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Three hooded reapers holding scythes around a cracked red moon across the upper back

Three Reapers Traditional

Three hooded reapers standing side by side behind a cracked, blood-red moon, with scythes curving outward to define the outer edges of the composition. I kept the palette disciplined, black for the figures and one saturated red sitting in the moon, which is what keeps this piece firmly in the traditional camp despite the scale.

I set the symmetry around a central vertical axis. The middle reaper anchors that line and the outer two flare to either side, so it reads clean even from across a room. Large-scale pieces I build around a single strong central element tend to age more gracefully than busy compositions, because the eye always has somewhere to land.

For a large-scale piece booking here in Wellington, get in touch through @pokestaytattoo or pokestaytattoo@gmail.com.

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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.