Tattoo artist Laura McLean works out of South City Market in London, creating blackwork, blast overs and minimal styled tattoos. We caught up with Laura to find out more about the tattoos she creates and how she chooses to decorate her own body…
What drew you to the blackwork style of tattoos? I love tattoos that are bold and impactful from the moment you look at them. My style has definitely changed quite a bit since I first started tattooing and I’m sure it will evolve more as I get further into my career, which I’m excited for.
Is this the style that you have decided to decorate your own body with too? My tattoos on my own body are pretty varied. I have some realism, some blackwork, some fineline black and grey, some neo-traditional and a lot of shitty doodles that I did on my own legs before I knew how to tattoo. I don’t have any colour tattoos because I’ve just never been drawn to them. I pretty much have my whole body planned out, I just need to follow through with it all. The end goal is a lot more heavy blackwork.
What inspired you to get tattooed and start tattooing others? I honestly don’t know! There was never really a question in my mind that I was going to get tattooed and tattoo other people, it was just a given, and I have a pretty impulsive personality so I never really gave it much thought.
What do tattoos and tattooing mean to you? I’m obsessed with tattoos. They’re the only thing I’ve ever felt completely passionate about and the only way I feel I’m effectively able to express myself, both through my own tattooing and the tattoos I have on my body. I think tattoos are really important in that way. It makes me super grateful that I’m able to do this for a living at the most amazing studio surrounded by such talented artists.
What sorts of things do you like to tattoo, is there anything you’d like to do more of? Something I’m looking to do more of in 2019 is large scale projects, the bigger the better. I’m keen to black out some limbs! And more blastovers! I’m a huge fan of the way blastovers look.
Your style is fierce yet feminine, would you use these words to describe yourself and your work? I’ve always considered my work to be pretty balanced between the masculine and feminine. I definitely wouldn’t describe myself as feminine. I actually find describing my work really difficult, I still don’t really know how to answer that question despite being asked it a lot.