Book Tattoo
Shaded traditional spiderweb centred on the point of the elbow with a scrollwork border and eagle above

Traditional Spiderweb Elbow Tattoo

A shaded spiderweb centred right on the point of the elbow, with a scrolled border framing the outer edge and an eagle riding above it. I gave each cell of the web a soft black-to-grey gradient and left a clean disc of skin at the centre, so the radial pattern pulls the eye straight to the middle of the joint.

The elbow is one of the trickiest places to tattoo. The skin gathers and stretches through a huge range, so the web has to be drawn to stay even whether the arm is bent or straight. I use a piece like this as a bridge, knitting the work above and below the elbow into one continuous sleeve rather than separate panels.

For sleeve and elbow work in Wellington, reach me at @pokestaytattoo 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.