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Traditional nurse portrait with red-cross cap and poppy bloom on the back of

Traditional Nurse Tattoo

Traditional nurse on this one. Red-cross cap, Marcel-waved hair, dark lipstick, sat inside a laurel wreath with a single open poppy at the base. One of the most enduring American traditional motifs, going back to wartime flash and still being tattooed for the same reasons it always was.

I gave the portrait room to read at full scale, with the wreath softening the edges of the design against the surrounding skin so it sits well within the visual rhythm of the surrounding work. Black ink only, no colour fill, which keeps the focus on the face and the line work in the petals. Designs I build around a wreath always carry a little of that vintage flash quality, the frame is half the piece.

For Wellington bookings, message me at @pokestaytattoo on Instagram 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.