(Not So) Traditional Realism

Today’s pick for skull of the day goes to the talented Jacob Gardner! You can typically find Gardner tattooing away in the Gold Coast of Australia. He is best known for his fun and out of the box neo-traditional style combining elements of New School and realism into the standard American traditional conventions.

Take a look at today’s pick, a cool cross between a traditional rose and a realistic skull. Though the majority of the skull is done in a highly realistic fashion, Gardner still delicately incorporates the bold black outlines found in most traditional skulls. These outlines then extend into the orange rose and leaves above, two features who uphold more traditional color blocking and shading than the skull does.

While this piece successfully showcases two very different styles, Gardner does a phenomenal job at blending the styles so that they look like they were always meant to mesh together. We love the dark shading used underneath the skull and how well it contrasts with the bright warm color palette of the flower and leaves at the top, a technique that really helps balance out the tattoo.

The range of tattoo styles has grown significantly in the past twenty years. Not only are new techniques and styles popping up everywhere, but artists are also finding cool ways to bring all of these innovations together into very high quality tattoos, and we can’t wait to see what new creations they come up with next!

For more incredible skull tattoos like today’s pick, check out some of our all time favorites right here.