Tattoo Flash Art Gallery

Tattoo Flash Art Gallery

Old School Tattoo Flash Options
By Les Stark

Old school tattoo flash has some characteristic elements that have made it popular on and off throughout the ages. In the 1990's, there was a significant movement toward realism in tattooing which tended to relegate the more old school designs to second choice. The 1990's in general represented a renaissance in tattooing where the art moved from the underground to a decidedly acceptable position in society. Over the years, the older style flash tattoos have seen a gain in popularity as more and more people have decided to decorate their bodies with tattoo art.

Old school tattoo art tends toward simpler designs and more comic-book styled depictions than do the more modern forms. Many of the themes of this art center around the underground from which tattooing emerged. Cards, wild women, motorcycles and other themes tend to predominate. Military devices are also popular as tattooing is one of the ways in which veterans of the past tended to wear the record of their service literally on, or under, their sleeve. Some of these tattoos hearken back to a different age and have a nice, historical feel that can liven up a very modern sleeve or collection of tattoos.

Old school tattoo flash tends to employ bold and simple colors, little shading and a more two dimensional feel than modern flash. Where modern flash tends to be photorealistic or very two dimensional, such as is the case with most tribal artwork, old school flash tends to fall somewhere in-between the two. If one thinks back to the tattoo work that may have been seen on the hipsters and motorcycle riders of old, one will have a good idea of what to expect from this style of art. This may or may not be desirable to the individual.

Old School flash also has elements which lend themselves to work which is comprised of several different tattoos rather than to a sleeve which has a consistent theme throughout. Many individuals in the past had specific parts of their arm or body tattooed but the sleeve was a rare find in the past and really only became all the rage within the last 20 years. For those who don't want complete coverage but who would like more than one tattoo on their arms or back, old school flash is a good place to look for more individual pieces of art.

Finding old school flash online is a good way to get a start in one's quest. One can search by specific popular tattoos from the past-Betty Boop, for instance-or by specific themes. If one is looking to get their military division's logo on their arm or another part of their body, looking toward the older designs may offer a unique way to do it. Some of the old school flash versions of these logos are more based in the historic renditions of unit symbols and may offer more of a connection with the past than conformity with the present.

Tattoo Flash Art Gallery