What are New School tattoos?
If you’re looking for a way to express yourself through body art, then new school tattoos are for you! With bold designs and vibrant colors, this style of tattooing is quickly becoming one of the most popular types of tattoos out there. Let’s explore what constitutes a new school tattoo, its history and its growing popularity.
New School tattoos have their roots in the late 1970s and early 1980s on the West coast. This style was heavily influenced by American Traditional tattoos and Neo Traditional tattoos, but with a more cartoon-ish twist. It’s characterized by bold black lines to help keep color from spreading, vibrant colors, and often a pop culture reference. With its modern evolution of an old age tradition for decorating one’s body, New School tattoos have been growing in popularity since their beginnings.
Characteristics of New School Tattoos
New School tattoos are known for their experimental design style, with vivid colors, bold lines and zany subject matter. The most defining characteristic of New School tattooing is the use of bold and vibrant colors to create a more eye-catching image. Outlining is also a key feature of New School tattoos, as it helps limit the spread of color. 3D effects, exaggerated shapes and distorted proportions are also popular with this style, making it instantly recognizable.
The Difference between Old and New School Tattoos
As tattoos have evolved over the years, so has the style of tattooing. While traditional tattoos often remain black and white and include a single object or written text, new school designs borrow heavily from features of the old school or American traditional tattoo style but with a more realistic, yet softer approach. The main difference between traditional tattoos and neo traditional tattoos is that neo traditional tattoos often have a broader color palette. New school tattoos have a distinct graffiti or cartoonish element, vibrant colors, and often include a pop culture reference. Today, there are a wide variety of inks to use and you can do so much more with new school tattooing than you could with old school.
Inspiration Behind New School Tattoos
New School tattoos are inspired by comic art and combine styles such as street art, graffiti, Realism, cartoons, and Manga. One of the most notable comic artists that have influenced this style is Joe Capobianco, who revolutionized pin-up tattoos within this style. The New School tattoo style also draws a lot of inspiration from the cartoon shows and movies of the 1980s and 1990s. However, while they may take their inspiration from the pop culture of these eras, the designs are fresh and modernized. The bright colors, 3-D structure shading and heavy outlines used in this style make it look like or represent cartoons and graffiti art.
Why People Choose New School Tattoos
New School tattoos are a great way for people to express themselves through their body art and are popular for their unique designs. People choose new school tattoos because of the freedom and creativity it allows. With bright colors and bold lines, tattoo artists can experiment and create unique compositions that reflect the wearer’s personality. Old-fashioned tattoo designs centered on symbols that reflected pride in one’s nation or one’s masculinity, but new school tattoos provide a space to explore a wide range of subject matter and styles. This style of tattooing is perfect for anyone looking to make a statement with their body art.
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New School Tattoo Designs
New School tattoo designs are known for their vivid and complex nature. With the use of bright colors, 3D effects, and bubble lettering, these tattoos are the perfect way to express a person’s creativity. From wild creatures to pin-ups, there is no limit to how creative people can get when it comes to New School tattoos. Popular New School tattoo artists such as Mikey Godwin, and many others have helped revolutionize the style, inspiring many newbies in the art of tattooing.
The Growing Popularity of New School Tattoos
New School tattooing has become increasingly popular in recent years. With its bold, cartoon-ish style, bright colors and unique designs, it stands out from other tattoo styles. It has been embraced by a wide range of people including celebrities, athletes and other public figures. The movement has even been featured in popular media such as movies, music videos and magazines. This increased popularity is largely due to the creativity and artistry involved in New School tattooing. The creative designs, vibrant colors and bold lines make it an eye-catching addition to any body canvas.
The Role of Color in New School Tattooing
Bright colors are a trademark of the New School tattoo style. While many traditional tattoos use colors like red, yellow, and royal blue, New School tattoos often feature colors like electric blue, hot pink, and neon green. This color palette helps to give the designs an eye-catching, modern look. Along with bold black lines, these colors also help keep pigment from spreading too much and create an overall sharper look. As long as the design features bright colors, 3D effects, or a graffiti quality, it qualifies as New School.
Designs Commonly Seen in Traditional Tattoos
Designs commonly seen in traditional tattoos are often based off old flash designs from the legends of the field. These designs typically depict animals, military insignia, landscapes and shapes like hearts and stars. Each design has a specific meaning, and they are highly saturated to make them look good on any skin tone. Anchors, daggers, mermaids, and things of that nature are what you’ll most commonly see coming out of the American Traditional tattoo style. It symbolizes good luck and showing patriotism. So if you’re looking for a classic tattoo style with a bold and bright look, you should opt for the traditional tattoo style!
New School Tattooing vs. Other Styles
New School tattoos have a distinct aesthetic that sets them apart from other styles. While Old School tattoos are typically bold and black-and-white, New School designs are usually more colorful and vibrant. They also have a cartoonish quality that is inspired by pop culture and media, unlike the traditional symbols of masculinity featured in Old School style tattoos. The heavy lines used in New School tattooing provide a unique contrast to other tattoo styles, such as Japanese or Polynesian, which may feature intricate patterns and shading. New School tattoos are a great way for tattoo enthusiasts to express their creativity and individuality, taking inspiration from the world around them to create something unique.
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Don’t wait another day for the perfect tattoo – head to Opal Lotus in Houston and start expressing yourself! Our artists will help you find the perfect design to show off your individual style that will last forever. Show your pride with a new school tattoo today!
