A true expert in the Ornamental Blackwork style – more architectural than decorative – Michelle sends us a great life lesson from Pittsburgh (where she works at ‘Somewhere Good’): when you tattoo, always remember that you are dealing with men and women’s emotions.
What should we call you first? Lynn or Miller?
Most people call me Michelle, but artistically I usually go by Michelle Lynn Miller in full (IG: @michellelynntattoo). I don’t really have a strict preference. As long as it’s said kindly, I’ll answer to it.
Can you tell us about yourself and your journey as a professional tattoo artist?
I’ve been tattooing professionally since 2018 and I’m based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I co-own a studio called ‘Somewhere Good’ (IG: @somewheregoodtattoo) with my best friend Hillary Evans (IG: @hillaryevanstattoo). My work focuses primarily on large scale Ornamental Blackwork, pieces designed to move with the body and feel architectural rather than decorative. I’m especially drawn to heavy linework, symmetry, floral construction, and compositions that wrap around anatomy in a really intentional way.
Tell me about your beginnings…
Before tattooing professionally, I worked in a tattoo shop for years and spent a long time around the environment before ever asking for an apprenticeship. Eventually I was awarded an apprenticeship under world renowned tattoo artist Nathan Mould (IG: @nathanmouldtattoo), which became a major turning point in my life and career. Being able to learn inside a real working tattoo environment gave me a deep respect for the craft, the discipline behind it, and the level of commitment it truly requires.
My path into tattooing wasn’t very glamorous or fast – It was years of drawing constantly, obsessing over composition, learning through repetition, and trying to develop a visual language that felt distinctly my own. Over time I became more interested in pushing contrast, scale, and technical difficulty, especially with bold linework that requires a lot of precision and confidence.
What have been the highlights of your career so far?
The highlights for me honestly aren’t necessarily awards or singular moments. They’re the long term things: building trust with clients who come back for years, watching my work evolve into something more recognizable and personal, traveling to tattoo, and creating a studio environment that feels inspiring and welcoming to both artists and clients.
I think having people connect emotionally to the work is probably the most meaningful part of all of it.
How do you create your ornamental tattoos? Do you follow a specific method, do you have any reference points, or does everything always begin with the client’s idea, which you then rework?
Usually it begins with a conversation about placement, scale, and feeling more than literal imagery. A lot of clients come to me wanting something Ornamental or Botanical, but they’re trusting me to interpret it through my own visual language. From there I build around anatomy first. I spend a lot of time thinking about movement, tension, negative space, and how the tattoo will flow when the body is standing naturally. I treat large scale tattooing almost like designing architecture for the body. Everything has to support the structure around it.
Visually, I pull inspiration from a lot of places: botanical illustration, gothic architecture, textile design, engraving, baroque ornamentation, even printmaking and linocut aesthetics. But I do not directly replicate references. I’m more interested in absorbing influences and then rebuilding them into something that feels cohesive and personal. I also redraw constantly throughout the process. A finished tattoo might look effortless, but there’s usually a huge amount of editing behind it to make the final composition feel balanced and inevitable.
Can you tell me the greatest compliment you’ve ever received when a client looked in the mirror and admired one of your completed works?
The compliments that stay with me the most usually aren’t about the technical side, even though I care deeply about craftsmanship. It’s when someone says the tattoo feels like it was always supposed to be there, or that they feel more like themselves after getting it. I’ve had clients cry, shake, go completely silent for a minute. Those reactions mean a lot because tattooing can be such an intimate and transformative experience. Especially with large scale work, people are committing to something that changes how they move through the world and how they see themselves. I think one of the most meaningful things someone ever said to me was, “I finally feel at home in my body.” That’s hard to forget.
Is there a particular person you’d like to thank if you’re Michelle Lynn Miller the tattoo artist today, or has yours always been a DIY approach?
I definitely don’t see myself as entirely self-made. Tattooing is built on shared knowledge, generosity, and being around people who push you to improve. I’m grateful to the artists who gave me opportunities early on, the people who believed in me before my work fully looked the way it does now, and the clients who trusted me enough to grow alongside me. That trust is everything. Honestly, none of this would exist without my clients.
The fact that people choose to wear my work permanently and continue supporting what I create is something I never take lightly.
I also have to thank Hillary (IG: @hillaryevanstattoo), my co-owner at ‘Somewhere Good’ (IG: @somewheregoodtattoo) and one of my best friends. She has probably been one of the biggest cheerleaders in my life both professionally and personally, and she has genuinely changed my life for the better in many ways. Building something together with someone who believes in you that deeply is very special.
I’m also very grateful for my partner Nathan (IG: @nathanmouldtattoo), who is a tattooer as well. Being with someone who understands the intensity, obsession, and emotional investment that tattooing requires has been really grounding and inspiring for me creatively. At the same time, I do think I’ve always had a strong internal drive. A lot of my growth came from long periods of studying, drawing, experimenting, and being willing to critique myself honestly.
Tell me about ‘Somewhere Good’ in Pittsburgh? It seems like you have a great team working there, and there’s a lovely natural environment around you, filled with light, plants, and a generally good vibe…
‘Somewhere Good’ (IG: @ somewheregoodtattoo) was built around the idea that a tattoo studio can feel calm, thoughtful, and genuinely welcoming without losing the seriousness of the craft itself. We like that it feels warm and lived in rather than intimidating or performative. There’s a lot of natural light, plants, music, artwork, and intention behind the atmosphere because tattooing is already such a vulnerable experience for many people. Environment matters. I’m really proud of the people there. Everyone has a strong individual identity artistically, but there’s also mutual respect and support, which I think clients can immediately feel when they walk in. It’s important to me that the studio feels inspiring not only for clients, but for the artists working inside it every day.
What’s your relationship with international tattoo conventions? Do you attend them regularly?
I enjoy conventions because they’re one of the few places where you can see such a huge range of tattoo styles and approaches all in one space. It’s energizing to reconnect with other artists, meet clients from different places, and step outside your normal routine for a few days. That said, I tend to be selective about which conventions I attend because large scale work requires a different pace and level of focus than quick convention tattoos sometimes allow for. Right now I’m more interested in traveling intentionally for guest spots, collaborative projects, and tattoo conventions that really value artistry and craftsmanship.
I always keep a few possibilities on the calendar, but I try not to overextend myself.
Is it true, as you write in your Instagram bio, that you sometimes cry? From joy? From emotion?
Fortunately yes! (laughs) I think tattooing is emotional work whether people admit it or not. You’re spending long hours with people during meaningful moments in their lives: transitions, grief, growth, celebration, heartbreak, reinvention. Sometimes you absorb that energy. I’m also just somebody who feels things deeply. I care a lot about what I make, I care about people, and sometimes emotion leaks out sideways. I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
And your last famous words are… ?
Probably something like: “Bold will hold.”
