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Traditional black snarling reptile head tattoo with bared teeth and a forked tongue

Traditional Reptile Head Tattoo

Snarling reptile head with bared teeth and a forked tongue, sized to sit comfortably within the available canvas. I kept the outline weight consistent through the teeth and scales so the piece reads with the same punch as the rest of my traditional output, then dropped dotted accents along the tongue to add a fine-line counterpoint to the solid black fills.

Mid-sized standalone pieces like this work well as filler around a developing full coverage project. The reptile sits as its own complete image but doesn't compete with neighbouring work for attention, which is exactly the role a good filler plays during a longer project. Booking traditional standalone work in Wellington through my Whitetail Tattoo studio.

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.