Meet Tattoo By Lex: Fineline and Blackwork Artist

“Think of how many things we have in our lives that are actually with us until the day that we die,” said Alexis Samuels, the steady hand and divine illustrator behind Tattoo by Lex. Surrounded by natural light illuminating through the garage doors of her new space, Samuels etched my 12th tattoo onto my forearm – one of the 10 she has given me. Adding more personalization and beauty to her new space is vintage clothing by her best friend Chase Austin of Dusk Threads. 

“Not very many but tattoos are and that’s not something to take lightly,” she continued. 

The permanence of tattoos indicates even more importance in choosing the right artist. Samuels aims to leave clients with the feeling that has resulted from her own experience: “tattoos that make you feel more you,” she said.  

“My favorite tattoos ever that I’ve gotten are the ones that I’ve done and I feel more like myself.” 

The mission behind Tattoo By Lex at her core is to assist clients in finding the truest version of themselves through art. Whether that be tattooing something meaningful or whimsical, the intention behind Samuels and her craft is to solidify the confidence that her clients feel about themselves and their bodies. 

As a result, Samuels tattoos with extreme delicacy and intentionality.  

“I want it to feel like you’re almost looking at a microscope when you’re looking at my tattoos or my illustrations,” she added.

Samuels began her career alongside a mentor that continues to inspire her to this day. Before finding her mentor, she faced countless disappointing responses when approaching tattoo artists about mentoring her. At the time, she was designing tattoos and was forced to watch those who commissioned her for these designs to get her illustrative fine line work etched on their body by other artists, often resulting in much thicker lines than intended. While this was a frustrating experience, connecting with her mentor helped her blossom into the tattoo artist she is today.

“The best thing that you can do is get tattooed by people that you look up to or that you want to start a relationship with,” said Samuels. “At the end of the day, tattooing is something that you really should do in the community.”

Deciding on a tattoo and an artist are both major decisions. Nowadays, tattoo artists use social media as their digital portfolios to showcase both their fresh and healed work. As Tattoo By Lex grows, Samuels is embracing social media as a tool to share her work with prospective clients, artists and current clientele. 

However, it wasn’t always easy for her to make social media a priority. At first, she struggled with the vulnerability of displaying her work. Lately, she has embraced the method of creating a digital portfolio and is grateful for the positive response from her followers and support system. 

“I think it’s so powerful to step into your power and know that there’s somebody out there that is cheering you on,” she expressed. “For every one person that wants to see you fail, there’s five that are going to be celebrating with you and inspired by you for putting yourself out there and doing the dang thing.” 

With her online presence top of mind, Samuels is currently at the forefront of a rebrand. She is now tattooing out of a new space and under a new name for her business to accompany new opportunities to tattoo meaningful and stunning art on her clients. It’s been four years since she began tattooing and her clientele is growing rapidly. 

She began her tattooing journey focused on line work and now she is known for that, but is also embracing realism and illustrative opportunities.  

“I definitely want to do more things with a lot more depth and movement and something that I can build and really create,” Samuels said. 

Recent additions to her portfolio include a client’s first car on their arm, followed by an illustrative version of the mouse from Coraline. 

“I also really really love the little tchotchkes and household items that might have a lot of meaning,” she added. 

In embracing new and challenging projects, her new space is also extremely influential to the growth of her business. 

“Creating and curating an inviting space is really important to me also in how I tattoo and how I interact with my clients,” Samuels said. 

Located in Washington Park, her studio is filled with natural light, as well as vintage furniture and clothing curated by Chase Austin. 

Austin is a dear friend of Samuels as well as a loyal client, with his arms covered in some of her best work. In sharing a space, he sees her interactions with clients daily and sees firsthand the compassion she has for the art of tattooing as well as the rapport she develops with her clients. For Samuels, tattooing isn’t just her job. It’s her calling. 

“She’s there for the art, she’s there for the people, the profit is just what comes with it,” he said. 

Tattoo artists are constantly changing and adjusting to their craft through their interactions with clients and the projects they take on. A rebrand is only the beginning for Samuels. 

“I want to continue to evolve in what feels like me and what is Tattoo By Lex,” she said. This involves “finding more of that identity.” 

Tattoo By Lex is currently booking for April.

All photography by Abby Schirmacher.

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