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Black traditional horse head tattoo framed by a horseshoe with dotted nail holes

Traditional Horse and Horseshoe Tattoo

Looked the horse head out from inside a horseshoe, dotted nail holes along the rim, an axe crossing behind. I used a frame inside a frame here: the horseshoe sets the silhouette while greywash shading models the horse's face. Two distinct line weights at play, both reading as one piece.

I oriented the portrait upright relative to the natural hanging position of the limb, so the horse faces the viewer rather than tilting sideways. Traditional animal portraits like this hold their detail for decades when the outline weight is set right at the start. Thin lines on the eyes or nostrils would soften within a few years, so I size them up where it counts. Custom traditional work goes through my Wellington 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 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.