American Traditional Tattoo San Diego by Chris Cockrill
I've been tattooing since 1998 and working in San Diego since 2003, the last ten years of it at Remington Tattoo in North Park. If you're after an American traditional tattoo in San Diego, that's what I do. The style goes back to the early days of tattooing in this country: Sailor Jerry, Bert Grimm, Percy Waters, and right here in San Diego, Doc Webb. Bold outlines, flat color, classic motifs. Eagles, roses, anchors, daggers, panthers, ships. Designs that were built to last and still do.
Walk-ins are welcome for smaller traditional pieces. Flash is available. Larger custom work and sleeves start with a consultation, which is complimentary.
Getting an American Traditional Tattoo in San Diego
Traditional American is one of the most popular styles in tattooing and one of the hardest to do well. The rules look simple. Bold outlines, flat color, classic subjects. But the reason the old work still holds up is not the rules, it is the decisions inside them. Placement, proportion, the use of black and how the design sits on the body. I also do Japanese tattoos and black and gray work at Remington Tattoo.
Flash and Walk-Ins
I hand paint my own traditional flash, the old way: pencil sketch, ink line, then watercolor or ink. A lot of it hangs on the wall at Remington. If something catches your eye, just come in. Smaller traditional pieces can usually be done the same day, Wednesday through Saturday. You can also look through my flash online before you stop by.
My Background in Traditional Tattooing
I apprenticed at Fine Line Tattoo in Houston, so my foundation is Texas-trained traditional: clean lines, solid black, and doing it right the first time. I moved to San Diego in 2003 and kept learning in the shops here, putting in years at Avalon Tattoo II, Lucky's Tattoo Parlor, Scorpion Studios, and American Tattoo in Vista before landing at Remington. I've also tattooed in Thailand and Australia along the way.
I also build my own coil tattoo machines by hand. Knowing how a machine runs, down to the springs and coils, makes a difference in how a line goes in and how it holds up years later.
Sleeves and Large-Scale Traditional Work
A traditional sleeve or back piece is a different animal from a single flash piece. The images have to work together and flow with the body, not just sit next to each other. Most sleeves run 20 to 40 hours over several months. Every large project starts with a free consultation where we figure out the subjects, placement, and how it all fits together.
San Diego's Traditional Tattoo History
San Diego has been a traditional tattoo town since the Navy days, and I like digging into that history. If you want to go deeper, check out my posts on Painless Nell's downtown shops, the Pharaoh's Horses design, and Crazy Sal's Rough Rider skull.
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Strong outlines, limited color palette, classic subjects. The design needs to read clearly at a distance and hold up as it ages. Traditional American tattoos age better than most styles because the fundamentals are built for longevity.
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Yes. Flash is available for walk-ins. If you see something you want on the flash page just bring it in. Custom traditional work starts with a conversation first.
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A full traditional sleeve is typically 20 to 40 hours depending on the complexity and how much custom design work is involved. Most sleeves take several months to a year to complete at a comfortable pace.
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Eagles, panthers, roses, anchors, ships, daggers, swallows, snakes, wolves, pin-ups, skulls, tigers. Classic motifs done properly. Custom designs built around the same foundations.
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Remington Tattoo is at 3009 Myrtle Ave in North Park, San Diego 92104. Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 7pm.
Come In
Looking for a traditional tattoo in North Park? Come by.
Remington Tattoo is at:
3009 Myrtle Ave in North Park, San Diego.
Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 7. Walk-ins welcome for smaller traditional pieces and flash.
See what clients say on Google.