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Traditional 1920s flapper portrait with -waved hair, diamond earrings and pearl necklace

Traditional Flapper Lady Head Tattoo

1920s flapper portrait on this one in traditional rendering. Marcel-waved hair, hooded eyes, dark lipstick, diamond earrings dropping to a pearl necklace, and a fur collar rounding out the lower edge. I built the whole piece almost entirely in black-and-grey shading rather than solid line, which lets the face hold delicate features at this scale.

I sized the design generously across a flat panel of skin, giving the head and collar room to read as a single composed image. Soft shading needs enough surface area to do its work without competing with adjacent tattoos, and portraits work best where the canvas stays relatively still under everyday movement.

For traditional lady head bookings in Wellington, hit me up at @pokestaytattoo or pokestaytattoo@gmail.com.

Book Similar PieceSee All Traditional

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

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Common Questions About Traditional in Wellington

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.