The tattoos traditional tattoos are the pioneers of modern tattooing in the West. Compasses, ships and stars with thick lines and bright colors and no shading are the designs that may come to mind when we think of this style.
If ever you wondered because the tattoos of this classic style are as they are… keep reading!
The first traditional tattoo artists
Let's take a look at the first tattoos of this style, as it will help us better understand why traditional tattoos are the way they are. And it is that Tattoo artists at that time were not like they are now, highly trained people both at the level of illustration and tattooing.
In reverse, normally those first tattoo artists were not trained, but were sailors who, fascinated by ink, began to learn the trade on their travels to later dedicate himself to tattooing others. One of the most famous cases is that of Sailor Jerry, who opened her tattoo shop in Hawaii, and whose influence continues to this day.
What defines the style of traditional tattoos?
As we have said, this first batch of pioneering untrained tattoo artists defined what later became an entire style. To get the tattoo to come out as well as possible, these artist sailors stuck to very simple designs, with very marked black lines, which could also withstand the passage of time well.
In addition, the tools of the time were also very different. Poor quality ink held up better over time in thick, defined lines, as well as opaque colors and no shading. The same can be said of the stencil on which the design was traced on the skin: being made of carbon, it quickly smudged.
We hope that this article on the design of traditional tattoos has been interesting for you. Remember to tell us in the comments!
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