Old school tattoos are a powerful representation of American style, with distinct characteristics from the 70s to the 90s. These tattoos mainly consist of bold black outlines and vibrant colors, often accompanied by vivid shades. They rarely feature smooth transitions or shading, resulting in highly saturated designs. Most of the motifs in old school tattoos are cartoon characters.
Tattoos, commonly known as “刺青” (ciqing) or “涅” (nie) in classical Chinese, are artistic expressions engraved onto the monotonous canvas of human skin. They are meant to capture an ideal image, serving as eternal reminders that document the most beautiful moments of one’s life. Originally not exclusive to criminals, tattoo patterns, be it text or imagery, are always meant to please oneself and others.
