Book Tattoo
Pink canvas painting of a striped vase with a tiger face and blue flowers

Studio Painting of a Tiger Vase

Painted this one between sessions and hung it on the wall at my Whitetail Tattoo studio. A tiger-faced vase, some blue blooms, a seated nude figure. Same vocabulary I use across my traditional and blackwork tattoos: flat colour, confident outline, no shading tricks.

I keep paintings like this around as working tools. The studio walls double as my moodboard so anyone walking in can read how shapes and palettes will translate to skin before we book a session. Wellington clients can hit me up through @pokestaytattoo or by emailing the studio if you want something in this language on you.

Book Similar PieceSee All Colour

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

Similar Tattoos

See All
Colour full coverage tattoo with a roaring tiger, frog, lotus flowers and a goat
Black panther head tattoo with bright red flames and tongue
Painted canvas of a yellow cobra rearing over a striped snake and red flowers, labelled Gold Cobra
Colour tattoo of a brown and white staffy dog with red flowers

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.