Sketches of tattoos in the old style. Old school tattoo is a classic tattoo. Meaning of old school tattoo. Anchor old school

A free, carefree life, the spirit of adventure and the pursuit of treasure, mermaids and robbers... Old school follows old traditions, which still captivates us - well, we submit to old school and share our impressions with you.

History of style

Old school, literally “old school,” originated at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. This is not only a tattoo style, it is a lifestyle - love for the old order of things, worship of “that” music, films, atmosphere. It would seem, what is the difference between old school and retro? There is a fine line, but there is one: if a retro fan is a fan of popular culture, the “mainstream” of a certain time, then a fan of the “old school” focuses on personal experiences.

“Retro is common, but old school is different for everyone”

- hero of the book "Old School"

This style expresses the history of a person, not an era or country. Children of the seventies are nostalgic for the irretrievably gone USSR, children of the nineties are sad about the Nokia 3310, Tamagotchi and VHS tapes. Everyone has their own nostalgia and their own personal, real, old school.

Old school tattoo

The style went to the masses from sailors who went on long voyages and made tattoos-amulets and tattoos-reminders of those who remained on the shore. Old school differs from other marine tattoos (read about them in a separate article): the designs are not very realistic, without volume and shadows, always with thick, black outlines and bright colors. In the 21st century, the subject often chosen is not ships and mermaids, but something personal, topical and unrelated to the sea.

Popular motifs in old school tattoos

Martin

Done for good luck. For sailors, it means a safe return home - swallows fly close to land and board ships to rest. A sure sign that there is not much left until the end of the journey.

Heart

A symbol of love, kindness and honor. It is often printed along with a ribbon on which is the name of a mother, a loved one, or a friend. Sometimes an old-school heart is made as a memory of a departed love.

Anchor

Old school classic. It is believed that with an anchor a person will not go astray and will remain himself in any situation. Often complemented with inscriptions, mermaids, wind roses or lighthouses.

Flame

Passion, a symbol of transformation and rebirth, destruction, creation and purification. Fire means something in every culture, it evokes fear and respect and is one of the four elements of life along with Water, Wind, Earth.

Eagle

A popular patriotic symbol of the United States Navy, it is often depicted with the American flag and represents honor, courage, and strength.

Translated from English, “old school” is a popular style of tattoos that existed in Europe and America. This style appeared in the 19th century, when drawings of anchors, ribbons, skulls and angels were usually depicted on the body. Such tattoos were made by sailors, so the names of local residents, quotes and names of famous events often appear in this style. This type of tattoo is done using very bright colors, which are outlined with thick black lines.

History says that sailors are the first people to revive various arts and tattoos in Europe. Life was not easy for sailors, and only the strongest survived. They were quite superstitious people, so they believed that by depicting some signs on their bodies, they could be saved from an approaching storm or a shipwreck. Drawings of fluff and sailboats were popular among sailors. However, despite the fact that they led a promiscuous life, they constantly thought about their families and children, so they often painted hearts, mermaids and names on their bodies. This is how a new trend of tattoos appeared - Old School.

Today, among the most popular tattoos in the Old School style are: anchor, swallow, heart and rose.

The meaning of popular Old School style tattoos

The anchor is a very ancient tattoo, invented in Western Europe. It symbolizes a sign that helps you always stay afloat, that is, it gives hope for strength and salvation. Sailors loved to draw an anchor, as it is strongly associated with maritime work. This tattoo is close to sailors from all over the world.

Swallow is a symbol of happiness and good luck. Sailors got this tattoo after they had made a long journey. For them, the swallow symbolizes a safe return home. After all, swallows are a sign that a sailor is swimming towards land.

The heart symbolizes femininity and is therefore a sign of expression of love. It contains everything: loyalty, friendship, and understanding. In Old School style, it is often depicted on the chest, thereby expressing its energy and mercy.

The rose, like the heart, expresses sincere and pure love. She is the ideal of things in the world, which is why she is popular among both men and women. A fiery red rose simply speaks of love, but a rose without thorns speaks of love at first sight. Previously, in ancient times, a white rose depicted on the body meant virginity.

You can follow the best masters in style old school tattoo in our

The popularity of tattoos is currently only increasing. Despite this rather painful and expensive pleasure, an increasing number of people prefer to decorate their body with a bright picture that will not disappear over time. Tattoos have quite a large number of styles. They all differ from each other in the thickness of the outline, the palette of colors used, and the technique of execution. The old school style is still recognized as one of the most popular. A tattoo made using this technique is very difficult to confuse with anything else and place it in another category. It has a lot of distinctive features that immediately catch the eye. So, what is this tattoo technique?

A little history

This style is of American and European origin. It originated in the 19th century. The first owners of tattoos of this style were sailors. As a rule, for them such a pattern on the body was associated with some memorable event or person. Direct knowledge about tattoos came to sailors from Polynesia, whose islands are located in the Pacific Ocean. The first sketches of such decorations on the bodies of the local population were brought with him by Captain Cook after exploring Tahiti, Hawaii, and Zealand. However, those drawings were very different from modern ones.

Main motives

Old school style tattoos have distinct distinctive features. First of all, the motives of the drawing are strictly observed. Since the first owners of this kind of tattoos were sailors, the sketches were based on themes related to sailing on ships. Drawings very often depict various waves, charming women, anchors, crosses, mermaids, roses (precisely these flowers). Various inscriptions and quotes are also widely used, and they can be done in any language. Masters also often make stars and hearts with daggers using this technique. Old school tattoo “sleeves” have also become common. What is it? The arm from the wrist to the end of the shoulder is completely covered with designs, between which, as a rule, there is no free space, that is, the tattoo turns out to be continuous. Moreover, it can consist of separate sketches that the master connects with each other. The "sleeve" is made in the same style. The old school technique is very popular in this case. The “sleeves” turn out bright, clear and rich.

Performance technique

The main distinctive features of these tattoos are as follows. Bright, simple colors are used (black, red, blue, white, green). The coloring is dense and opaque. But smooth color transitions and shadows are possible. In general, the drawing turns out to be far from realism, but very rich and bright. A wide black outline adds contrast. This is a must for old school style. A tattoo, as a rule, does not lose brightness over time, does not lose clarity and does not blur into a spot (unless, of course, it was performed by a qualified craftsman using high-quality materials).

The best places for application

There is no particular rigor in choosing the location of the picture in this case. Basically, tattoos of this style are done in prominent places - for example, on the arms, chest, wrist, stomach, calves, ribs. The last option is the most painful, since there are many nerve endings there, and the skin is close to the bones. The same goes for the wrist. But the shoulder is the most painless place for a tattoo. Basically, you can make a similar drawing anywhere. It's not that important. The main thing is the meaning that is put into the tattoo. There are also general ideas about the meaning of such drawings. However, it should be remembered that today a tattoo is perceived exclusively as a beautiful picture on the body, nothing more.

Old school tattoo: meaning and meaning

Let's look at the most common motives. The classic option is an anchor. In the West, its popularity has remained high for a couple of hundred years. And the symbolism of such an image is very ancient. Its roots go back about two millennia. Such a symbol was considered a real guiding star protecting sailors. An old school tattoo with an anchor helped to stay on course and clearly follow the chosen goal. Another meaning of such a pattern is to always remain yourself, to steadfastly withstand all opposing winds and currents.

The second, no less successful and popular, subject for a tattoo in the old school style is a swallow. In this case, it turns out to be a little cartoonish. This bird brings good luck and happiness to its owner. Ladies usually make them in the collarbone area, on the back or near the ankle. However, old school tattoos for men are also often created based on images of pretty swallows. True, maybe not so colorful and feminine. As for the same sailor, he will get such a tattoo only if he walks 5,000 miles through the water. For him, the swallow symbolizes a safe return to his native shore. After all, this bird is a sure sign that there is land somewhere nearby. Two swallows are perceived as a successful journey.

Quite often, tattoos in the old school style had religious significance for their owner. A prime example is the Rock of Ages. It is considered a true classic in Christian allegory. These are hopes, protections and supports. It is believed that such a tattoo served as a talisman for a sailor. Very often, such a drawing was combined with some inscriptions like “Hold on!” This was supposed to support a person in a difficult situation and instill faith in the best.

Old school rose tattoo is another interesting aspect of the style in question. She is a symbol of special pure love, passion, but also chastity. The color joy plays a huge role, white - respect and reverence, orange - joy. The red rose, of course, is associated with love in all its forms.

Choosing a master

The person you are going to entrust your precious body to must be a true professional. These have diplomas of completed studies, very often an art education, as well as a fairly voluminous portfolio (examples of previously completed work). If the master refuses to draw you a sketch on his own (even for a fee), you should be wary. Try to get tattoos only in salons where a written contract is previously concluded. This will save you from further problems in case of a poor-quality design.

How to care

An old school tattoo needs exactly the same healing method as all other designs applied with a needle under the skin. After the end of the session, the master will apply a special film compress to you so that you can safely get home. The film will not allow clothes to stick to the fresh pattern and cause discomfort. In the first days, the tattoo will ooze ichor. It must be carefully washed off with warm water. This should be done as moisture forms. After washing, you need to apply a thin layer of special ointment to the tattoo. The master himself will tell you the name. Do not scratch the drawing under any circumstances, do not peel off the exfoliating top layer yourself, do not sunbathe, do not visit a solarium, do not drink alcohol!

The tattoo appeared at the dawn of the formation of the very principle of tattooing. Its origins go back to the 18th-19th centuries, when sailors adopted the tattoo culture from the natives they met.

Gradually, the symbolism underwent changes and acquired its original meaning. Modern old school is a direction for strong-willed and risk-taking seekers.

The list of symbols includes more than 1500 images. The style is unique and 100% recognizable.

Old school tattoo characteristic features of the style

Old school has a unique style. On the one hand, the drawings seem popular, simple and unsightly. On the other hand, applying an image and making it colorful is an art.

The applied drawings look a little humorous and deliberately representative. In such an expression one can see the roots of the origins of the style.

To find out what old school is, just look at the photos with sailors. The harsh conditions of many weeks of water crossings and the trials of the elements strengthen character.

Perception also undergoes transformation. Without humor and strong nerves, the sea can break a person. This is precisely the theme that old school tattoos reflect.

The characteristic features of the style are:

principle of application;
subject of images;
stylistics;
color selection;
unique font.

While on the ship, the sailor did not have access to complex devices. That is why the designs were stuffed with needles for darning clothes.

The paint was applied to a depth of 3 mm almost to the surface layers of the muscles. Modern technology is more gentle. But the drawings are still full of elaborate colors and marine themes.

The idea of old school spread thanks to the fashion for vintage. Typical paints:

green
blue
black
red
orange
yellow
blue.

The colors have no tints or tints. The lines are drawn with a thick black edging. Gradients and penumbras are performed by the absence of color or a transparent background.

Dagger and rose tattoo

Meaning for men and women

Old school tattoos have the same set of symbols but different meanings for men and women.

Men's tattoos are addressed to inner strength, courage and the ability to resist fate. That is why among the sets of drawings there are many anchors, lighthouses, images of the shore, and birds.

The meaning of men's tattoos:

anchor - reliable, a symbol of St. Nicholas, the ability to withstand the blows of fate;
swallow - luck, knowledge of your path, strength not to stray from the right course;
hourglass - the power of time, “with age I become more reliable”;
lighthouse - the way home, the search for your path, which will end in success;
ship - home, family;
mermaid or female forms - fortune, favorite of fate;
- “I’m not afraid of death,” on you with death.

Women's tattoos are addressed to the personal qualities of the wearer. A stuffed rose means that the design signifies the power of attractiveness, fatal passion.

The old-school image of the rose was originally created by “port wives.” By the symbol on their shoulder or arm, sailors could identify from a multitude of women the one who was ready to warm them with her love.

Gradually, the original meaning faded into the background, leaving only the image of strong passion and love on the material level.

Another meaning of the rose says that the wearer will not allow herself to be pushed around. This is a strong and confident woman.

Ribbons and jewelry show that a girl or woman is fully aware of her attractiveness. A swallow on any part of the body means “bringing good luck.”

For a guy, an old school tattoo with a woman’s name is a reminder of his beloved. Many men, when going to sea, depicted objects or words that allowed them to remember their loved ones.

Not many people could afford to carry an image in the form of a miniature. But the pattern on the skin made it clear how seriously the relationship was with a loved one.