Old school (tattoo)

Old school style refers to a Western or traditional American tattoo style featuring bold black outlines and a limited color palette.[1] This limited color palette typically included yellow, red, green and black. Purple was eventually added to it as well.

Old school tattoo designs on famous tattooer Amund Dietzel

Artists

Famous artists are:

  • Norman Keith Collins, also known as Sailor Jerry, (1911–1973) is one of the most well known traditional tattoo artists.[2]
  • Herbert Hoffmann (1919–2010), began tattooing in Germany during the 1930s. Together with fellow artists Karlmann Richter and Albert Cornelissen he was featured in the 2004 film Blue Skin (German: Flammend' Herz).
  • Amund Dietzel (1890–1974), Norwegian-born artist who began his career as a sailor, before settling in the United States. Known as the "Master in Milwaukee".
  • Bert Grimm (1900–1985), a Chicago-born tattoo artist. Began his career in the city of St. Louis and then moved to Long Beach, California, to set up a shop at the Nu-Pike. His parlour was said to be the oldest continually running in the continental US and the place for sailors to get inked. Grimm sold the shop to Bob Shaw in 1970.
  • Bob Shaw (1926–1993), American artist who learned tattooing from Bert Grimm in St. Louis. Later worked with Grimm and became the president of the National Tattoo Association from 1983–1988.[3]
  • Bert Krak (1977–present), American artist from Hollywood, Florida who began tattooing in 2000 and who now resides in NY. Bert uses traditional style tattooing and adding his own twist with dark lines and color palette. Currently creating art at Smith Street Tattoo Parlour in Brooklyn, New York.[4] (Lisa aka SidneyPistol)

Common old school tattoo motifs

Examples of popular old school tattoo designs include:

Often, these tattoos had significance behind them for those in the armed forces. For instance, getting a tattoo of an anchor represented "stability." [6]

Example of nautical star

See also

References
  1. "From the Stacks" at New-York Historical Society
  2. "Selvedge Yard" The Legend of Sailor Jerry
  3. Clerk, Carol (2009), Vintage Tattoos - The Book of Old-School Skin Art, Universe, pp 12-15.
  4. Grasso, C. (Director).(2018, August 1). New York Style Tattoos With Bert Krak [Television series episode]. Cynamon, L.(Executuve Producer), Tattoo Age. Viceland.
  5. "Traditional Old School Tattoos | Gypsy, Anchor, Ship, Pin Up And Sailor Jerry Tattoo Designs". www.freetattoodesigns.org. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
  6. "Tattoo Flash Meanings - Sailor Jerry". Sailor Jerry. Retrieved 2017-04-26.
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