Half-Sleeve Tattoos Cover Arms in Mythical Landscape Illustrations

A post shared by Lisa Orth (@lisaorth) on

Renowned Los Angeles-based tattoo artist Lisa Orth has “no interest in repeating or echoing past artwork,” explaining that her artistic motivation “lies in having [her] work progress and evolve.” Her signature style, rendered in flawless black linework, depicts mythical nautical and landscape scenes. Often tattooing half sleeves, she tends to use negative space to suggest a sun or a moon. Other common motifs include trees and mountains, as well as swirling waves and skies, which look as though they could have been woodblock-printed straight onto the skin.

Tattoo art is not Orth’s only creative endeavour. She also has an impressive history working in Seattle’s Grunge scene in the ‘90s. Orth was the founding Art Director for Sub Pop Records where she designed early record covers for bands such as Mudhoney, Sonic Youth, as well as Nirvana—whose iconic logo she also designed. She then went on to launch her own record label—called Big Flaming Ego Records—and recorded numerous local bands. She has now settled in LA where she takes select appointments in her tattoo studio.

If you can’t make it to LA for a tattoo, Orth also sells her illustrations on t-shirts, mugs, enamel pins, and prints on her online shop. You can keep up to date with her work on Instagram.

Tattoo artist Lisa Orth uses flawless black linework to depict mythical landscape scenes.

A post shared by Lisa Orth (@lisaorth) on

A post shared by Lisa Orth (@lisaorth) on

A post shared by Lisa Orth (@lisaorth) on

A post shared by Lisa Orth (@lisaorth) on

A post shared by Lisa Orth (@lisaorth) on

A post shared by Lisa Orth (@lisaorth) on

A post shared by Lisa Orth (@lisaorth) on

A post shared by Lisa Orth (@lisaorth) on

A post shared by Lisa Orth (@lisaorth) on

A post shared by Lisa Orth (@lisaorth) on

A post shared by Lisa Orth (@lisaorth) on

A post shared by Lisa Orth (@lisaorth) on

A post shared by Lisa Orth (@lisaorth) on

Lisa Orth: Website | Instagram | Facebook
h/t: [Illusion]

All images via Lisa Orth.

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Emma Taggart

Emma Taggart is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. Originally from Northern Ireland, she is an artist now based in Berlin. After graduating with a BA in Fashion and Textile Design in 2013, Emma decided to combine her love of art with her passion for writing. Emma has contributed to various art and culture publications, with an aim to promote and share the work of inspiring modern creatives. While she writes every day, she’s also devoted to her own creative outlet—Emma hand-draws illustrations and is currently learning 2D animation.
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