Bold and powerful animals in American Traditional Tattoo style

Felines, tigers, panthers alongside great birds about to fall on their prey with razor sharp talons and flashing beaks.

Snakes poised to pounce beside insects stylized into clear, simple designs like the rounded drawings of children.

Bold outlines and a pre-defined colour palette are the golden rules to follow: red, yellow ochre, brown, dark green and black for terrestrial creatures, and navy and all shades of blue and bright red for the denizens of the deep: the octopus with its soft, sinuous tentacles, whales overlaid with the long lines which simulate their movement in the seas, sharks which rather than instil fear look more like amusing mascots.

Tattoo by Samuele Briganti, @samuelebriganti

Tattoo by David Robinson, @davidrobinson78

Tattoo by Andrew Baysinger, @andrewbtattooer

This is the world of animals in the Traditional style, formalised to such an extent that it has become an indispensable glossary of forms in this classic and ever popular style.

Tattoo by Paul Dobleman, @pauldobleman

Tattoo by James Yocum, @james_yocum

Tattoo by El Bara, @bara_madrid

Tattoo by Greggletron, @greggletron

Tattoo by Marc Nava, @marc_nava