Neo Traditional
So we’ve gone over some American Traditional.. Quite a bit actually, and there’s still more to say about it. For such a simple looking style it is so complex and has such a deep history. This week though I want to go into one of the styles that has branched off of traditional, and as I’m sure you guessed by the title, that’s neo-traditional. This is a style that takes aspects from traditional but totally reimagines it and pushes the limits of art and tattooing with vibrant colours, an illustrative approach, and a really new feel. But stays true to its traditional roots with heavy saturation, and bold lines.
Neo-trad is different from a lot of other styles because there aren’t strict rules. Things like traditional style, or Japanese traditional tattooing has rules that the artists have to follow for it to be true to that style and its history. Neo-trad has more variation between artists because there aren’t strict rules that they have to adhere to. For example: in Traditional tattoos the lines are bold and all the same width, whereas in Neo-trad there are thick bold lines, there are also smaller lines. Being able to change up different line widths (or weights) gives Neo-trad pieces more depth while still having Traditional components.
Traditional tattoos are simple looking in that they are 2D, there isn’t much depth. Neo-trad builds on this with more gradients, and line weight as mentioned above, as well as shading. Neo-trad is generally more blended out, and uses more shading and highlighting techniques to make the designs look more 3D than their traditional counterparts though they do have a similar approach. Check out some Traditional tattoos by Bryan below for reference.
If you read: American Traditional Part 1, you know that in Traditional pieces they mainly used reds, blues, and yellows for colour pieces. The ink available was a lot more limited at this time, and while neo-trad shares deep saturated colours with the Traditional style, it’s expanded with artists’ means and features a lot more colours. You’ll typically see jewel tones and organic colours in Neo-trad that may remind you of romantic era artwork. Check out some Neo-trad designs below, you can find even more at https://tattmag.com/neo-traditional-tattoos/#Neo-Traditional_Tattoos.
Neo-traditional borrows from more styles than just traditional though, there is an extensive inspiration list that’s combined to create this new and beautiful genre of artwork. Another notable mention is the Art Nouveau movement. Art Nouveau was a popular style in Europe between 1890-1910. It lends to Neo-traditional it’s signature organic colours and lines; it’s these curving and twisting lines that really set Neo-trad apart from Traditional and let it cater more to the human body and it’s curving shapes. Art Nouveau got its start during the industrial revolution when art supplies were starting to be cheaply manufactured in the new factories. This did not sit right with William Morris. Morris rebelled against the idea of cheaply made art and started his own design company to counteract it. His vision was for artists to be paid fairly and make art that is high quality and something to be proud of, thus sparking the Art Nouveau movement and eventually influencing Neo-trad. You can really see in photos of Art Nouveau how it influenced Neo-trad style with the colours, shading style, and organic imagery.
Art Deco came soon after the Art Nouveau movement. Art Deco is distinct however because of the symmetry and geometric shapes. You can see this style in more than just 2D artwork, one of the most famous pieces of Art Deco is the Chrysler building in New York, you can see this style in a lot of architecture and interior designs. This style moves away from that organic natural look and utilizes minimalism and sharp lines. This combination of Art Deco and the other more organic styles gives Neo-trad a really unique and striking look.
Another big influence in Neo-trad comes from Japanese art. Japanese woodblock prints in a style called Ukiyo-e. Ukiyo-e, which means floating world, has been a popular art style both in and outside of tattoos. It’s a positive style that came about during a time of economic success so they had the resources to make prints of the style that reflected the positivity of Japanese culture especially at that time in history. You probably recognize this style from images like the great wave:
Sources
- “100+ Neo-Traditional Tattoos: Main Themes, Designs & Artists.” Tattmag, 10 June 2021, tattmag.com/neo-traditional-tattoos/.
- “Neo Traditional Tattoos.” Cloak and Dagger Tattoo London, 28 May 2021, www.cloakanddaggerlondon.co.uk/tattoo-styles/neo-traditional/.
Images
- “Art Deco III Canvas Art Print by Elisabeth Fredriksson.” ICanvas, www.icanvas.com/canvas-print/art-deco-iii-elf184#1PC6-26×26.
- “Art Nouveau.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/art/Art-Nouveau.
- “Artists by Art Movement: Art Nouveau.” Www.wikiart.org, www.wikiart.org/en/artists-by-art-movement/art-nouveau#!#resultType:masonry.
- “Ukiyo-e – Art or Media?” e, www.artelino.com/articles/ukiyo-e-art.asp.
- “100+ Neo-Traditional Tattoos: Main Themes, Designs & Artists.” Tattmag, 10 June 2021, tattmag.com/neo-traditional-tattoos/.
