Glossary15 January 2026 · 1 min read

Traditional (Old School)

Traditional, also called American Traditional or old school, is a classic style with thick outlines, a limited colour palette and iconic subjects such as roses, anchors and daggers. It stems from the early twentieth-century flash tradition.

Why it matters: In product sheets it is a style indication pointing to bold lining and solid fills, not a technical prescription.

Related: Neo-Traditional, Lining, Packing, Flash.

Guide4 min readReading a style: six elements for looking at a tattooStyle labels help find one's way around, but they say little on their own: two tattoos called the same thing can be very different, and a work can sit between two styles. This guide proposes a method for looking at a tattoo by observing six concrete elements: line, colour, contrast, composition, depth and subject. With these elements the families of styles can be recognised, what is seen can be described, and one can understand from which traditions and influences they come. The styles mentioned have a glossary entry; here the interest is in how to look at them.

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Traditional (Old School)

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