Book Tattoo
Black ink sacred heart wrapped in thorns with flame on top and blood drops below

Traditional Sacred Heart Tattoo

Sacred heart, classic Catholic iconography stripped back to its essentials in pure traditional style. Flame rising from the crown, thorns wrapping the body, blood dropping below. Black ink only, with all the shape doing the work, no fill colour and no shading wash.

It sits inside an existing collection, so I sized the design to fit between neighbouring botanicals without crowding them. That kind of integration matters when I'm adding to a heavily tattooed area, the new piece has to talk to its neighbours rather than shout over them. The sacred heart is one of those motifs that's been tattooed for over a century and still earns its place because the iconography is durable, easy to read, and instantly recognisable.

Wellington, @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.