Today we’d like to introduce you to Lee Mullen.
Hi Lee, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
As a kid I was always passionate about personal expression, art, and then tattooing when I discovered it. I grew up in Oklahoma, where tattooing was illegal, immoral. and ill-minded during my early years, but that didn’t stop me from trying to achieve my dream!
I left Oklahoma in search of a tattoo apprenticeship. I headed west trying multiple shops in multiple states, asking anyone connected to a tattoo shop to take a look at my portfolio and take me on as an apprentice, or put in a good word for me. I worked at a few of these places as a “counter helper” with the promise and expectation that I would learn the trade I so desperately craved. For one reason or another, I realized at each of these shops that something wasn’t feeling right, and if I am going to be taken seriously as an artist, I need to learn from the most serious artist or shop I could find.
After a short search, I realized that Seattle has a robust tattoo community filled with some amazing artists and lots of high caliber shops. I packed up my wife, my dog, and all my stuff and we headed north to the Emerald City, where I landed an apprenticeship at Cicada Tattoo. This shop was very renowned, boasting a crew of talented artists I could learn from, including my mentor, Will Bodnar. I was welcomed with open arms, and shown the ropes, giving me a great start on a promising career.
Since then, tattooing has taken me so far. Traveling around the nation, doing tattoo conventions, and winning awards are only a few of the milestones crossed for me in my dream job. I’m only five years in, and I have so much more progress in store for me in the coming years, I’m very excited for the journey!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Getting here was not a smooth road, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Tattooing is notoriously hard to get into, and the fact that so many obstacles were in the way made it that much more rewarding in the end when I finally landed an apprenticeship, and every day since as an artist.
Right off the bat, one struggle for me was with the artist part of ‘Tattoo Artist’. I have always loved art, but have never been naturally good at it. It took many years of actual practice and hard work to get my portfolio to a passing level, and even to this day with my tattoos, I’m still learning and improving and putting in the work to do better art.
Finding an apprenticeship and keeping it are the some more things that could get in the way. Relying on another person to show you the ropes is an important thing, and not everyone wants to do it. Most of the time it is full time, and since you are learning, there is no paycheck. So you have to figure out how to survive on a shoestring budget while learning full time.
I’ve moved states multiple times, worked bummy jobs, quit bummy jobs I probably should have kept, and cleaned one of the nastiest toilets in the world, all just for a chance to learn how to do the thing I’ve wanted to do my whole life.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My work would best be described as full color Neotraditional or Illustrative tattoos. All of my designs are hand drawn and utilize outlines to distinguish the subjects. Neotraditional tattoos are similar to ‘Old School’ or American Traditional style but with a modern spin. You can still find the bold outlines, simplified shapes, and black shading with bright color in these tattoos, just with the added modern elements such as more complex and dynamic designs, different line weights, light source and larger color palettes. Also taking inspiration from Art Nouveau, New School, and illustrative style, Neotraditional is a broad category of interesting art that will stand the test of time on anyone’s skin.
I love doing tattoos of animals, skulls, nature, portraits and anything from my favorite galaxy far, far away, so I would say that’s what I’m known for artistically. I take these things we’ve all seen and draw them in my own style, basically world building my own universe. I love adding leaves and foliage to things that don’t have them naturally, as well as adding little black splatter dots and background shading to give it a unique look. People say my tattoos are instantly recognizable even if they didn’t know it was me who did it!
The thing that sets me apart from others is the same thing that I am most proud of, and that is having my own recognizable tattoo style. I’m so grateful and honored to be booked up doing my art. My amazing clients look to me to draw them up something cool, and I am stoked to the bone to be able to do that. Thanks to all my clients for trusting my artistic vision!
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
This one goes out to the hopeful artists and apprentices out there: Keep at it, keep drawing, and keep that passion up.
Tattooing is hard and getting into tattooing is hard, but the better your art is, the better off you’ll be. Draw draw draw, buddy, because then you’ll have an easier time getting where you wanna go in your career.
Also, be nice, be humble, and be coachable. You don’t know jack right now, and you wont know jack for a while. Be ready to receive the golden nuggets of precious information, and be grateful for them!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://leefscented.com
- Instagram: @leefscented
Image Credits
@leefscented