Classic Tattoos

Classic Tattoos (also known as Traditional or Old-School Tattoos) are reminiscent of the style used from the early 1900s - 1950s. At that time, a limited selection of ink color affected the tattoo artist's design capabilities. Artists relied on bold black outlines with very little shading, using the spot colors; green, red, yellow, and the occasional blue or brown. Popular subjects were naval and armed forces emblems, pin-up girls, heart and dagger tattoos, eagle tattoos and Harley Davidson symbols. These often included a banner or ribbon, with lettering relevant to the theme. An example would be a pin-up girl tattoo with a ribbon that says "MAN'S RUIN". The master of this tattoo era is Norman "Sailor Jerry" Collins (1911-1973), whose style is emulated today in the Ed Hardy clothing line. (Photo credit: Classic Harley Davidson tattoo by Marc Durrant, Yoni Tattoo, Tarzana, CA.)