Book Tattoo

Traditional Tattoos in Wellington

Traditional tattoos in Wellington. Bold outlines, classic motifs, and the kind of saturated colour built to last a lifetime.

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Traditional Pieces

Black and grey traditional eagle perched above a girl head
Disembodied holding a rose with a diving swallow below on the outer
Three hooded reapers holding scythes around a cracked red moon across the upper back
Traditional lady head with waves inside a circular spiderweb with a skull and star badge
Black and grey traditional eagle perched on a branch with folded wings
Both tattooed with a jester face, spiderwebs and figural work
Dagger driven through a girl head with a weeping eye and red rose on the inner
Full back tattoo of a mermaid sat by crystalline rocks under a moon, framed by roses and flowers
in progress with traditional lady head, snarling panther and swallow and
Painted canvas titled Midnight Jungle showing a black panther under a red crescent moon
Black and grey traditional floral cuff bands wrapped around both with dotwork borders
Black ink leaping tiger speared by an ornate dagger with floating swallow
Traditional Medusa face with snakes coiled through her hair and flames spilling from her mouth on the back
Painted canvas titled Dearest Rosie showing a rearing black horse with a small red tiger head
Traditional 1920s flapper portrait with -waved hair, diamond earrings and pearl necklace
Black ink sacred heart wrapped in thorns with flame on top and blood drops below
Traditional nurse portrait with red-cross cap and poppy bloom on the back of
Disembodied gripping an ornate jewelled dagger with droplets falling
Traditional black ink floral wrapped with dotwork borders
Black traditional flaming torch tattoo with a single eye on inner
Black traditional lady head tattoo with flowing hair and flames inside a full coverage piece
Black traditional crawling panther tattoo
Black traditional flower band tattoo with dotwork edges
Black traditional Athena profile tattoo with plumed helmet
Black traditional dagger through a heart tattoo
Black traditional skull and crossbones tattoo with cracked cranium
Black traditional lady head tattoo with three small mice nestled in her hair
Two matching coral and black flower band tattoos
Black traditional panther head with flanking scorpions and a spider web
Black sacred heart tattoo with cross, roses and Choose Life banner
Black traditional eagle tattoo with spread wings with stars
Black traditional grim reaper tattoo laid in a coffin
Black traditional wolf head tattoo with long tongue hanging
Black traditional roaring tiger head tattoo with bared teeth
Black traditional panther head tattoo with a dagger and small star
Pink mixed-media painting of a cobra above a black and gold Greek-style vase
Traditional flaming torch tattoo with a lady's face emerging from the flames
Full back tattoo with a tall ship banner above a snarling panther head framed by crossed daggers
Snarling lion head tattooed on one and a tiger head on the other, both in traditional black
Traditional black lady head tattoo in profile with a draped veil and pointed collar
Snarling traditional black panther head tattoo on the side of above a lady head piece
Two wolf heads tattooed above a framed Jesus on the cross
Traditional black tattoo with a spread-wing eagle, head of Christ, weeping eye, skull and sacred heart
Three horse heads grouped together inside a circular daisy wreath frame
Traditional black horseshoe tattoo pierced by a dotted dagger with a horse head beside it
Black traditional horse head tattoo framed by a horseshoe with dotted nail holes
Traditional black and grey skull tattoo crowned with a thorny ring and pierced by a nail
Traditional black snarling reptile head tattoo with bared teeth and a forked tongue
Traditional black lady head tattoo wrapped in curling flames on the back of below a scorpion piece
Black and grey traditional crawling panther on the back of the upper arm, head turned mid-snarl
Traditional black ink lady head wearing a draped headscarf on the back of the hand
Traditional shaded spiderweb with a negative-space centre and scrollwork border across the forearm
Traditional nurse lady head with a red-cross cap and a single anemone on the forearm
Shaded traditional spiderweb centred on the point of the elbow with a scrollwork border and eagle above
Bold black line traditional nurse lady head with red-cross cap and beaded collar on the forearm
Black and grey neo-traditional lady head with long flowing hair and daffodils on the forearm

Common Questions About Traditional Tattoos

What's the difference between traditional and neo-traditional?
Traditional keeps to a small, classical colour palette (reds, yellows, greens, blues) with chunky outlines and limited shading. Neo-traditional opens that up with more colours, finer detail, and more painterly shading. Same bones, more flexibility.
Do traditional tattoos cost less because they look simpler?
No. Traditional tattoos look deceptively simple. Clean bold lines and solid colour packs are hard to execute well, and they're priced on time and skill required, not visual complexity.
Can a traditional design be personal rather than generic?
Yes. Most of my traditional pieces are custom subjects rendered in the traditional language. Bring your own meaning and I'll handle the visual grammar.