I’m Joanna Shoop, a tattoo artist and fine artist based in Southern California, specializing in neotraditional, color realism, and painterly tattoo work.

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My foundation as an artist began with traditional fine art. I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts from Laguna College of Art + Design (LCAD), where I developed a strong background in drawing, painting, color theory, and composition. While I was still attending LCAD, I began my two-year tattoo apprenticeship at Cast of Crowns Art Collective, learning the craft of tattooing alongside my formal fine art education.
 

That experience allowed my two worlds to develop together. The principles I was studying in school—color, value, composition, anatomy, and traditional painting techniques—began influencing the way I approached tattooing from the very beginning.

 

Today, my work blends realism with bold, illustrative and neotraditional elements. I’m especially drawn to rich color, organic forms, movement, and designs that feel timeless while still being unexpected. I love taking a client’s idea and transforming it into something created specifically for their body rather than simply placing an image onto the skin.

 

Alongside tattooing, I continue to work as a fine art painter, and the two practices constantly influence one another. Painting gives me space to experiment with color, texture, light, and movement, while tattooing challenges me to translate those ideas into artwork that remains strong and beautiful over time.