Neo-Traditional tattoo design is an ever-evolving style that is both heavily related to, but proudly distinct from, its older sibling: Traditional. It both pays homage to Traditional while also ripping up the rulebook in some key ways. With Neo-Traditional, there’s more of an emphasis on shading, with big, smooth textures at play; more saturated colours; much more scope for subject matter; and generally speaking, a more detailed and decorative feel than Traditional.

In a nutshell, it’s based in the ‘Americana’ feel of its iconic predecessor but is more open to interpretation. For example, anchors and ships still often pop up but usually these references function in a more playful or ironic way.

In terms of animals, it varies from the likes of sea-faring creatures seen in Traditional and tends to go for more real-world-dangerous animals like tigers and panthers but can also very often involve more serene ones like cats, dogs, rabbits or owls. Neo-Traditional depictions of animals may often combine a sense of danger with peacefulness and on the whole it tends to be less direct in terms of symbolic meaning than Traditional. Neo-traditional Wolf Tattoos have been amongst the most popular in The Ink Factory.

Since Traditional tattooing emerged in Hawaii and from Sailor Jerry’s contact with Asian and Polynesian influences, it’s no surprise that Neo-Traditional takes plenty of cues from Japanese tattooing, especially in how it uses shading techniques to give these 2-D pieces a heightened sense of movement and energy.

Combining imagery with a written text expression is another strong characteristic of Neo-Traditional work. There’s also plenty of overlap with portraiture on show with these tattoos and popular culture is sought out for inspiration more so than the established symbols of nautical stars and hearts.

Flowers and especially roses are a big recurring motif in a lot of Neo-Traditional work, certainly for sleeve pieces – petals often feature on bigger Neo-Traditional works and can make for a very dynamic tattoo piece when laced in with darker-themed imagery.

Overall, Neo-Traditional boils down to being situated in many worlds all at once: steeped in the past, hungry for innovation and the future, and very much of the present moment too. Far from being a trend, it’s a whole unique style and a separate mentality when it comes to creating tattoo art and one that is clearly carving out its place in tattoo history.

Indeed, Neo-Traditional tattoos have become so popular because it shows clear respect to the history and ethos of tattooing – it’s faithful to one of the major pioneering styles in modern tattooing culture, while also embracing the ethos of evolution and change.

Neo-Traditional is the ideal style for those with both a love for the dramatic and an appreciation of the timeless quality of a minimalist approach to art.

And the beauty is that  a Neo-Traditional tattoo can absorb so many influences while still keeping its distinct look, so don’t hesitate to pop into us and have a chat about realising your dream tattoo! Our artists love tossing around ideas and take pride in develop cutting edge styles to see where it can go next.