Where does old school come from?
Old school – also known as American traditional – has its roots in early 20th-century seafaring. Sailors got symbols of home, luck and loyalty tattooed: swallows, anchors, roses, hearts, daggers and panthers. Many of these motifs are still classics today and keep coming back in modern variations. In Berlin, too, the old school tattoo is one of those styles that never goes out of fashion.
What defines the style
Typical features are bold black outlines, solid colour fills and a deliberately limited palette – usually red, yellow, green and black. Shading stays simple, so the designs look flat and graphic. That's exactly what makes the style so readable: you'll recognise an old school tattoo from a few metres away, whether on the street or on the Berlin U-Bahn.
Bold will hold: why the style ages well
Tattooers have a saying: bold will hold. Thick lines and saturated colours lose less definition over the years than fine detail. That's why well-executed pieces in this style often still look crisp decades later. Sun protection and good aftercare help even more.
Size and placement
Because old school relies on bold lines, a design needs a certain minimum size so the outlines and colour fills don't get cramped. Classic spots are the forearm, upper arm, calf or chest. The style also works well for a patchwork sleeve: over time, you collect several small designs that together fill a whole arm. So that it looks coherent later, it's worth thinking about the spacing from your very first piece.
Classic or your own design?
You can pick a classic motif or have your own idea translated into the style – for example your pet, a symbol from your home country or a Berlin icon as an old school tattoo. In the consultation, the artist develops a design with you that follows the typical rules of the style and still feels personal. At our studio in Berlin, an old school tattoo is often finished faster than a realistic piece of the same size, because it needs less shading.
Fancy an old school tattoo in Berlin? Send us your idea via our request form – or pick a classic during your consultation.