old school tattoo avenged

Old School and Traditional Designs of Ink

Traditional tattoos are the original designs made popular by the early patronizers of tattoos - the bikers, sailors and servicemen. During the early days, a lot of these old school tats can be commonly found tattooed on their arms. Back then, they were usually identifiable to a certain group, such as nautical star or anchor for sailors and harley davidson logos for bikers. The original traditional or old school tattoos are generally simple with more black ink than colors. However, with the development of modern tattoo equipment, the ones being adopted today are more colorful and vibrant.

When talking about old school tattoos, the name Sailor Jerry is always being mentioned. He operated a variety of tattoo shops in Honolulu in the early 1930's while alternately sailing the Pacific and Far East as a merchant mariner. He was the great and talented artist whose tattoo works earned him the reputation for bringing in bold designs that artistically reflect the minds of his clientele. He collaborated with other tattooers around the world to continually develop and improve the tattoo industry.

When tattoos started appearing in the mainstream, a lot of images and styles came into play. The old school tattoos sort of faded and were replaced with designs such as different kinds of flowers (cherry blossoms, lilies, lotus) zodiac signs and lettering tattoos. However, there are still a large crowd that opt for these old school types mostly because of them being considered timeless and vintage. They no longer appeal to just a certain type of people as even the younger generations have taken interest in them.

The Most 3 Popular Tattoo Designs

If you are thinking about having a tattoo, there are so many different styles of tattoos to choose from. This article will explain you about the most popular tattoo designs such as Tribal, Dragon, and Old School that been around more than a decade. After reading, you will learn some technical terms that common use in tattoo art and it will help you easily communicate with tattoo artist.

Tribal

Tribal Tattoos is one of the most popular designs. Tribal Tattoos have been around for many centuries and become more popular today. Most of traditional tribal tattoos is black color and cover the arms and legs. Many of the native and ancient cultures participated in some form of ritualistic tattooing. In the past, Tribal Tattoos were done by hand with a rough tools and inks. It took many years to complete especially for the large design. Today, tribal is very popular type of tattoo for men and women. There are many new tribal designs that adapted from original tribal but make it looks more modern but still keeping the main concept of using strong black color and line work. Moreover, some artist combines the tribal with the old school design such as roses and creates a new contemporary tattoo design concept.

Old School Design

The old school tattoo design or traditional tattoo design was born in the 20th century and developed by Sailor Jerry who had tattoo shop in Hawaii. They are very popular among the sailors and biker. Even there are many new style of tattoo today, Old school tattoos never quite disappeared from view same with tribal. Old school tattoos are usually simple design, with a lot of black ink and little color because of the lack of color in the early years of tattoo art. However, the old school designs we see today has a lot more color than the past because of the technology. The example of old school are Nautical star tattoos, Naked mermaid tattoos, Cherry tattoos, Pin up girl tattoos, Heart tattoos, Anchor tattoos and Eagle tattoos.

Dragon Tattoo Design

Dragon design is also another one of the popular tattoos design which comes in many different shapes, styles and sizes. There are many different styles of dragon to choose from such as Japanese dragon, Chinese dragon or Tribal dragon. The most popular dragon style is a Chinese & Asian dragon with its flaming red and gold colors. Dragon tattoo is very popular in male and most males tend to have them cover one side of their chest or the upper region of their arms.

Tattoo Styles Explained

Have you been thinking of getting a tattoo? Maybe you think that they look great on other people. Whatever your motivation, you'll find that there are plenty of reasons to love tattoos! Evidence has been discovered that shows tattooing goes back thousands of years, and if you admire these body markings, then you certainly won't be disappointed at the choices of designs. You'll find that there are many different styles of tattooing out there, so take a look at a few popular ones.

Old School
These are the tattoos that used to be found on sailors. They usually are brightly colored and convey a nautical theme such as anchors, ships or birds. This old-fashioned, brightly colored style often includes pictures of women, birds and autos. A great deal of people have old school tattoos done to remember a relative or a lover who sailed the seas.

New School
New school tattoos are as bright as old school tattoos, but you'll find that they have a significantly more modern slant. New school tattoos often feature extremely bright, neon colors, and depict things in lurid detail. You might find that the style used is often very cartoony, and the subject matter that it depicts can be quite dark. These tattoos are growing a great deal in popularity and can be seen quite often.

Graywork
When you are looking for a tattoo that can give you a great deal of realistic detail, whether it is the face of a person, or even something as delicate as a feather, you'll find that you should take a look at graywork, which is a style of tattooing that is done entirely in delicate grays. This makes it easier for your tattooist to put in a large deal of shading and detail, and the results can be simply stunning when it comes to the amount of detail that is retained from the original.

Tribal
Bold, black, abstract designs are indicative of the tribal style of tattoos, and you'll find that these tattoos are heavily inspired by the tattooing of such groups as the Maori of New Zealand. These types of tattoos suit a large range of skin tones and they are quite striking.

Irezumi
Irezumi is the word for tattooing in Japan, and once you have seen the bold colorful designs of Japanese tattoos, you'll be able to recognize it anywhere! The art style used is very similar to the art that appears on Japanese woodblock prints, and the designs are meant to flow with your body. These designs can be very large, taking up whole limbs, and in some cases, the entire body.

Celtic
For many people, one of the most attractive art styles in the world to them is the twisting geometric lines of ancient Celtic artwork, so it is no surprise that so many people choose to incorporate it onto their bodies. Celtic knotwork is a lovely addition to any tattoo collection, and many people choose to create bands of Celtic knotwork around their biceps, making for a striking and quite beautiful effect.

The Symbolism and Meaning of Anchor Tattoos, Nautical Star Tattoos and Swallow Tattoos

There is a ton of debate raging on the internet and in tattoo shops everywhere about the symbolism and meaning of these popular tattoos. There are tons of articles on this site explaining it and on many other sites on the internet you can find people debating and arguing about the exact symbolism behind things like the nautical star tattoo or the anchor tattoo. You see these are three of the most popular and famous of the old school tattoo designs. They are also pieces that can easily be combined to make a much larger design such as a chest tattoo that features two swallows flying between an anchor.

Well to make it really simple and so as to not mislead you there are no clear cut meanings nor symbolism for these tattoos. The problem is tattoos grow in popularity organically in multiple places at a time. The reason behind one person getting a tattoo is different then another person getting that same tattoo. The symbolism behind a certain tattoo might be agreed upon by a group of people for example sailors on the East Coast. That does not mean Sailors in England would agree. Couple that confusion fact with history and time and in the end you have multiple versions of what the tattoo might have symbolized in the past and no clear cut answer which is the right one. So stop the debate once and for all, enjoy your tattoo and feel confident that you won and it means whatever you want it to me for you.

With that said the bulk of evidence and conglomeration of facts, lies and fiction one can make out a shady idea of what the symbols probably meant back in time and are a good indicator of what they can symbolism today. That way you are not ascribing a meaning to a certain design that is way different then it was meant to be.

All three of these tattoo designs are old school tattoo designs that were worn by sailors originally. Just look at Sailor Jerry's tattoos or a little more contemporary Ed Hardy and you will see anchors, nautical stars and swallow throughout their designs. In the past few years their has been a real rebirth and celebration of the art of tattooing and many of the designs from these greats have come back into fashion be it Ed Hardy Clothing or the website and possible movie dedicated to Sailor Jerry.

Anchor Tattoos

In the farthest back history that one can go the Anchor as a symbol was used by Christians. The Christians used the anchor as a hidden secret cross. While they were under the presecution by the Romans they lived in hiding and used the anchor to as a symbol for the cross for a signal to other Christians. The anchor much later showed up in tattoo designs worn by sailors. At that time it was a symbol for being grounded or even tied down to a significant other be it a girlfriend or a wife but in a relationship either way. This is the most common meaning of an anchor tattoo in the modern world of tattooing.

Nautical Star Tattoos

Nautical stars are a symbol of the North Star. Sailors would use the North Star to find their way home and the nautical star became a popular tattoo among sailors and was worn as a good luck symbol and one that would promise a safe return home from a long voyage at sea. There is also some debate the nautical stars of certain colors would be earned for making certain voyages or sailing a certain amount of miles. For example a blue nautical star on the left forearm might symbolize someone who has sailed across the Pacific Ocean for example. The exact meanings and colors have been lost in history for the most part.

Swallow Tattoos

Swallows are small birds that have small wings and therefore typically do not fly very far away from land. For the early sailors spotting a swallow would mean a group was close to land and therefore it became a good luck symbol. Some sailors would also put swallows on their fists and it was believed to make them faster in a fight.

The exact meaning and symbolism behind these great tattoos such as the nautical star, anchor tattoo and swallow tattoo has been lost and obscured by history. It is probably accurate that the symbolism was also somewhat different between different groups of sailors. However, the fact remains that today these are very popular old school sailor tattoos that can make incredible tattoo designs. It is probably best to keep with the general meaning and symbolism behind these designs but of course it is always up to the person wearing the tattoo their interpretation of the symbol.

Tattoo Designs - What Anchors Symbolize

Sailors hold the symbol of the anchor tattoo very close and dear to their heart as it represents a glimpse of the experience they encounter everyday at sea. It was a sign that served as a remembrance of the joy and the hardships that they shared together as sailors. Anchors are one of the old school tattoo styles. Sailor Jerry could be credited for making the anchor tattoo very popular amongst other tattoo enthusiast beside sailors. The anchor symbol faded for a few years but has since found a new generation who are bringing back the designs of the old school tattoos.

Early Symbolize Meanings

The earliest known symbolic representation of the anchor tattoo was used as a symbol by early Christians. Some believed it was a way to convey their faith while hiding the sign of the cross in the anchor design, to avoid persecution by the Greeks. The symbol of the anchor was worn as a necklace to identify other Christians and followers of Christ.

The Symbol Used By Sailors

Sailors have used the symbol for many years to signify stability and a strong foundation as in standing their grounds for what they believed. The anchor was commonly designed with other sea creatures such as fishes or mermaids. Anchor tattoos was a favorite design among sailors as well as the nautical stars, ships, ropes, pirates, skull, eagles, flowers and beautiful hula girls. And much like the nautical star the anchor was used as a sign for protection and hope. It was a symbol treasured very deeply and the sailors wore it proudly.

Today the symbol is making a come back with new styles and designs. People are also going back and reclaiming the traditional old school anchor tattoos. The anchor is very versatile with the combinations of other designs. It can blend smoothly or be incorporated into a design very easily.

So why get a anchor tattoo? It can be a reminder for you to stay grounded and represent the stability that you have. If you are in a relationship, you can embellish the anchor with banners that includes each others names. This can portray your everlasting love, may it always have a strong foundation.