traditional tattoo artists
in los angeles
american traditional — bold outlines, a tight color palette, and timeless icons. eagles, roses, daggers, and panthers that look as good in 30 years as on day one.
15 traditional artists on goodwork · real prices · book the one you want
sandra price
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melanie benoit
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shelby bianco
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dylan aiello
A crowned heart held by two hands in the claddagh tradition, flanked by symmetrical flower sprays across the sternum.
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hannah
A traditional-style dragon head wearing a cowboy hat, drawn in crisp clean outline on the shin.
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tyler_whitlock
A bold red chrysanthemum sits above soft grey clouds, dark curved talons and a gilded ornamental base in this Japanese-style arm piece.
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ashynucklestattoo
A classic American traditional heart wrapped in a banner reading 1974, done in bold color on the back of the arm.
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dretty
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megan rose
Hand-painted flash sheet of four classic crawling black panthers in the American traditional style, each with bared teeth and colored claws.
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travis ross
A bold traditional butterfly across the stomach, with heavy black outlines and muted red and teal wing panels.
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edgar armas rodriguez
A classic mini traditional heart in red and green, wrapped with an initialed banner on the forearm.
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velvet devil
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engram
Vintage cartoon characters tangle into a circular black and grey composition, finished with a small spiderweb hanging beneath.
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dead pretty tattoos
A blooming pink peony with buds and greenery, built on bold outlines with soft color washes above the elbow.
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kadriya truvillion
A traditional eagle with raised wings and reaching talons, shaded in smoky black and grey on the forearm.
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about traditional tattooing in los angeles
american traditional is the most time-tested style in western tattooing, and it's built that way on purpose. heavy black outlines, a deliberately limited palette, and flat, fully saturated color, with simple bold shapes and no fussy detail. the vocabulary is fixed and instantly readable: eagles, roses, daggers, panthers, swallows, anchors, hearts and pin-ups, drawn much the way they've been drawn for a century.
it ages better than anything else, and that isn't nostalgia — it's engineering. thick outlines and solid color hold their shape as skin changes and ink spreads over decades, which is precisely why the style looks the way it does. if you want a tattoo that still reads clearly in thirty years, this is the safest bet on the board. the flip side is that the style has rules, and artists working in it tend to stay close to the established forms — so it rewards picking a subject you love over asking for something highly custom.
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booking a traditional tattoo in LA
how do i book a traditional artist on goodwork?
browse the traditional artists above, open a profile to see their full portfolio and pricing, then send a booking request with your idea, placement and size.
how much does a traditional tattoo cost in los angeles?
every artist on goodwork shows upfront pricing — deposits and minimums included — so you see the real cost before you reach out.
are these artists vetted?
yes — every artist on goodwork is reviewed before going live. real portfolios, real work, real people.
find your traditional artist.
see their work, see their pricing, book the one you want.