Tribal Tattoos

tribal tattoos is a broad category. every culture on earth today descends from people who started out tattooing eachother. thousands of years later, various cultures applied taboos to getting tattooed for various political or religious reasons, but every tribe has a history of tattoos if you look far enough back.

most people get tribal artwork from their own heritage, but not exclusively. many people combine different elements or get artwork from tribes that they respect or love. at the end of the day, we all come from one tribe before they split. 

the most famous style of 'tribal' tattoo that became popular in the 1990's was inspired by borneo. other popular styles include polynesian, celtic, viking, native american and aztec, etc. the differences between the styles are debatable and often really come down to periods of time. viking and celtic come from a common root, for example, and the oldest symbols used in those areas could even be called simply scythian. 

here are a few tribal tattoos that were done by our artists. there are many other ways to approach it that aren't covered here. some collectors have even desired to create their own new style, only inspired by older themes, while others have combined two cultures together.

tribal work is not recommended as a walk-in situation. a great deal of planning usually goes into these, and you do want to find the right artist and make sure to get time set up with them. as simple as they look, doing a tribal tattoo well involves a lot of subtle knowledge not only of the subject at hand but of how to approach the layout of the design. the fit of the body, the relation of each line and angle to the others, the direction of the piece, the proportion of negative space to inked space are all very important and take a great deal of experience with the subject to get right.

when you book a tribal piece, expect a consultation appointment first. basic marker sketching on your skin may be involved. when you come back for the tattoo, they usually are based on a drawn up plan, which is then drawn onto your body by hand before tattooing begins. the first sessions on these pieces are usually intense, as it takes a couple  hours before you even begin inking, and then finishing the lines before the end of the session is usually critically important. tribal tattoos are a serious commitment.

if anyone ever tells you that tribal tattoos are easy, run.