Old school tattoo designs are also called traditional school tattoo designs or simply traditional tattoo designs. Although new tattoo designs kept coming up, the old school tattoos did not quite disappear from view; they just faded a little into the background. It was the tribal tattoos, Celtic tattoos, etc., that hogged the limelight. However, in the last few years, it the old school tattoos that are gaining popularity all over again, to the point that they are now called trendy tattoo designs.
Surprisingly, these designs are being adopted by the younger generation more, as compared to the older generation. May be it is the reason, why they have also become 'trendy'. Previously tattoo designs like grim reaper tattoos, lettering tattoos in the old English letters, etc. were said to be the sole property of certain subculture, but now it is not the same. The main difference, which has come about is the feeling around these tattoo designs. These days, they are worn with a sense of irony. They have now been appreciated for their timeless appeal. Although they are worn in a slightly campy way, they are now valued for the vintage value they carry.
Traditional School Tattoo Designs
'Old school' tattoos are the tattoos which are traced back to the early days of Western tattooing. There are many designs which fall under this category. These tattoo designs became very popular during the first and the second World Wars, when men in the military went off to the war front. A number of them came back with a souvenir of their military service in the form of an old school tattoo design. This type of tattoo style was popularized by Tattoo Jerry, a famous flash tattoo artist. We will now see the designs, that make up the traditional school tattoos.
Cherry Tattoos
Cherry fruits have strong fertility symbolism with their deep red, ripe juicy fruits. They also represent chastity and purity, when the fruit ripens on the tree. However, once a cherry is plucked stands for loss of innocence and virtue. Cherries are also said to resemble a lover's lips, hence have had a strong erotic connection. In both Japan and China, cherry has a strong cultural symbolism. A cherry surrounded in flames stands for unquenchable desire, passion and not to forget lust.
Nautical Star Tattoos
Nautical star tattoo designs are one of the most masculine design among the star tattoos. They have been very popular among the sailors, who got them made as a talisman for guidance and protection. A nautical star is a five pointed star, where the points are split in half and are filled with an alternating color, normally in black-red or black-white combination. In Ireland nautical star tattoos are also a symbol of good health. It is one of the old Pagan symbol, which is found in some of the Irish hospitals. They have also become very popular among the gay and lesbian community. A number of gay and lesbian people get nautical star tattooed on their wrist as a mark of their disposition. It is also one of the popular punk rock tattoo design.
Pin Up Girl Tattoos
Pin up girl tattoos is a tattoo design of a woman, whose physical attractiveness would entice a person. Normally they were images of celebrities, who were considered sex symbols. One of the earliest popular pin-up girl was Betty Grable. There were other artwork, which were actually idealized versions of what some thought as particularly beautiful or attractive a woman should look like.
Heart Tattoos
Small heart tattoos have been very popular with tattoo lovers, who want to express their love in a symbolic way. There is a huge variety of heart tattoo designs, from which you can choose from. The most common ones include Celtic heart tattoos, broken heart tattoos, pierced heart tattoos, locked heart tattoos, flaming heart tattoo, and not to forget the sacred heart tattoos. There is a wide range of emotions, that can be depicted with the heart tattoo designs, which includes faith, love, sadness, etc.
The other designs that are a part of the old school include swallow tattoos, sparrow tattoos, anchor tattoos, eagle tattoos, etc. You will come across a lot of free designs on the Internet. Looking at the wide range of tattoo designs available, it can become very confusing as well. You will have to be careful when you choose an old school design for yourself, so that it suits your personality and your ideologies.
