Reviewed and Updated: October 19, 2022 by Jamie Wilson BA
Interested in classic Americana culture? Check out this amazing compilation of Americana style tattoos curated especially for you.
Classic Americana tattoos or American traditional tattoos will bring you a taste of Native American way of life and mysticism.
American traditional tattoo style is the old school, western traditional tattoos with unique features that you won’t find in other regular tattoos. Notable features such as black outlines, bold use of color and unique shading are present in the traditional American style tattoos.
America has developed a rich heritage of cultural symbols beginning with the Native American tradition and the subsequent colonization of America by Europeans. Depending on the object or image of these tattoos, there are different sizes. You can get american traditional cat tattoos, traditional skull tattoos, sailor jerry tattoo, bear tattoo, eagle tattoo, hot air balloon tattoo, diving girl tattoo, anchor tattoos, american traditional cross tattoos and more!
Tattoos come in different sizes. Get a beautiful tattoo inked that fits the part of your skin where you want the tattoo to be. Your tattoo artist may help you properly scale the tattoo in relation to the skin section.
Check out these wonderful American Traditional Tattoo Ideas from our amazing American Traditional Tattoo Flash
.
Traditional gypsy girl tattoo design
The most beautiful aspect of traditional American tattoos is the color representation! The sweeping colors will never let you take your eyes off the tattoos and if you want a traditional American style multicolored tattoo with the image of a gypsy girl then this can be a good choice for you.
It is a unisex tattoo depicting a gypsy girl looking at the viewer. She wears a necklace of bones and peacock feathers on her hair and an orange turban on her hair. Green, orange and yellow are the dominant colors and this American traditional tattoo is appropriate for the arm. There are other variations that you will find with pin up tattoos where a gypsy woman poses in unique styles.
Traditional snake tattoo with traditional dagger tattoo
American traditional snake tattoos are really fascinating to look at and the most interesting part is the overall look of the tattoo when an artist integrates ideas along with the snake image. If snakes fascinate you then you can go with this tattoo! It is a fact that snakes become entangled around lotus bushes underwater and this very idea was projected through this traditional American style tattoo.
Lotus bud and a flower, along with a shadowy green snake and a dagger, lend a mystical appeal to this traditional snake tattoo. There are bold lines around the objects in the tattoo that make it look attractive to the public. American traditional dagger tattoos are also fascinating in case you don’t want the snake.
Traditional American Shark Tattoo with a Flower Tattoo Design
If you admire shark tattoos then this can be a unique tattoo design for you! The shark was projected in the middle of the sea in the yellow circular background. Below the circular frame that touches the shark’s tail fins are a yellow sun, a ship, and a flower. The use of bold lines makes the tattoo stand out in an innovative way.
If you are looking for a small and compact tattoo shape, then this can be a good choice for you. Men usually go with this tattoo but there is no clear indication that the tattoo is gender specific. In the tattoo world, this tattoo definitely takes a standard!
Tiger tattoo in traditional tattoo style design
There are tattoo designs that depict tigers in a forest or hunting ground. But this tattoo is quite different! It tries to achieve balance by putting its feet on the clouds! The tiger’s ferocious intent along with the sharp claws is sure to draw the public’s attention.
The most attractive part of the tattoo is the stripe pattern in black on the yellow surface. And interestingly, this pattern is laterally symmetric. If you want to go for traditional style tattoos that reflect your wild nature, your tattoo artist can try improvisation. This traditional style tattoo will easily fit on any part of your body.
Old school butterfly tattoo design
Old-school tattoos uniquely carry a sense of mysticism that no other tattoos can congruently bring together. Butterfly tattoos are usually beautiful but this one brings in the gothic with the use of the skull over the unique looking butterfly. Red, cyan, yellow and black develop a sense of reverence in the tattoo.
It’s a smaller tattoo than any other classic Americana tattoo style you’ll find in the tattoo shops and will easily fit your wrist. If you are not a fan of animal tattoo designs then a bee tattoo, a girl tattoo or old school insect tattoos like this one. Animal tattoos are always fascinating. Along with this tattoo design, you can also add your name in classic Americana tattoo fonts!
Classic Americana tattoo in black and white
The Grim Reaper has long been a cultural symbol for the Abrahamic religion, and popular culture has used this idea to cultivate more complex images of it. In this tattoo you can find a grim reaper smoking with a pipe and carrying his scythe in the other hand.
It is not a small tattoo design but it is suitable for people with thick arms. Traditional tattoo designs like this one will make you feel special because of its cool black and white aesthetic.
Old school tattoo style of skull tattoo
This traditional American tattoo carries the essence of both terror and beauty. A skull tattoo is placed on both sides of a gypsy girl’s face as if the skull is sticking out of the skin. The extensive colors used to inking the gypsy girl contrast well with the black and white dimensions of the skull tattoo.
It is quite a large tattoo that can be good for your chest and arm only if your arm is thicker. This American traditional style is unisex. So anyone can have it colored.
Classic Americana tattoo sleeves with ship design
One of the best American traditional tattoos is the American traditional ship tattoo and when the object is accompanied by an American traditional rose tattoo the whole combination is quite attractive. This black and white tattoo depicts a large ship floating on a rose.
This can be a good choice for elders, both male and female. But sporting old-school tattoos makes old age feel reduced later on. Worn over traditional American ship tattoos and others, these cultural symbols are preferred by them more than other tattoos as they are associated with tradition and cultural history.
American Traditional Panther Tattoo Design
Panther tattoos signify power and strength to the person who gets them inked. And after the American superhero Black Panther rose to fame, this animal tattoo gained a cherished position in popular cultural imagination. This tattoo depicts a black panther from above in a ferocious pose.
Aside from its cool look, the red and black color combination gives the tattoo a great color combination. The tattoo is longer, not big. So it is better to get advice from the tattoo artists before you decide to get this tattoo.
Traditional eagle tattoo and gypsy head design
If you are looking for old school eagle tattoos to evoke your Americanness then this can be an excellent choice. Because it shows not only an eagle, but also a gypsy head. Both symbols, the eagle and the gypsy girl, come from the classic Americana tattoo tradition. And together this whole tattoo looks fabulous in multiple colors.
The concept of the tattoo is also symbolic, the passive nature of the gypsy woman symbolizing the dominance of men over women. The eagle tries to bite her hair off, but she doesn’t fight back. And interestingly, the gypsy head is sealed in a case painted yellow.
The aesthetics of traditional American tattoos expressed through these traditional symbols developed a rich tattoo culture in America and in comparison these tattoos are very different from modern tattoos. You will not find anything similar even among Japanese tattoo masters. There are other possible tattoos like american traditional lighthouse tattoo, swallow tattoo, american traditional wolf tattoo, palm tree tattoo, american traditional bear tattoo and more. Check out these gorgeous suggestions for traditional American tattoos that might make you want to get an amazing 2022 tattoo this week!
- A heart tattoo featuring a traditional dagger design in the American traditional tattoo style
- American traditional compass tattoos with gold dials
- American traditional lion tattoo featuring a lion tattoo in a bush
- American traditional cat tattoo with red eyes
- Traditional American bear tattoos in a circus arena inked in traditional style
Featured image from Pinterest