Neo-trad Masterclass

taught by

Ink Master Finalist

Gian Karle

“A complete blueprint to Neo-traditional Tattoos”

A black and white cartoon of a person lying in bed, covered with a blanket, under a ceiling light.

Explore how Gian Karle Designs for his Neo-traditional Tattoos both in Black & Grey and Color. “Gian emphasizes the importance of composition as the backbone of every successful tattoo.

Composition is key to his approach. He also shares his process for reference selection, teaching how to choose and adapt source material that enhances clarity, readability, and long-term visual impact on skin.

Explore how Gian chooses References

A person with tattoos on their arm using a stylus on a tablet displaying a digital painting of a skull wearing a crown, placed on a black mat on a wooden surface.

Learn Black & Grey with Opaque Greys

Silhouette of a person sitting at a desk, working on a computer with a coffee mug nearby, against a window with cityscape view.

Black & Grey Tattoos can often be more challenging than working with color, especially in Neo-traditional designs where bold contrast & depth are crucial. Unlike color tattoos that offer a wide range of color temperatures to create contrast, Black & Grey relies on gradients and negative space to achieve dimension and impact. Gian uses Opaque greys to add another tone to his Black and Grey Tattoos.

A person with a black sleeveless shirt showing a detailed black and gray sleeve tattoo of a sailing ship, waves, and floral designs on their arm.

A black and gray tattoo of a sailing ship with detailed sails and waves on a person's arm.

Color Neo-traditional

A black silhouette of a woman sitting on a bench, reading a book, with a yapping dog beside her.

Gian dives deep into the art of saturation and color packing, demonstrating how to achieve smooth, solid fills that heal beautifully over time. He shares his personal approach to applying pigment without overworking the skin. His color palette is carefully chosen to create high contrast and striking balance leveraging warm and muted tones to make every element of his neo-traditional designs stand out with depth and clarity.

Tattoo of a skull with glowing red eyes and a crown on the shoulder and arm. full sleeve wrist to shoulder

A tattoo artist's gloved hands using a tattoo machine to ink a colorful tattoo on a person's skin. red ink is placed using a 23 magnum needle

A person's arm with a colorful tattoo of a skull with red and yellow eyes, flames, a hand holding a skull, and other intricate designs. full sleeve neotraditional design

Bad Photos can Cost you Clients”

A black-and-white drawing of a dog lying on the ground, with a large paw in the foreground and the dog resting its head on the paw.

"Your portfolio can make or break your career. Glare, reflections, and bad photos can ruin even your best tattoos—and cost you clients. Most top professionals already use polarizers and lighting techniques to keep their work looking flawless online. With Gian Karle, you’ll learn the exact methods he uses to set up his lights, apply polarizers to cut through glare, and even guide clients into the right positions. Present your tattoos at their best, elevate your portfolio, and book more clients with confidence."

“Don’t Let Poor Healing Destroy Your Work.”

A man (gian karle) wearing a white cap kneels down examining a tattooed man's leg, which has a fabric wrap around part of the leg. The background includes medical or tattoo equipment, a trash can, and a small cart.

"Overworking the skin can ruin a heal—but so can clients who don’t follow the right aftercare. Great tattoos deserve to heal great, yet most apprentices fail to guide their clients properly. In this course, you’ll learn the proven methods top professionals use to prevent complications and protect their art. Good aftercare keeps your work intact, builds client trust, and ensures your tattoos speak for you long after the session ends."

A man (gian karle) with long hair and tattoos is kneeling on the floor, wrapping a bandage ( tattoo armor) around another person's tattooed leg, setting with blue walls. He is applying aftercare for his client

A tattoo artist ( Gian Karle) passionately works on a vibrant tattoo on a client's arm in a colorful tattoo studio.

Take your Skills to the Next Level

Colorful tattoo of a chimpanzee with goggles, smoking a pipe, on the person's upper arm.

Enroll today to lock in:

20% OFF Private Seminars (Experience a full day (or two) of shadowing Gian, learning his design, setup, & tattoo techniques with open Q & A.)
20% OFF Private Coaching (Personalized guidance & hands-on coaching from Gian Karle while you tattoo in real or fake skin to elevate your tattooing skills)
2 year access after you complete your course.
Direct Q&A Access with Gian Karle
Submit your tattooing questions through a private student form and receive answers directly from Gian Karle. This ensures you get personalized insights while benefiting from curated responses shared with the entire community.
Premium Bonus: Student-Only Discounts from Collaborating Tattoo Brands

In collaboration with