Straight answers to the things that stop people booking a tattoo — from the first idea to a healed tattoo. Each guide points you at real, credited work in the catalogue, and health guides quote dermatologists who specialise in tattoos.
What does an Old School (American Traditional) tattoo actually look like?
If the image in your head is simple and iconic — a single rose, a swallow, an anchor — Old School is very likely the right call, and…
Old School (American Traditional) is the direct ancestor — simpler shapes, a narrower and more iconic subject palette, flatter color.
1. Start with the style, not the name
Start with what you actually have
Start with visibility, not the design
Compared with Old School, it is the opposite philosophy: thin and subtle instead of bold and built to be read from a distance.
Nine stages from a vague idea to a healed tattoo. Every guide ends with a link to the next step, so you can read them in order — or jump straight to where you are.
The worries people mention most — and where the honest answer is.
11 guides
10 guides
4 guides
6 guides
4 guides
4 guides
5 guides
1 guide
Health guides quote dermatologists who specialise in tattoos word for word. New to the words? See the tattoo glossary. How guides are written and corrected: editorial policy.