Squaw Tattoo Photo #18619

These designs often highlight braided hair, feathered headdresses, facial markings, and natural settings. The subject requires sensitivity to avoid reducing a living culture to a costume.

Using lines of varying thickness to define shape and depth, linework tattoos achieve expression through economy. The absence of shading keeps the focus on the quality and flow of each stroke.

The collarbone's clean horizontal line provides a natural guide for elongated designs. This placement adds a subtle accent to the upper body and works especially well with fine-line and minimalist styles.