Filipino, Haida, Mayan, Inca, Classic Tribal tattoos: what is the difference?
TRIBAL TATTOO DESIGN STYLES and SAMPLES
This is a simple guide for you, with the main styles of tribal tattoos. These are custom tattoo designs I created in these styles for clients of this web of custom tattoos online.
TABLE of CONTENTS
What are tribal tattoos?
We can say that a tribal tattoo is a tattoo with solid black lines, solid areas in black ink, little or no color, little or no shading, and negative spaces (spaces of skin without ink)
According to the idea that a tribal tattoo is a tattoo with clear lines, a schematic design, which tends to be symmetrical, with lines and full black areas, with very few grays and colors, without gradients, and a lot of clean skin without ink, we can say that the following are tribal tattoos:
FILIPINO TRIBAL TATTOO STYLE
Filipino sun and stars in a tribal/Polynesian tattoo:
This is a unique tattoo design with a Filipino sun a stars as main design for the shoulder, surrounded by Polynesian designs. We can see in this tattoo a Polynesian symbols: turtle (family symbol) at the top of the shoulder, shark teeth and symbols of wisdom, spearheads, birds symbols, Koru (spiral shapes, symbol of ancestors), stones (achievement) and more…
In this style of Polynesian tattoos we can add different non-Polynesian designs, in tribal style, that represent each person. In this case, the client, from the Philippines, wanted his unique tattoo with the Filipino sun and stars as the main designs of his Polynesian tattoo.
CLASSIC TRIBAL TATTOOS STYLE
While we can say that other styles are tribal, such as Polynesian, Aztec, Maori, that is, tattoos with solid blacks, without grays, with negative space – clean skin – these tattoos are only tribal, they do not belong to any other category of tattoos.
Classic Tribal Tattoo Design samples
We can separate these classic tribal tattoos into two categories: abstract and figurative.
Abstract tribal tattoos
These tattoos don’t attempt to represent any known element. They are beautiful, powerful, fluid designs, and can be more or less aggressive, like all tribal tattoos. If you want a tattoo like this, these shapes will flow freely over the area of your body, following the shape of your shoulder, arm, or forearm… your muscles, calf, or ribs… wherever you want…
Tribal Calf Tattoo Design
Classic tribal tattoo with shapes like swirls with the focus on the back of the calf.
Figurative tribal tattoos
These tattoos represent recognizable elements: human or animal figures, also objects, words, initials, dates, numbers, logos.
HAIDA TRIBAL TATTOO STYLE
Custom tattoo designs with animals in Native American styles
Haida chest tattoo design
Custom tattoo design for half chest created by me for a customer of this web of custom tattoos ONLINE, with whale and sun in Haida style and tribal designs.
Haida sleeve tattoo design
Sleeve tattoo design in Haida style with turtle and tribal faces.
MAYAN TRIBAL TATTOO STYLE
Custom tattoo designs created by me in this ancient Mesoamerican – Mexican style
Sleeve tattoo design in Mayan style
Custom sleeve tattoo with Mayan designs created online according the wishes of this client.
Sleeve and chest Mayan tattoo design
This is a tattoo to cover the 3/4 sleeve – shoulder to half forearm – and half chest.
Mayan Calendar tattoo design for shoulder
INCA TRIBAL TATTOO STYLE
Tattoos with Inca and Ancient Peuvian designs
I love the ancient Mesoamerican art (Aztec, Inca, Mayan art). These are some of the Ancient Peruvian and Inca tattoo designs created by me for customers of this web.
Inca Tattoo Design for Shoulder and Chest
Tattoo for a customer of this web of custom tattoos with Inca Gold Mask as main design for the chest and Tiawanaku Bird Man on the shoulder.
Incas are the ancient people of the Andes, ancient empire from the Ecuador to the center of Argentina. Cusco the capital of the Inca Empire (13th century – 1532) it’s located in Peru. These are some tattoo designs created by me, 100% online, in Inca style with a Birdman of Tiawanaku, Inca gold mask, Andes cross, Tumi, and Mesoamerican designs.
Shoulder Inca tattoo design
Inca Tiawanaku designs in a Sleeve Tattoo
Inca tattoo design with military logos
Custom tattoo design created for a visitor of this web in Inca style, with the First Information Operations Command logo.
Inca leg tattoo design
Tribal Inca tattoo for armband leg with Andes cross and Inca mask. Photo sent by a client already tattooed at the shop in his area, who commissioned your custom tattoo with me here.
Moche Tattoo – AI APAEC TATTOO
Mesoamerican God Tattoo design representing the mountain god, the creator “El hacedor”.
MOST POPULAR TRIBAL TATTOO STYLES
These other tribal tattoo styles might also interest you. These more popular ones have their own gallery of designs created by me on this website.
Polynesian tribal tattoo style
In a tattoo like these we can add Polynesian symbols of strength, ocean waves, good luck, protection, eternal life, wisdom and modern symbols to tell the story of each customer such as military logos, professions, dates, names in the same tribal style.
Aztec tribal tattoo style
Ancient style based on the art of the ethnic group of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatllanguage and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica from the 14th to 16th centuries.
Custom tattoo designs with Aztec Calendars, feathered serpent (Quetzalcoatl), Nahui Ollin God (eye), Jaguar warrior, Aztec warrior skull, pyramids, ornaments, and much more…
Taino tribal tattoo style
The Tainos were inhabitants of the islands of Puerto Rico, Republica Dominicana and others. An ancient culture with a splendid art to create your tattoo. In this style we can make Taino suns, Coqui frogs, Cemi god, and non-Taino elements such as the Puerto Rican flag or The Morro for example.
African tribal tattoo style
This style of African tattoos is also tribal: fine lines, negative space, geometric designs, with Adinkra symbols that are highly requested by visitors to this shop of custom tattoo designs online.
Other tribal tattoo design style that may interest you:
Can these tribal tattoo styles be combined?
Many people want these style of Taino tattoos combined with Polynesian symbols of strength, shark teeth, ocean waves and spearheads, the style that I call “Taino mixed tattoos”.
Are you a Spanish speaker?: puede Ud. ver mi pagina de tatuajes Taino en Español aqui
Or Aztec tattoos with Polynesian designs
