Neo-traditional: colour with a graphic spine

Neo-traditional keeps the heavy outline of American traditional and loosens everything else: colour range, line weight, and how the shape sits on the body. It is the style most often chosen when a person wants colour that still looks like a tattoo twenty years on.

The look comes from contrast control. Large fields of flat colour age better than soft blends, and a dark anchor inside the design stops it from fading into a low-contrast haze.

Because the outlines are wide, this style tolerates cover-up work and re-working better than most. If a piece is being rebuilt over an older one, neo-traditional is usually the honest option.