Neo-Traditional Tattoos

Neo-traditional, by all accounts, was a natural progression from traditional tattooing and was developed to build upon the foundation laid down by old school tattoos; with the black linework and bold, strong composition still very much being key elements, neo-traditional style is all about extending the style with some shading, colour, and additional detailing.

While old school is limited in their usage of fill and primary colours, neo-traditional tattoos tend to be more complex. This can involve a much greater variety of colours (jewel tones, pastel, gradient blending), as well as more diverse composition (drawing inspiration from Art Nouveau, illustration, portraiture). However, in order to qualify as “neo-traditional,” the tattoos must still incorporate bold outlines and read from a distance.

What Defines a Neo-Traditional Tattoo

There are some defining traits that make neo-traditional tattoos distinct from both traditional and realism. Bold black outlines are the basis of these tattoos, as they can be thicker than fine line tattoos but have more varied weight than traditional. The colors are also more varied than the traditional style, as they often include purples, teals, burnt oranges, pale pink and rich, jewel tones. Instead of solid colors like those in the original traditional designs, these are often blended in a soft, gradient style.

Unlike its old school ancestor, neo-traditional tattoos employ techniques such as whip shading and colour packing to create realistic shadows and texture. Layering, including filigree, geometric detail or a mandala around the centre of a piece, are also common in the style. Rather than flat, bold graphics, neo-traditional tattoos are more illustrative and painterly, like old prints or illustrations.

Popular Neo-Traditional Tattoo Subjects

The most popular subject matter in neo-traditional tattoos is the animal, especially wolves, foxes, bears, eagles, and snakes. The floral tattoos that are most prevalent include roses, peonies, chrysanthemums, and dahlias. These are usually done with varying levels of depth and colour, unlike the standard flat fill roses of traditional tattoos.

Portraits and faces, whether realistically rendered portraits or stylized mythological images, are a specialty of the neo-traditional style. There are frequently influences from the Art Nouveau style, such as flowing hair, decorative patterns, or framing around the image itself, all using flowing organic shapes or nature images. Some popular subjects are skulls with decorative details, daggers and swords with jewelled handles, moths and butterflies, and dark gothic or dark romantic motifs. But essentially if you start with the bold outline, you can do anything!

Best Placements for Neo-Traditional Tattoos

Neo-traditional designs are best suited to parts of the body that can offer enough space for the level of detail and colour work required. The upper arm and shoulder are the most popular choices as they allow for medium to large designs to fit well on the body. This area also has a relatively flat area of skin that is ideal to retain colour. The forearms are another good option to allow for more lengthy design patterns, such as a dagger, snake or a bouquet of flowers.

The thigh seems to be the more current trend and is generally a better fit for larger designs, such as portraits of animals or tattoos featuring a combination of objects. On the other hand, the calf is usually the area chosen for a neo-traditional single image and is typically better suited for vertical tattoo placement. With a neo-traditional chest panel or backpiece, you are looking at a larger and more complex design; multiple objects, landscapes, or other elements with lots of details and shading are usually found in this type of design, allowing more scope for colour and a strong visual impact. Neo-traditional doesn't suit very small placements, as the design will lose its detail.

Do Neo-Traditional Tattoos Age Well

If you’re looking for a modern tattoo style that will age well, neo-traditional tattoos can easily hold up for most of your life because these tattoos tend to age like well-oiled vintage machine guns. The thick outlines work like the walls of a house that keep color in place. The style is heavy on color saturation, which makes for a very smooth and gradual fade over time. Watercolour and fine line tattoos that lack a good structure, by comparison, can fade away in blotchy patches.

In 5 to 10 years, the gradient will start to blend a little and some colours will have lightened. Still, the overall tattoo will look good. Yellows and pale pinks will tend to fade more quickly than reds, blues, or black. Avoiding the sun, especially wearing SPF 30 sunscreen, will help preserve a tattoo; you could skip a touch-up for several years if you do this. You should expect that a neo-traditional tattoo will need a touch-up in 8 to 12 years.

Choosing the Right Neo-Traditional Tattoo Artist

Neo-traditional is a style that demands specific skill levels; not every tattoo artist knows how to do it. You need someone who can do bold lines but also colour gradients seamlessly. That’s harder to achieve than it sounds. When checking out a tattoo artist’s work, make sure their lines are thick and consistent, their colours solid and their shading is blended. Also, ask for healed work rather than fresh pieces, since the latter will always look good but the former will tell you the truth.

The neo-traditional artist who creates the best animal tattoos isn't necessarily the best at painting flowers. Consider what subject you are interested in and make sure it matches the particular specialty of the tattoo artist you are considering. In most cases, it is wise to start out with a consultation with the artist to talk through your idea before you book your first appointment, as there might be a long waiting list, anywhere from two to six months, for the artist. Also keep in mind that due to the detail and time commitment the process requires, the neo-traditional tattoos tend to be pricier than traditional-style tattoos, too.