6. Open your own Tattoo Studio Powered by Polis Decay
Polis Decay Art brings together Tattoo Artists and tattoo shop owners by establishing the collaboration framework between them. You can send information by email to [email protected] about your tattoo studio and we will contact you. It’s good to include the following in your email: [email protected] για το tattoo studio σου και να έρθουμε σε επαφή μαζί σου. Στο email είναι καλό να συμπεριλάβεις:
• Where your tattoo studio is located (Country, city)
• If you are looking for guest of resident artists (For which time period)
• What tattoo styles you are interested in the tattoo artist knowing in priority order for your studio.
• Provisions of the studio for artists (Tattoo materials, accommodation)
• Payment agreements for tattoo artists
Polis Decay Art offers many different franchise models depending on country, location and the type of tattoo studio you would like to create based on the business model you are interested in. Contact us at [email protected].
Our platform offers to all tattoo artists the opportunity to work with Polis Decay Art with the goal of finding the tattoo studio they are interested in in any part of the planet they want. Please log in to our website on the “My Portfolio” page following the guidelines step by step so that you can have the best possible presentation for your portfolio. A clean, organized and good quality portfolio gives you the opportunity to have a higher likelihood of being picked by a tattoo studio.
Send us your CV and portfolio along with contact details (such as phone number, where you are located, etc) at [email protected]We are happy to work with experienced visual artists in any field.
7. Summer Courses
The Tattoo Summer Course is an intensive Course that combines all the Main Courses in a fast-paced training lasting approximately two months. These courses take place in Greece (Athens) for now and exclusively in the English language (not in Greek). They are addressed to people living abroad who want to share the experience of the Polis Decay Art school. These courses are different in terms of cost from the Main Courses in the simple term taking place in Greek.
Term starts during the summer months (May, June, July). It’s good to book your spot early so that you will have a place.
