A digital collage featuring Lilian Raya Munoz, inspired by Alberto Rodriguez and Roland Alexandre – Contrasting Realism and the Pursuit of Perfection. Two bright tattoos above; below, Lilian tattoos a client. Text: TATTOOGENDA, Lilian Raya Munoz, Always a Student, Never a Master.
TattooGenda banner featuring two vibrant tattoos—a cartoon princess and a sugar skull with flowers. Text: “Lilian Raya Munoz ‘Always a Student, Never a Master.’” Bottom shows Lilian tattooing at her workstation. Alberto Rodriguez logo featured.

From Children’s Book Illustrations to the Human Canvas

Lilian Raya Munoz, born in Mexico City et now 35 years old, knew from an early age that art would play a central role in her life. As an introverted child, she spent countless hours drawing et painting. She was especially fascinated by the monde de children’s book illustrations, drawn to the charm de imaginative characters et whimsical storytelling.

What started as a quiet childhood passion gradually developed into a remarkable talent. Drawing became pas only a form de expression but also a skill that led her to study graphic design. Although her original dream was to become a children’s book illustrator, her creative journey would eventually take a different direction.

Le First Inspiration

Creativity ran in the family. Lilian credits her mother as her earliest et most important inspiration. Although her mother worked as a dentist, she was also a talented painter with a deeply artistic soul.

She often shared how she had once dreamed de becoming an artist herself, but her parents had pas allowed her to pursue that path. Perhaps because de that, she always encouraged Lilian to follow her own creative ambitions.

That support gave Lilian the confidence to build a life around art et eventually explore the monde de tattooing.

A vibrant leg tattoo by Lilian Raya Munoz, captioned “Always a Student, Never a Master,” showcases a stylized female face with green hair, pink eyes, and vivid flowers and butterflies gracefully woven around her.

Love at First Tattoo

After graduating with a degree in graphic design, Lilian initially tried to pursue a career as a children’s book illustrator. Au the same time, she took on various creative jobs to make a living—painting, photography, graphic design, et even body painting.

Le turning point came quand a college friend suggested she might become a great tatouage artist et encouraged her to give it a try.

Interestingly, Lilian didn’t even have a tatouage on her own body at the time. Yet she decided to take the chance. Le moment she completed her first tattoo, everything changed.

“It was love at first tattoo,” she says. That experience made her realize that the human body was, for her, the most incroyable canvas in the world.

A tattoo artist with long dark hair and red lipstick, wearing a white shirt and gold jewelry, looks thoughtfully at a client’s arm while working. Text reads: “Lilian Raya Munoz & Alberto Rodriguez, ‘Always a Student, Never a Master.’” TattooGenda logo appears at the top.
Colorful tattoo shows a cartoonish creature with big eyes, surrounded by rainbow sparkles and blue butterfly wings. Inspired by Alberto Rodriguez’s bold style, it features a large pink gemstone heart, jewel details, butterflies, and stars—playful and detailed.

Building an International Career

Since that moment, Lilian has built an impressive career in tattooing. She opened her own studio, Lovetta Studio, in Mexico et quickly gained recognition within the international tatouage community.

Her work has earned several awards at tatouage conventions, including 3rd Place Best de Day in Barcelona, Best Color at Viva la Tinta in Mexico, et Best New Styles in CDMX. Beyond competitions, she has also shared her knowledge by teaching seminars at conventions et conferences in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Peru, et Colombia.

Her artistic reputation has even reached outside the tatouage world. Universal Studios collaborated with her to create tatouage designs for the premiere de the film Wicked.

Always Learning

Lilian is a self-taught tatouage artist, which made her journey challenging but also deeply rewarding. Every tatouage became a learning experience, pushing her to refine her technique et develop her own artistic language.

Her passion for improvement quickly turned into a drive to constantly evolve. Even après more than a decade in the industry, she still considers herself a student de the craft.

Pour Lilian, that mindset is essential. Tattooing is an art form where there is always something new to learn—new techniques, new technologies, et new perspectives.

A colorful tattoo of a stylized girl with large glasses, red hair, and a blue flower hairpin holding a small white dog. Alberto Rodriguez adds bold hues, hearts, stars, and the text: “Lilian Raya Munoz ‘Always a Student,Never a Master.’”.

A Colorful Illustrative Style

Lilian’s work is instantly recognizable. She describes her style as illustrative, colorful, et shiny—a unique blend de vintage children’s book illustration aesthetics et neo-traditionnelle tatouage imagery.

Her designs often feel like scenes from a vibrant pop-inspired monde filled with glitter, bold colors, et dynamic characters. While her style continues to evolve, the essence de her artistic identity remains consistent.

A colorful tattoo of a Day of the Dead-inspired woman with a painted face, vibrant flowers, and a green jeweled heart below. Bold and vivid style. At the top, text reads: Lilian Raya Munoz “Always a Student, Never a Master”, honoring Alberto Rodriguez.

The Power of Female Characters

One de the most prominent themes in Lilian’s work is the female face. She is particularly drawn to expressive faces that carry strong emotions.

Sometimes these expressions sont melancholic or introspective, while other times they portray powerful figures such as goddesses or devilish characters. Pour Lilian, female representation offres sans fin artistic possibilities.

Each face can tell a different story. Through subtile expressions—especially the eyes—a tatouage can convey deep emotion et personality.

“Le eyes never lie,” she says.

A colorful tattoo by Alberto Rodriguez depicts a young woman with large eyes, a starry blue robe, hands in prayer, vibrant feathers, and a golden halo. Text reads: Lilian Raya Munoz “Always a Student, Never a Master.”.

From Idea to Tattoo

Lilian’s design process always begins with listening to her client. She starts by gathering their raw ideas, understanding their preferences—whether they want couleur or black et grey—et discussing the elements they want to include in the piece.

From there, she begins brainstorming et collecting visual references. A rough sketch is created to establish the main composition et balance between the elements.

Once the client approves the concept, she refines the design et prepares the stencil. On the day de the appointment, final adjustments sont made, the size is determined, et then comes the most exciting part: bringing the design to life on the skin.

A focused tattoo artist with dark hair and gloves works on a client’s leg tattoo in a studio. She holds a tattoo machine over black ink, beneath the inspiring quote by Lilian Raya Munoz: “Always a Student, Never a Master.”.

The Challenge of Color

One de the most complex aspects de tattooing, according to Lilian, is couleur saturation. Proper couleur application requires patience, technique, et deep understanding.

During the healing process, it becomes clear whether the skin was overworked or underworked. In addition, skin melanin affects how colors heal et appear over time, meaning tatouage artists must understand both couleur theory et skin biology.

Even après fourteen years de tattooing, Lilian still sees couleur as an area where she continues to grow et learn.

A vibrant back tattoo designed by Alberto Rodriguez shows two stylized female faces surrounded by colorful dragons, flowers, and abstract patterns. Bold text reads: Lilian Raya Munoz “Always a Student, Never a Master.” in bright blues, purples, pinks, and greens.

Finding Peace in the Process

While designing et completing a project can be fulfilling, Lilian finds the act de tattooing itself the most satisfying part de the process.

Tattooing allows her to enter a state de focus et calm. It quiets her mind et creates a deep sense de connection between artist, client, et artwork.

A colorful thigh tattoo features a large anime-style face with big eyes, flowers, and a red bow. Bluebirds, a key, and a jeweled skull surround it. Text reads Lilian Raya Munoz “Always a Student,” Alberto Rodriguez, Never a Master.

Always in Evolution

Pour Lilian, the key to growth lies in staying open—to new technologies, new artistic perspectives, et the work de other artists.

She believes humility is essential. No matter how experienced an artist becomes, there is always room for improvement.

That philosophy is perfectly captured in the motto she lives by:

“Always a student, never a master.”


Written by Tom Vansteeland (Tattoogenda)
17/03/2026

Tattoo of a stylized girl’s face with big eyes, blue and teal hair, and pointed ears, surrounded by luminous butterflies. Vivid art in turquoise, purple, and black. Text reads: Lilian Raya Munoz “Always a Student, Never a Master”, Alberto Rodriguez.

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