American Traditional Tattoos

    

    

    American traditional style tattoos are the artistic embodiment of wanderlust and freedom. When they first started appearing on people in American culture in the 1930’s they symbolized a rejection of the American dream and represented a life lived outside the confines of mainstream society. As for today, they say still mean the same thing. Tattoo legend, Norman Collins aka Sailor Jerry pioneered this iconic style in Hawaii during World War II, which was the crossroads for millions of American men at the time. With the revival of Tradition style tattoos, these pieces imbue their bearers with the same concepts they were born of a rejection of mainstream culture and the quest for a different existence. 
    This style of tattoos are characterized by its clean black outlines, vivid colors, and minimal shading. These are fundamental to traditional style and make it one of the most bold and iconic tattoo styles there is. Traditional tattoos often depict women, daggers, roses, wolves, skulls, ships, and more. Traditional tattoos are a union of boldness and complexity. They represent a unique era in mankind’s connection to tattooing and at the same time pay homage to the tattoos they have descended from. 
    As tattoos are more acceptable in American culture today this style has evolved into many other categories of body art. Neo Traditional pays homage to the original style with the use of thick, black outlines and well saturated colors with an expanded repertoire of imagery and meanings. Traditional tattoos represent a crucial moment in evolution of tattoos, and a major event that led to the integration of tattoos we see in American culture today.
    

    

Evolution of Tattoo Machine

                                             

 The tattoo machine has a long and complicated past, dating back to the 1800s. It all began with Thomas Edison, an American inventor and his rotary type device. He invented it back in 1876 and its main purpose was to create stencils to be used on flyers. Today’s tattoo machines have come a long way from the designs of old. The very first machine was adapted from Edison’s rotary operated stencil pen which while revolutionary, was heavy and cumbersome to use. What began as an electric motor secured on top of a tube with a steel needle, transformed into a more efficient model after the addition of two electromagnetic coils, springs and contact bars. Five years later this design was improved by Charles Wagner who created a model that featured twin coils set side by side.

    Today most modern tattoo machines are adjustable in terms of speed, depth and force of application. The Bishop Rotary tattoo machine was created in 2009 and tattoo artists everywhere welcomed its lightweight design that allowed them to use it for longer without experiencing wrist pain. The very first tattoo machines were made from iron, steel and brass while the later models are often crafted from aluminum, favored for its lightweight properties and durability. The original machines were rotary systems while the latest designs use electromagnets to function. 

Today, tattoo machines boast innovative and original features such as the Cheyenne Hawk tattoo machine that uses a revolutionary cartridge needle system that allows you to change the needle at the flick of the wrist. The tattoo machine has a rich and varied history and it is fair to say that even the most modern of machines have been inspired by the very first tattoo machines. 

Things To know When Price Shopping For a Tattoo

    Knowing how much tattoos cost can help you plan your next tattoo. Although tattoo prices vary and many factors can affect the cost of your tattoo, including size, design, and understanding how much your tattoo should cost can help you prepare your budget.  As common and popular as tattoos are, they don’t come cheap. Although you can’t get a price quote from your artist until you’ve figured out all the details, there are ways to estimate the cost of your artwork. The size of your ink and the complexity of the artwork and coloring will determine how much time is required to complete the job. One thing to keep in mind is that your artist's talent and experience will affect the rates as well.

   Many tattoo artists charge an hourly rate and a lot of tattoo shops have a shop minimum, usually 1 hour. Although you may have see some hourly rates or standard prices practiced at a lot of tattoo shops, remember that not all tattoo studios are the same. How much you’ll pay is determined by a lot of factors. Artist experience, complexity and design, size, whether color is used, equipment used, set-up and break-down of the station, a shop's location and overhead all have a big influence on how much you'll pay. Tattoo shops need to cover rent and expenses, so it makes sense that in densely populated cities where rental rates are higher, you will have to pay more to get tattooed.

    If you really want to know how much your tattoo will cost, all you have to do is call the shop. You'll want to make sure that you have all the information regarding the design that you want like size, where on your body, black and gray or color, and art style. Getting a tattoo is like shopping. You either go to the place you want or have heard so much about, or you go out looking for the best deal or a deal you can afford so long as you’re getting inked in proper sanitary conditions and by a skilled individual.

    Make sure you do your research and find the proper artist and or studio for you and your needs!

Tattoos Through The Decades

 Tattoos have been around for thousands of years, and over the centuries many have enjoyed the huge evolution. In the United States, tattoo trends have evolved a lot in the last hundred years, morphing from an underground seedy practice to a mainstream exploding industry. 

    In 20th century, tattoos could be found on those society perceived as unsavory or “others" like sailors, circus freaks, prison inmates, etc.  Sailors used tattoos as a way to document their travels, popularizing nautical tattoos like anchors, swallows, and turtles. A swallow tattoo meant that a sailor had traveled 5,000 miles, and a turtle told people they’d crossed the equator. Tattoos were so taboo that people paid to see circus freaks displaying them at sideshows. Navy and Army men could get away with displaying patriotic tattoos, and the occasional civilian could rock a religious tattoo like a cross and get away with it, but tattoos were very much out of the mainstream at the beginning of the century.

    Tattoos got a big boom thanks to World War II.  More men got tattoos to honor their service in the armed forces, and, as women filled the void men left in the work force, they too got tattoos to show their support for the USA. Tattoos were no longer just for circus freaks.  More people were beginning to see them as a beautiful art form. Sailor Jerry tattoos proliferated during this time.  Simple two-dimensional colorful designs like a heart drawn around the word “Mom,” hula girls, pinup girls and patriotic tattoos dominated his catalog.

    The 60s were a time of cultural upheaval, and the tattoo industry reflected that rebellious spirit. The peace sign tattoo soared during this era. Tattoos became bigger and more intricate in the 70s.  People started to get full sleeves tattooed, and the artwork itself became more detailed, including elements like shading and depth. The 80s encouraged the growth of tattoos as a form of self-expression. Tribal tattoos, colorful tattoos, and thick black line tattoos like the Celtic Knot were popular during this decade. New School tattoos also emerged in the 80s,cartoonish designs that often depicted characters doing unexpected things. Feminine tattoos like butterflies, hearts, stars and dolphins boomed during the 90s. Women also began turning to tattoos to transform mastectomy scars into works of art.  

    Tattoos really went mainstream in the 2000s thanks to reality TV and social media.  Shows like Inked, Miami Ink, NY Ink, LA Ink, and Ink Master brought tattoo culture into all sorts of living rooms. Advances in sanitation also helped to get more people into tattoo shops.  People who shield away from tattoos because they worried about catching a disease from a needle could now think about getting a tattoo risk-free. The stigma against tattoos went down during this time, encouraging more and more people to get inked all over the place, from the lower back to the inside of the lip.  For the most part, employers no longer look at tattoos as a reason not to hire someone.

Health Issues and Tattoos

     If  you're not disclosing your medical conditions to your tattoo artist prior to your appointment, what your tattoo artist doesn't know could end up harming you and can't be blamed on the artist or the shop that they work for if nobody is made aware. If you have a medical condition or are on certain prescription medications, it is really important to let your artist know before your appointment so that the right steps and precautions can be taken to avoid injuries. While we understand that not everyone is comfortable with disclosing such information or think that it's not relevant, it is important that your artist is made aware. 

    There are certain medical conditions that your artist will want to be made aware of. Clients with heart conditions, diabetes, epilepsy, hemophilia, and  being on blood thinners are more at risk for injury, poor healing and a possibility of developing infection. With that being said, it doesn't necessarily mean that you are not able to get your tattoo. You will want to consult your medical provider and they can provide help and guidelines on what needs to be done prior to your tattoo appointment. Certain medication prescriptions have to be disclosed as well. Acne medications like Accutane and Minomycin cause skin to be hyper-sensitive and could lead to severe pain and scarring. If you are taking any medication to thin your blood, you'll want to inform your artist beforehand, and consult your doctor. Depending on the reason you're taking the medication, it may not be wise to get tattooed, or it may require stopping them a few days before your appointment or require shorter sessions. 

    If the artist decides that they cannot, in good conscience, proceed with the tattoo it's because they don't want you to get hurt. Remember, people don't turn down a paying client for no reason.  Although an artist has the right to refuse service to a potential client based on health reasons, you also have the right to take your business somewhere else if you feel the artist was unfair or in error.  One thing to keep in mind, that there will always be someone out there willing to take your money regardless of your health.  Don't go to someone that you know uses unsafe practices and doesn't follow the sanitation protocol.