Traditional
What is a traditional tattoo?
Traditional tattooing — sometimes called American traditional or old school — uses bold black outlines, a restricted palette, and simple solid shading. Every one of those constraints exists because it is what survives in skin. It is the style most likely to still read clearly in forty years.
| Looks like | Heavy outlines, flat colour, classic subjects. Readable from across a room. |
|---|---|
| Ages like | Better than anything else, by design. The bold outline holds the shape as the ink softens inside it, which is precisely why the convention exists. |
Suits
- Anyone who wants it legible in decades
- Classic imagery
- Arms and legs
What to ask the artist
- Whether they work from classic flash or draw custom
- Which colours they have found hold up on your skin tone