What is an old school tattoo? The more technical term is “traditional tattoo” (aka American traditional). It’s the tattoo you conjure when envisioning a Sailor Jerry tattoo. Sailor Jerry is who essentially gave birth to the style. However, we must admit that “old school” has a better ring to it than “traditional”, sounding less like a trait that your grandparents would expect of you.
Subject-wise, old school tattoos generally feature nautical nouns (mermaids, schooner sailing ships, anchors, sharks, etc.) in addition to skulls, daggers, roses, panthers, sparrows, and of course the classic MOM tattoo. With a few rare exceptions, there are no tattoo shops in any city without a dedicated old school tattoo artist on staff. So what sets our shop apart? Read ahead to find out!
What Sets Adrenaline Apart from Other Studios When Seeking an Old School Tattoo Artist in Toronto
“Neo” Old School Tattoos
Since we’re playing with semantics today, we figured we’d refer to neo-traditional tattoos as being neo-old-school tattoos. These are nearly the same as traditional old school tattoos but feature more varied and vibrant colors and/or may incorporate more intricate shading techniques. A specialized tattooist may also take more dramatic license with the way subjects are drawn. For all intents and purposes (and to the eyes of the public) these are old school tattoos, but on steroids, so to speak.
Adrenaline Toronto has one of the city’s top old school tattoo artists – Andrew Stewart – who also specializes/prefers the neo-traditional style. This version of an old school tattoo is featured in the collage below.
Japanese Old School Too
Japanese traditional is a genre on its own, and may also be considered old school by the general public. Common subjects that you can expect to see here include dragons, tigers, koi, and peony flowers. Our resident tattooist Andrew also has a penchant for this culturally enriching take on old school tattoos. Check out the tattoos in the collage (from Andrew’s portfolio) below for examples.
Examples of Old School Tattoos to Inspire Yours
Are you unsure of what you want for your up and coming tattoo? To help provide inspiration we have hand-selected a number of our favorites from Andrew Stewart’s Instagram portfolio. Let us know what you like (or send us other design ideas) when uploading images to book your FREE consultation with one of the most inspiring old school tattoo artists in Toronto.
Recently completed at Adrenaline Toronto
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