November 22, 2022

What are Neo-Traditional Tattoos?

Neo-Traditional Tattoo by Jason Rodriguez — Black & Grey Female Neo-Traditional Portrait with Color Accents by Jason Rodriguez

What makes a tattoo Neo-Traditional? How are they different from American Traditional tattoos?

Neo-Traditional tattoos follows many of the same fundamental techniques of American Traditional style of tattooing. The style has black outlines to hold color in its place as the ink ages, similar to American Traditional. Often this style of tattoo plays with a vibrant color palette, reaching beyond the three fundamental coloring of the old school style of tattooing. Neo-Traditional designs are more modern and realistic than American Traditional. The designs are strong and often have an extravagant aesthetic. They are rich in intricate detail, and therefore have more depth than American Traditional tattoos. Adorned with pearls, lace, and filigree, Neo-Traditional tattoos expand on the artist’s creativity, enthusiasm and imagination.

How did Neo-Traditional become originate?

To understand the origins of Neo-Traditional, one must understand the history of Art Nouveau and Art Deco. These two art movements inspired artists around the world, including tattoo artists. Art Nouveau began when Japan opened their gates to the world to ease tensions with its neighbors in 1890. In addition, opening their doors allowed for global trade. European artists could not get enough of Japanese art. Artists such as Monet and Van Gogh began to shift their designs – flattening perspectives and adding patterns and props to their artwork. Therefore, Art Nouveau was born. Artwork of this time saw an increase in organic and geometric forms. This created elegant and flowing designs.

As 1910 came to an end, Art Nouveau was replaced by Art Deco. Art Deco followed similar trends but became even more elegant and had thinner lines. Being inspired by the industrial revolution, artists incorporate sharper angles and geometric shapes in their work. This symmetry was an attempt to make machine-made objects more aesthetically pleasing.

When observing Neo-Traditional tattoos, one can see a huge influence of Art Nouveau with hints of Art Deco. This transition from American Traditional to Neo-Traditional is because artists around the world were feeling more inspired. They had interests in expanding their creativity and exploring their imaginations. These tattoos have strong aesthetics, and although they follow similar guidelines, they are often unique to the artists style and focus of subject matter.