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Folk-style painting of a kneeling nude woman with a plant and lettering reading Naughty by Nature

Naughty by Nature Studio Painting

Worked this one up on canvas and stuck it on the wall at my Wellington studio. A kneeling nude figure on a red rug, plant to one side, painted lettering down the right margin. The flat colour and confident outline pull from the same vocabulary as my traditional tattooing, so it reads as a portfolio reference rather than a finished tattoo.

I keep painted work on the walls because it's how I talk through tone with new clients. Showing somebody a canvas in person is faster than scrolling Instagram and gives a clearer sense of how saturated my reds and blues actually look. Bookings come through @pokestaytattoo or by emailing the studio.

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By Rhys Thomas at Whitetail Tattoo, Level 3, 41–47 Dixon Street, Te Aro, Wellington, New Zealand

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Common Questions About Colour in Wellington

Will colour fade faster than black?
Yes. All colour eventually softens, particularly with sun exposure. Solid blacks hold the longest, reds and warm tones hold well, and lighter pastels and whites are the most exposed. A well-placed and well-cared-for colour piece still looks great for many years, but it'll need touch-ups earlier than blackwork.
Does skin tone affect what colours work?
Absolutely. Some pigments read very differently on deeper skin tones, and white highlights can disappear entirely. I plan palettes per person rather than applying a stock formula, and I'll often swap white highlights for negative-space techniques where it makes sense.
Can I mix colour with blackwork in one piece?
Yes. Some of my strongest work is blackwork with one or two saturated colour accents. That combination tends to age well, because the black holds the composition together as the colour softens.