To the uninitiated, a tattoo is just a drawing. To the collector, the difference between 'Old School' and 'Neo-Traditional' is as vast as the difference between Baroque and Cubism. Mixing them unknowingly can lead to a disjointed, chaotic aesthetic on your body.

Let's simplify the taxonomy. American Traditional (Old School) is the grandfather: bold black outlines, limited color palette (red, green, yellow, black), and 2D shading. It is built to last. Neo-Traditional takes those rules and breaks them slightly—varying line weights, expanding the color palette to lush purples and teals, and adding Art Nouveau influences.

Then there is the modern explosion. Blackwork is about negative space and geometry. Watercolor abandons the outline entirely (risky for longevity, beautiful for impact). Japanese (Irezumi) is not just a style; it's a commitment to flow and background, treating the whole limb as a single image rather than a sticker book.

When using the TryOn.ink studio, don't just stick to one prompt. Generate the same subject—say, a wolf—in three different styles. See how the 'Minimalist' version reads from a distance compared to the 'Realism' version. You might find that while you love the idea of realism, the graphic punch of Traditional actually suits your body's aesthetic better.