Old school tattoo is a classic tattoo. Meaning of old school tattoo

The popularity of tattoos now only increases. Despite such painful and expensive pleasure, an increasing number of people prefer to decorate their body with a bright picture, which will not disappear with time. The tattoo has a fairly large number of styles. All of them differ from each other in the thickness of the contour, the palette of the colors used, the technique of execution. One of the most popular is still recognized as the style of old cheekbones. A tattoo made in this technique is very difficult to confuse with anything and be attributed to another category. It has a lot of distinctive features, which immediately strike the eye. So, what is this technique of tattooing?

A bit of history

This style is American in half with European origin. It was born in the XIX 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 of the tattoo came to the 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 a study of Tahiti, Hawaii, and also Zealand. However, those drawings were very different from modern ones.

Basic motives

Tattoo in the style of the old cheekbones has pronounced characteristic distinctive features. First of all, the motives of the picture are strictly observed. Since the first owners of this type of tattoo were sailors, the sketches were based on topics related to sailing on ships. Drawings very often depict various sailing ships, waves, charming women, anchors, crosses, mermaids, roses (these are the flowers). Also, various inscriptions and quotations are widely used, and they can be made in any language. Still often the masters perform in this technique birds (swallows), stars and hearts with daggers. Tattooed "sleeves" of the old cheekbones also became common. What is it? The hand from the wrist to the end of the shoulder is completely covered with drawings, between which, as a rule, there is no free space, that is, the tattoo is made cohesive. In this case, it can consist of separate sketches, which the master connects with each other. "Sleeve" is performed in a unified style. Old school cheek technique in this case is very popular. "Sleeves" are bright, clear and saturated.

Technique of execution

The main distinguishing features of these tattoos are as follows. Bright bright colors are used (black, red, blue, white, green). Stain becomes dense, opaque. But color smooth transitions, shadows are possible. In general, the drawing turns out to be far from realism, but very juicy and bright. Contrast adds a wide black outline. This is a necessary condition for the style of old cheekbones. Tattoos, as a rule, do not lose brightness with time, do not lose clarity and do not spread into a spot (unless, of course, the qualified master performed it with qualitative materials).

The most successful places for drawing

There is no special strictness in the choice of the location of the picture in this case. Basically, tattoos of this style are made in prominent places - for example, on the hands, chest, wrist, abdomen, calves of legs, ribs. The latter option is the most painful, since there are many nerve endings, and the skin is close to the bones. The same goes for the wrist. But the shoulder is the most painless version of the place for tattooing. In principle, you can make a similar drawing anywhere. This is not so important. The main thing is the meaning that is put into the tattoo. There are also general ideas about the significance of such drawings. However, it should be remembered that for today the tattoo is perceived only as a beautiful picture on the body, no more.

Old Skull Tattoo: Meaning and Meaning

Consider the most common motifs. The classic version is the anchor. In the West, its popularity has been at its height for the past couple of hundred years. And the symbolism of this image is very ancient. His roots will go deep into history for about two millennia. Such a symbol was considered a true guiding star, protecting sailors. Old school tattoo with an anchor helped not to lose the intended course and clearly follow the chosen goal. Another value of such a pattern is always to remain oneself, to stand firm against all the winds and currents that come across.

The second, no less successful and popular, the plot for tattoos in the style of the old school is a swallow. In this case, it turns out to be slightly animated. This birdie brings luck and happiness to its owner. Ladies make them, as a rule, in the area of clavicles, on the back or near the ankle. However, men's old school cheekbones are also often created on the basis of images of pretty swallows. True, maybe not so colorful and feminine. As for the same sailor, he will make such a tattoo only if 5000 nautical miles pass through the water. For him, the swallow symbolizes a safe return to his native shore. After all, this bird is a sure sign that somewhere near the earth. Two swallows are perceived as a successful journey.

Quite often, old-school tattoos had a religious significance for their possessor. A vivid example is the rock of centuries. It is considered a real classic in the Christian allegory. It is a symbol of faith, hope, protection and support. It is believed that such a tattoo was a talisman for a sailor. Very often such a picture was combined with some inscriptions like "Hold on!". This was to support a person in a difficult situation and instill faith in the best.

The old cheekbone tattoo of a rose is another interesting point of the style in question. It is a symbol of a special pure love, passion, but still chastity. A huge role is played by the color of the rose. Yellow means joy, white - respect and reverence, orange - joy. Red rose, of course, is associated with love in all its manifestations.

Choose a master

The person to whom you are going to entrust your precious body must be a real professional. Such people have diplomas on completed education, very often art education, as well as a fairly large portfolio (examples of previously performed works). If the master refuses to draw a sketch on your own (even for a fee), you should be alert. Try to do tattoos only in salons, where they first conclude a contract in writing. This will save you from further problems in case of drawing a poor-quality picture.

How to care

The old cheekbone tattoo needs exactly the same healing method as all the other drawings put up with a needle under the skin. After the end of the session, the master will impose a special compress of the film so that you can safely get to the house. The film will not allow clothes to stick to the fresh pattern and cause discomfort. In the early days, the tattoo will trickle down. It must necessarily be gently washed off with warm water. Do this with the formation of moisture. After washing it is necessary to apply a thin layer of special ointment on the tattoo. The name will be prompted by the master himself. Do not scratch the picture, do not rip off the peeling top layer, do not sunbathe, do not go to the solarium, do not drink alcohol!