American Traditional Tattoo

アメリカン・トラディショナル / 1900s– / Style / Tattoo Styles

The classic American tattoo style of bold black outlines, limited pigments and stock images — anchors, roses, swallows. Sailor culture and the circulation of flash sheets standardized a graphic language on skin.

Bold black outlines / A limited red-green palette / Anchor, rose and swallow stock / Flash-sheet reproduction

Images at the source page

Dictionary entry

Best used for
Comparing primary sources and canonical works · Extracting principles that transfer to other media
Type
Observe the letters, signs and scale of reference works
Composition
Extract the one structure that governs gaze and information
Material
Verify the materials and behaviors specific to era, region and process
Caution
Don't reduce it to surface signs. Verify the context of era, region, technology and makers.
Further study
Sailor Jerry (Norman Collins) / the circulation of flash / the old-school revival

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