Thursday, March 15, 2007

The Symbolism Behind an Anchor Tattoo and Anchor Tattoo Design

Anchor tattoos were all the rage for sailors. It was often the symbol of a very experienced sailor. Anchor tattoo designs are one of the oldest types of tattoos. However with an interest in all things retro and chic these have come back into fashion. In fact in the tattoo field as a whole retro tattoo designs have been experiencing a resurgence. These retro tattoo designs have come back to life with new more vibrant tattoo colors, designs and placements on the body. This trend originated on the west coast mostly and has even become known as west coast tattoo style.

Retro themes in tattoo designs are especially popular with the rockabilly group.

So what is the symbolism behind the anchor tattoo design? While the earliest forms of an anchor being used as a symbol harkens all the way back to the early Christians. They would often use the anchor as a hidden symbol for the cross. This was often used to show that they were Christian while escaping persecution from the Greeks.

The symbol much later became popular with sailors. This is a pretty obvious connection here being that sailor use anchors constantly in their work.

The anchor tattoo design has become a symbol for stability and a strong foundation. It can also mean a boyfriend, girlfriend or significant other in someone's life. You see a man might get an anchor tattoo to show that his girlfriend is the stability in his life.

These have become increasingly popular for women to get and they often place them just below their collar bone on the right of left side.

So the anchor tattoo is a great tattoo with lots of symbolism and history behind it. If you are looking for something to remind you to stay grounded or want to symbolism a particularly stable or grounding relationship that you have then an anchor tattoo design might be something to look into.

Chris has been running Design My Tattoos website for the last three months. He likes helping people find the custom tattoo designs and where to get them done by professional tattoo artists. Check out the site and post a job to get your own custom tattoo design. If you are a tattoo artist and would like to earn some extra income go ahead and sign up as an artists and make some money in your spare time. Check out this article on the symbolism of anchor tattoos on the site.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Ryerson

What Makes Star Tattoos So Popular Everything from Shooting Star Tattoos, to Nautical Star Tattoos

Star tattoos seem to be a pretty old and yet a very popular design. It is one of the most requested custom designs. Why are they so popular and are they over rated? You know there is this on going controversy between the "tattoo traditionalists" and the new generation of "tattooers". I put those in quotes because they are terms that I made up for this article.

A "tattoo traditionalists" like the old school tattoos. Things that are done in black ink and nothing that would be considered popular. They feel that each tattoo should be unique and say something about the individual. They are strongly against anyone that gets a tattoo because it is a popular design. For example they are against star tattoos because of their popularity. They would most likely be against the good old tribal arm band tattoo or a barbed wire arm band etc. You know the tattoo designs that are so popular and done over and over again. The "tattoo traditionalists just hate these.

The new generation of "tattooers" are pretty much the opposite. They like what is cool and hip and want to get tattoos done that are popular and in style. They will often look at celebrity tattoos or the tattoos of friends to get their ideas from which they might do some customizing and etc. Their designs typically feature a lot of color and are bright! I have written more about these groups in other articles so for now I will stick to the topic at hand of star tattoos. You see there is a phenomenal growth in star tattoo designs. Tons of people want to get everything from simple star tattoos, groupings of moon and star tattoos, nautical stars, and even shooting stars. Star tattoo designs are pretty much everywhere.

So why are they so popular?

1. Star tattoo designs and celestial tattoos are especially popular themes among women and this is a rapidly growing market.

2. Star tattoos can be very gender neutral. Men and women can get star tattoos done.

3. Star tattoos are often inexpensive to get designs of and cost very little to get done.

4. Star tattoos often make a great first tattoo design for someone who is a little worried about getting started in tattoos. They are small and easily covered up and also less painful to get because of their size and therefore popular among first timers.

5. Star tattoos because of their size can fit into or among other existing designs or can make great cover up of a bad tattoo.

6. Stars are pretty universal symbols of good things. Most all religions have some type of star symbolism and star and stars don't make a strong statement about the world but just kind of thought of as fun and light hearted.

So who is right? Are star tattoos a great design to get done like the new generation of tattooers is doing or should you avoid them at all costs because they are not unique and they are overdone like the traditionalists would say?

Well, like all great questions in life and in the world of tattoo design the decision really is your to make. It will be your tattoo and one that you will live with for a long time. I think the best middle ground between the two groups is to just get something you like. If you like star tattoos for their own sake if they are popular or not then go ahead and get one and who cares. However if you are just getting a star tattoo because your friend just did or because the latest pop diva got one then it might be better to wait. Either way the choice is your to be made.

Chris has been running Design My Tattoos website for the last three months. He likes helping people find the custom tattoo designs and where to get them done by professional tattoo artists. Check out the site and post a job to get your own custom tattoo design. If you are a tattoo artist and would like to earn some extra income go ahead and sign up as an artists and make some money in your spare time. Check out this article on star and shooting star tattoos on the site.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Ryerson

Sources for Free Tattoo Ideas and Tattoo Design Ideas

Have you been wanting to get a tattoo but don't have an exact idea or not sure what you want? Tattoos are so popular and there are so many ideas but many of us feel stuck at times on the exact tattoo we want to get. For me I often feel stuck when I think of how permanent a tattoo is. I see a lot of cool designs that I like at the time but when I start thinking about the having it permanently done I start to change my mind and look for something else.

Others have the idea or rough plan of what they want but they can't find any good source material or flash that matches what they want. Some of our customers state that they have spent months looking for a certain tattoo design. They look through all of the flash sites and etc. but still can not find what they are looking for. This is a huge problem, you end up wasting a lot of time and feeling frustrated. However there are some simple ways around this problem.

1. First you should always pull ideas for tattoos from things that you like or are into. Don't go and get a tattoo just because you saw someone with one and you thought he or she was cool. A tattoo will be with you forever and so it should be something from you not from outside. Along these lines don't do the stupid thing of going out to get a tattoo with a friend and be pressured into getting the same thing he or she gets just because you don't want to look stupid. Tattoos are permanent and therefore should state something about you and what you love. Therefore if you spend time just thinking about the things you like and things that you identify yourself with you are likely to come up with some great ideas. For example for me I love being outdoor and nature and so I like star tattoos a lot and nature themes. I also like a lot of the native American and traditional Japanese designs. My wife is from Japan and she has this plan of getting a Cherry tree branch full of cherry blossoms across her back. These are very significant images for the Japanese. They symbolizes the new year and new life or even renewal of life. So as you can see your tattoo should be something you identify with.

2. Once you have some rough ideas it is typically time to go online and look for some images. Now lets take the Cherry blossom for example. Some place you could look for a tattoo would be clip art. You can search using Google's image search feature or go to Microsoft online clipart gallery. Either place you can find either a clip art drawn piece or actual source photos. Both will lead you to some good source materials that will help in the design stage.

3. Next you want to take you source materials (photos or clip art) and show them to a tattoo artists. You might also try some initial sketches if you are artistically inclined. Even something with simple line art or pigeon scratches can tell you tattoo artists a lot about what you are looking for. So take everything you got and show it to your tattoo artist and then let them design the tattoo for you. Remember the more accurate and detailed you can be with your description the more happy you are going to be with the results and the whole process will be much easier.

4. Most tattoo artists will then provide you with an actual design shaded in and with color and the line art of the design. If you are getting this done online then you can take that to your local tattoo parlor and find some one to do the actual tattoo for you. Often you can also ask for referrals from the original tattoo artists. Typically they can do the work themselves if you live within driving range.

If you take these steps into consideration and actually do a little bit of homework and find your source materials and provide lots of details about what you are looking for then you are sure to get the design of your dreams.

Chris has been running Design My Tattoos website for the last three months. He like helping people find the custom tattoo designs and where to get them done by professional tattoo artists.

Check out the site and post a job to get your own custom tattoo design. If you are a tattoo artist and would like to earn some extra income go ahead and sign up as an artists and make some money in your spare time. Check out this article on Free Tattoo Ideas on the site.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Ryerson

Rap Tattoo: The Tattoos of Rap Artists and Rap Stars This is a Huge Trend

Rap tattoos or rap artist tattoos are very popular. This phenomena has lead to a strange mix of cultures. You everyone is into celebrities, movie stars, signers, and rappers. Even those of us like myself who like to say we are not sometimes get caught up in what is hot with different celebrities. Well rap artists have created a whole new type of celebrity. It is almost the anti hero of sorts. Rap artists often like to play the gangster become big time star role and in fact many of them have achieved this lifestyle.

The rich gangster living the big life being a player is the immortalized dream that we see 247 on television in rap videos from MTV to VH1 to all sorts of other things. You know what I am talking about the rap artists with the gold chains, pimped out Hummer, or Lincoln Navigator with some hot babes wearing tongs on either side of his arm. What guy in their right mind wouldn't want that dream. Even guys that don't listen to rap or claim that it is not their dream would be pretty hard pressed to turn away from that life! Pimped out house, cars and fancy women and food!

Well, this whole dream has lead to many new trends in tattoo art. Now there are more and more people getting tattoos of their favorite rap artists. Either a 50 cent tattoo, Nelly tattoo, or Tupac they all have great tattoos and their tattoo gallery pages are some of the most visited pages on our site. In fact we even get quit a few jobs posted by people wanting a similar tattoo. Right now someone posted for a copy of a Nelly tattoo. You know the one Nelly has with the cards and it says his name on each card N-E-L-L-Y. We also have a job posted on the website for some wanting a Tupac "Thug Life" tattoo. What a great way to memorialize the guy!

These items are very popular and it has created a strange mix of a celebrity gangster who is all tatted up. People normally think of tattoos on a white hells angel biker dude. However those days are over and the a new age of tattoos and tattoo design is upon us and tattoo and now the great universal and no longer a separator.

Chris runs Design My Tattoos website. Check out the site and post a job to get your own custom tattoo design. If you are a tattoo artist and would like to earn some extra income sign up as an artists. You can read this article about rap star tattoos here. We also have an extensive Celebrity Rap Star tattoo galleries and design galleries on the site. Check out our Nelly Tattoo Gallery, 50 Cent Tattoo Gallery

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Ryerson

Cute Tattoo Designs for Women and where to get the best ones

The whole field of tattoos for women is growing at a tremendous rate. If you think back even 20 years ago tattoos for women were not all that popular and most of the women getting them were keeping them covered up. However times have definitely changed and tattoo designs have really advanced at a tremendous rate. Today's tattoo have more brilliant colors and are a far cry from your grandfathers Hawaiian girl tattoo on his forearm.

It used to be that women would get an occasional rose or name tattoos on their breast or some well hidden spot. However with current fashion trends there are tons of cute tattoo designs for women out there are women are now getting tattoos at an amazing rate.

Women's tattoo designs and placement have also changed with this new growth. No longer are women getting simple tattoos that they keep well hidden. Women are now getting cute tattoo designs done and placing them in more visible places.

Some of the most popular items to get tattoos of are:

1. Shooting Star Tattoos
2. Butterfly Tattoos
3. Unicorn Tattoos
4. Angel Tattoos
5. Fairy Tattoos
6. Dragonfly tattoos
7. Flower design tattoos

The most popular places for women to get tattoos done are:

1. lower back tattoo (especially popular recently with the whole hip hugger jeans)

2. ankle tattoos

3. front side of the hips (again hip hugger jeans have made this more popular)

4. butt cheek left or right

5. Belly button area

Another thing that this trend of women getting tattoos is that women often seek out custom tattoo designs. They don't go to the local parlor and just by a tattoo flash design that is on display there. Women seem to spend a great deal more time contemplating the tattoos that they want done and tend to have more requirements about what they want. Therefore women tend to get custom tattoo designs. This allows them to get the exact look and feel they want and a custom designed tattoo is also fit to the location on the persons body so that it fits well.

Chris has been running Design My Tattoos website for the last three months. He has thoroughly enjoyed helping people to get custom tattoo designs done by professional tattoo artists. Go ahead and check out the site and post a job to get your own custom tattoo design. If you are a tattoo artist and would like to earn some extra income go ahead and sign up as an artists and make some money in your spare time. You can read this article Cute Tattoo Designs for women here and other articles by clicking here. We also have an extensive Celebrity tattoo galleries and design galleries on our site.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Ryerson

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Why Get a C ustom Tattoo Design Done by a Professional Tattoo Artist

You might have noticed that in the past year or two that everywhere you go things can now be customized to suit the consumer. For example I was purchasing a sandwich the other day at a local sub shop. They first asked how long, then it was what kind of bread, what kind of cheese, what kind of mayo and on and on the list went.

Well, this has become a major trend in marketing that truly benefits the consumer. You no longer have to pay top dollar and just get whatever you get. Now you can get things exactly like what you want.

This marketing trend has also become one of the biggest trends in the world of tattoos since sliced bread. The old fashioned way to get a tattoo done we all know too well. You go to the local parlor and look at the beautiful tattoo flash or designs on the wall and you pick one. It was basically like ordering at MacDonald. I will take a number #2 combo the Celtic Butterfly with a side or shooting star tattoos extra large.

Well, like MacDonalds frequently does the tattoo world has really improved and almost reinvented itself in the last few years. This growth is still taking place even now. You see the days of getting a tattoo done in the above mentioned way are starting to disappear. It didn't allow for individuality or self expression. The old fashioned way lead to a lot of people getting the same tattoos and for cheap. Well, just like many people go out and buy a stock car and then start tweaking it all out to fit their needs or a computer that is tweaked to fit there needs you can now do the same things with tattoo designs.

You can come up with a concept for a tattoo that you want done. Then you can go online and post a job for a bunch of freelance tattoo artists to bid on. You then view some samples of their work and pick a custom tattoo designer or artist to do the work for you. They will then work with you and flesh out the rough idea that you had into a complete custom tattoo design.

This way of getting tattoo designs has some definite advantages over the old fashioned way. No longer will you have the same popular tattoo that thousands of others probably have.

You can get the design sized to fit exactly the location on your body that you want it.

Now you can customize the color, shape, design, and even initial concept for your design. It is truly like tricking out a car or a computer you can get things exactly like how you want them.

So this new way of getting tattoos done has started to revolutionize the whole world of tattoo and tattoo design. It is getting harder and harder to sell pre-made designs and the growth of custom tattoo designs is significantly increasing.

Chris has been running Design My Tattoos website for the last three months. He has thoroughly enjoyed helping people to get custom tattoo designs done by professional tattoo artists. Go ahead and check out the site and post a job to get your own custom tattoo design. If you are a tattoo artist and would like to earn some extra income go ahead and sign up as an artists and make some money in your spare time. You can read this article custom tattoo design here and other articles by clicking here. We also have an extensive Celebrity tattoo galleries and design galleries on our site.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Ryerson

Do not Pay for a Tattoo that Millions of People Have - Get a Unique Custom Tattoo Design

Recently it was reported that tattoo related terms received more searches per month then most adult related keywords. This has spawned a huge growth of websites selling flash tattoo designs. You can go and visit these sites and for $10 or so find a tattoo design. You can then download this design and take it to your local tattoo parlor and get a new tattoo.

Well, for many this has become the Achilles heel so to speak of the tattoo art industry. Buying tattoos this way is definitely contrary to the main reasons people get tattoos. Tattoos and the tattoo industry has always held that tattoo art was the last bastion of personal expression and freedom in America. You see most tattoo enthusiast feel that the tattoo they get are very uniquely theirs and a tattoo, being something you have to live with for a long time, should say something about yourself. So these huge flash tattoo sites come along and sell thousands of the same tattoo to people. These same people go to their local tattoo parlor and get a new tattoo and soon they are sporting it around town feeling proud to assert their individuality. However in reality they have just copied a bunch of other people and probably ended up with a tattoo that says nothing interesting or unique about them. They just bought the design because it was popular.

The other sad part of this phenomena is that most tattoo artists are on the loosing end of the proposition. The big websites that sell tons of designs often have had some graphic designer just create a bunch of low quality tattoo designs to sell. The designer was not even a tattoo artist in the first place. However, the tattoo artists out there are now losing tons of business to these larger companies. That is not to say all tattoo sites selling tattoo designs online are doing this. Of course there are some that have taken this into consideration have have worked hard to value the artists for their original ideas and work.

However it still leaves the tattoo enthusiast who just got the same tattoo as thousands of other people out in the dark. Think about what is going to happen when that person is at a concert of some large public event and a guy comes up to him and says, :hey cool man nice tat." The guy turns and the notices that the speaker is sporting the same exact tattoo. Here he thought he was unique and individual and doing something really cool. What is one to say in that kind of situation? Other then start looking at all the tattoo removal adds online there is not really much.

It is for these exact reasons that a few websites have started popping up on the internet that have solved these basic problems. At the time of this writing there are in fact only two sites on the internet that have effectively dealt with both of these problems. They are custom designed freelance tattoo art websites. That is kind of a mouthful so I will explain what each of those terms means. It means that a person wanting a unique tattoo design can go to the site and post a job. Then tattoo artists from around the globe can come and bid on the job to design a great custom tattoo to the individuals specifications.

This is really the best of all worlds as it encourages tattoo artists and pays them fairly for their abilities and skills. It also create a unique tattoo to the exact specifications and desires of the person getting the tattoo done. It is a really great way to solve the problem and these sites have had a high rate of customer satisfaction and repeat business from both the tattoo artists and the tattoo enthusiast.

Chris has been running Design My Tattoos website for the last three months. He has thoroughly enjoyed helping people to get custom tattoo designs done by professional tattoo artists. Go ahead and check out the site and post a job to get your own custom tattoo design. If you are a tattoo artist and would like to earn some extra income go ahead and sign up as an artists and make some money in your spare time. We also have an extensive Celebrity tattoo galleries and design galleries on our site.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Ryerson

Tattoos and Body Art on Hollywood Celebrities

Celebrity tattoos are becoming more and more visible and socially acceptable in mainstream pop culture these days. Angelina Jolie recently voted most sexy woman has plenty of tattoos and is probably the most famous and desirable celebrity with tattoos in Hollywood. Her tattoos to date consist of tribal dragons, a Thai tiger, and various Latin sayings across her shoulders and arms.

This surge in popularity of celebrity tattoos began in the 1960s. Lyle Tuttle the forefather of American tattooing tattooed Janis Joplin. Time was when tattoos were the preserve of those on the fringes of society but now it is not uncommon to see celebrity tattoos. Even super models such as Kate Moss and Sarah O'Hare strut around flashing their body art on the cover of glossy magazines or on the cat walk.

Actor Johnny Depp ranks as heavily tattooed for his caliber of talent and breadth of acting work. His tattooed arms are as often painted to be blank flesh as left with their own tattoos showing and incorporated into the character.

Vin Diesel is covered with a mix of modern tattoos styles, as befitting an underground government secret agent in the movie xXx. The character he plays agent X has one full sleeve, one partial sleeve, chest work and tattoos on his stomach.

As vampire slayer BLADE, Wesley Snipes has tribal blackwork on his arms, chest and back, as well as the sides of his head and the back of his nect. Pamela Anderson had her arm tattooed for real with a barbed wire armband for her role in the movie BARBWIRE. Following her split from husband Tommy Lee, (who is heavily tattooed) she had the "Tommy" tattoo on her finger edited to read "Mommy" in reference to her two sons. She also has tribal tattoos on the small of her back and a tattoo on her ankle.

Musicians have traditionally enjoyed more freedom than actors when it comes to body art. For movie stars having to transform into a different character each time they shoot a movie can be limiting especially if they are playing historical figures. But that has not stopped a lot of actors from getting tattooed in very visible places.

Historically rock stars were renowned for getting tattoos. The band Red Hot Chili Peppers are an example where the band members have a well-developed collection of tattoos. Singer Henry Rollins began his tattoo collection as the lead singer of Black Flag. Eminem continues to add to his tattoo collection but some critics have claimed that it will inhibit him if he wants to play a bigger acting role. Eminem's tattoos are a combination of a style that is typical of Hip Hop and R&B artists such as Justin Timberlake, 50 Cent and Pharrel.

Of all the celebrities with tattoos sports stars tend to sport more tattoos than most especially basketball players. You can be big in sports and be tattooed, but the clean cut type still seems to be favored amongst Madison Avenue advertising gurus.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Declan_O_Reilly

Free Tattoo Flash Designs - Why You Should Avoid Them

Good tattoos are not cheap...cheap tattoos are not good!

Flash tattoos are cheap, but still hugely popular among many people getting tattoos for the first time. They are most likely to be low-quality and poorly drawn. Nearly 90% of the people requiring cover-ups or touch-ups to their tattoos have flash tattoos usually done from some free flash design that has done the rounds of the internet or from some backstreet tattoo parlours.

What’s wrong with flash tattoos?

Flash tattoos are anything but original. They are based on ready-made, knocked up designs drawn by unknown 'artists' and sold in hundreds if not thousands of copies, worldwide or downloaded free on many websites. It’s very likely if you get a flash tattoo that somebody somewhere has the exact same tattoo, most likely done in the exact same manner and possibly on same area of the body say for example lower back tribal tattoos.

Flash tattoos have nothing to do with what tattoo art should be which is creativity and uniqueness and reduces tattooing to little more than tracing. Flash tattoos lack one other important thing: meaning. They generally have no meaning to the person getting them done.

Tattoos should reflect a persons life and should at least have some meaning — not necessarliy the meaning of the actual design but what it means to the person receiving it. This is the reason tattoo removal is big business. Keep in mind that it costs more 10 times the amount to get a tattoo removed as it does to get it done in the first place.

So if you are looking for tattoo designs forget flash tattoo designs. If you see free flash tattoo art on some website, or if the tattooist tells you to pick one from a sheet or 'off the wall' and doesn’t draw your design free hand right in front of you but copies it on a piece of transparent tracing paper from a notepad go elsewhere. Always ask to see the tattooists portfolio of custom tattoos before committing to getting one done.

Remember - a tattoo is for life. Avoid tattoo flash!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Declan_O_Reilly

Chinese Tattoos - Meaning of Chinese Dragon Tattoos

Chinese Tattoos have always been hugely popular. At one stage they were the realm of criminals and the mafia. Now it seems even Hollywood celebrities seem to have caught on to the mystery and allure of the Far East. While it is undeniable that classic Chinese tattoos have an attraction which can easily be appreciated regardless of whether one can understand the often subtle meanings or not.

Aesthetics should be the primary consideration when getting tattooed, and Chinese characters are very well suited to this purpose. While tattoos have always been conversation pieces, Chinese tattoos add another element, since the typical viewer will probably ask you the meaning, which allows the wearer to not only translate the characters, but to explain the story behind the decision to make such a lasting statement.

Meaning is an important question however and for this reason can make Chinese tattoos date very quickly. Often it is not quite what the wearer was told by the tattooist at the tattoo shop or the meaning can become irrelevant after a few years.

Hopefully the person being tattooed has done his or her research and consulted with a native Chinese speaker about the meaning before being inked. Some non Chinese speakers have unwittingly tattooed their bodies with Chinese symbols which when translated become meaningless.

The most common Chinese tattoos are ones that are supposed to represent ideas and qualities like love or strength. Keep in mind that the concepts are aimed at English speakers, and on that level "peace, love and happiness" are easily understandable.

But before you run off to the studio to get one done you should do your research. Selecting a Chinese tattoos deserves careful study and attention. It should have less to do with style and more to do with your character, work, and values. It's permanent, so it's a pretty important decision in your life. In the end, it is important to choose something of lasting appeal not something faddish.

Chinese Dragons

For centuries, the Chinese dragon has been a symbol of power and mystery. Depicted in countless legends, both Eastern and Western, the dragon has provoked man to fear and worship it. In medieval Europe, it was a bloodthirsty, fire-breathing figure. Its malevolence and ferociousness struck terror in all. However, in Asia, it is the contrary. The mighty dragon is a mythical beast long celebrated for its benevolence, intelligence and good will. The Chinese dragon has been a common symbol of identity for Far Eastern cultures.

In fact, Chinese people all over the world are affectionately known as “lung de chuan ren”, or the "descendants of the dragon”. There are several distinct species of Chinese dragons. The Horned Dragon is considered to be the mightiest. The Celestial Dragon supports the heavens and protects the Gods. The Earth Dragon rules all of the earth. The Spiritual Dragon controls the wind and rain. The Treasure Dragon is the keeper of precious metals and gems. The Winged Dragon is the only dragon with wings. The Coiling Dragon dwells in the ocean. The Yellow Dragon is a hornless dragon known for its scholarly knowledge.

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Tribal Tattoo Designs - Why Are They So Popular

Tribal tattoos have been practiced for thousands of years. Modern people still get them done for many reasons such as to belong to a modern 'tribe' even if they do it on a subconcious level.

Getting tattooed was also seen as a rite of passage into adulthood. A belief goes that if a girl can't take the pain of tattooing, she is un-marriageable, because she will never be able to deal with the pain of child birth. If a boy can't deal with the pain he is considered to be a bad risk as a warrior, and could become isolated from the tribe.

Some primitive tribes use tattooing as a rite of social status. The Maori, of New Zealand use tattooing primarily for this purpose. To the Maori, a person's Moko designs enhanced their prestige and show transition from one social status to another. At its highest level, Moko designs proclaimed the sacredness of chieftanship.

The Hawaiians are prominent among people who have specific tattoo gods. In Hawaii, the images of the tattoo gods are kept in the temples of tattoo priests. Each tattoo session begins with a prayer to the tattoo gods that the operation might not cause death, that the wounds might heal soon, and that the designs might be handsome. Many modern American tattooist will tell you, "When you should get a tattoo, the tattoo god will tell you that it is time."

In the 1970's, American tattooing discovered primitive, tribal tattoos. People wanted simple designs with meaning and they began copying designs, primarily from the islands of the South Pacific. In the past few decades, people of European stock began looking for tribal tattoos of their own origins and created a new form of tattoo commonly known as neo tribal tattoos.

Tattoo Pictures and Tattoo Designs for YOU

Anyone who is seriously into tattoos will tell you how long it takes to choose the right one. After all they should last a lifetime so are not something to be rushed. It can take up to 20-30 hours to find the right tattoo design. But that is only the first step.

If you are serious you will want to have something that is unique and not taken from a book or or copied from a picture in a tattoo gallery. A tattoo should speak about who you are and not be ripped off someone else. Not only that but a lot of artists will refuse to copy another artists work. And quite rightly. While you can be done for copyright infringement for copying another person's work in other mediums the same rules don't seem to apply to tattoo art.

It is still a form of plagiarism to take another persons artwork and reproduce it as your own. In any other form this would result in legal action. So just because there is no precendent set for copyright infringement does not mean its is cool to claim another tattooists work.

So how do you come up with original tattoo designs?

If you are like me you have looked at literally thousands of tattoo pictures and tattoo designs from a variety of different tattooists from around the world. Or maybe you keep visiting your local tattoo studio and have started getting dirty looks from the tattoo artist who thinks you are stalking him because you go there every weekend and still haven't chosen a tattoo!

There are so many different styles of so you need to be really clear about what you want before you get inked. It is a good idea ot visualize the type of tattoo you want before you even get it. You need to be able to see yourself with a particular tattoo before you get it. If is a tribal tattoo on your arm imagine yourself walking down the street with the tattoo for all the world to see.

Next view some examples of different styles that you like. So if it is tribal tattoos source pictures of that particular tattoo style. If it is work from another artist do not take it to your nearest tattoo studio and ask for it to be copied onto you. Tell the tattoo artist that you like that particular style and would like a tattoo designed for YOU. This is where the visualisation exercise comes into play. Tattoo artists are very visual people and are highly talented at rendering an nebulous idea into a full on customized tattoo.

Think of the bigger picture. Don't be tempted to choose some generic tattoo flash off the wall because you can't make up your mind. Don't settle for something less if you cannot afford the tattoo you really want. Tattoos are organic and are constantly changing and growing with you. Avoid painful mistakes!

Tattoo Pictures : Tattoo Art : Tattoo Designs
Tao of Tattoos

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Declan_O_Reilly

Declan O Reilly - EzineArticles Expert Author

5 Hot Tattoo Styles

Body art and tattoos have become so popular now that people who would have ran the other way are exposing their skin to the tattooists needle. It is not uncommon to get a glimpse of some office worker in the boardroom sporting a sexy rose tattoo on her chest, floral design on her lower leg or even some tribal artwork tattoos on her lower back. This is a testimony that tattoos are becoming more and more acceptable in a corporate environment traditionally no go zones for any form of personal expression.

What are the hottest tattoo designs?

'New School' Style Tattoos. These are a modern version of the ol' sailor Jerry style of tattoos such as anchors and swallows. They are much brighter and more animated than their predecessors which look very flat in comparison. A lot of people especially females are asking for tattoos of swallows and anchors on their neck.

Japanese Kanji Tattoos. Japanese style tattoos are so popular amongst females who are going for "full sleeve" style tattoos depicting Japanese characters such as koi or carp fish.

Floral and Love Heart Chest Tattoos. This style can look so sexy on a girl! There is a certain timeless look with these tattoos harking back to the good ol' days of the 1950's.

Star Tattoos. These have always been popular but more people are getting them done on visible places such as wrists and on the lower legs. Unsuprisingly Hollywood stars are lining up for the tattooists chair and demanding tattoos that reflect their lives.

Tribal Tattoos. Tribal tattoo designs have been around for hundreds of years but are becoming more and more complex and constantly evolving and morphing into what has become known as neo tribal tattoo styles. Tribal styles can be traditional 'black work' covering the arms or more colorful styles characterised by the 'Modern Primitive' look covering the entire body.

Tips for Getting Tattoos

Choose your tattoo carefully. Don't go for some off the wall 'flash' tattoo. A good tattoo artist loves doing 'custom pieces'.

Try not mix different tattoo styles such as Japanese and Tribal styles. It doesn't work!

Go to a reputable tattoo artist not some backstreet 'scratcher' who is cheap but you will inevitably regret later. Build a relationship with the tattoo artist if you plan of getting a lot of tattoos.

Take proper care especially of newer tattoos. As summer approaches a lot of people get tattooed and can't wait to flash them off. Be careful that you do not expose your new tattoos to too much sun which will fade them.

Review different styles of tattoos and view pictures of tattoos in Tao of Tattoos new galleries. Subscribe for FREE to 'Kinky Ink' ezine for the kinkiest tattoos and coolest people. Strictly for those with a serious fetish for body art and tattoos!

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Cool Tattoos

Practitioners admit it hurts like hell and speech is initially difficult, but claim that the surprise factor of sticking out their tongues at unwary persons is worth the effort.

For those seeking out cool tattoos getting the tongue tattooed might be too much. Circus carny and graphic designer Curtis McMurty is the person credited with developing a specially patented Tongue-Dyed Tattoo™ technology.

And McMurty's innovation doesn't stop with the visual. He claims the new technique has the same durability as any regular tattoo, but has the added aspect of eliciting a specific taste to go with the design. "They come in chocolate, vanilla and garlic. If you really want to shock a person's sensibilities, go for the garlic — you won't be disappointed."

"I've always been unique. My friends say I'm 'touched.' Now I'm twice as unique!" — Egrett Emry, tongue tattooer

The first person to have the procedure done was Egrett Emry, who has a depiction of vomit it was a toss-up between that and an "Eat Me" graphic). Emry's roommate acknowledged that Emry's first week after getting it done has been "a real tongue twister. He really sucks at taking phone messages."

Emry later noted in an email interview that, "I've always been unique. My friends say I'm 'touched.' Now I'm twice as unique. If scientists could grow another tongue on me through stem cells, I'd totally tattoo that one, too. Hey, I'm a no-hold-the-bar kinda risk-taking guy."

Emry added that so far all food tastes like burnt flesh. "Don't get me wrong, I've never actually tasted burnt flesh, but I think we all agree on what we think it must taste like, you know?"

About two dozen Californians have supposedly received tongue tattoos at McMurty's parlor in East L.A. In terms of safety, initial research shows that it's no more harmful than swallowing small droplets of mercury.

And in terms of imagery, well, the sky's the limit. McMurty was contacted recently by some Portland, Ore., teenagers who want to tattoo the Nike corporate swoosh on their tongues, "to speak out about the omnipresence of corporate greed."

"It can certainly be shocking," admitted Emry, describing how he surprised his dentist when he went in for a routine check-up. "The poor guy said, 'Open up.' So I did — and I swear he fell over backwards when I stuck it out at him. I guess the general public will find this sort of thing hard to swallow."

Female Tattoos - What Women Want

Women are increasingly opting for large tattoos. 'New school' hearts, stars, roses and tribal tattoo designs on the lower back are increasingly being asked for by females. Women are definitely becoming more experimental in the shapes and sizes of their designs.

Stereotypes and the stigma associated with tattoos prevented women from feeling confident with a tattoo up until even a decade ago. They don't want to be told what they can and cannot do. 40 or 50 years ago 10 percent of people with tattoos were women. Now it's close to 65 percent.

A lot of tattooists report that when musicians, especially hip-hop artists get tattoos, there is usually an influx of clients wanting that particular tattoo.The popularity of lower back and stomach placement of tattoos suggests that most women still don't want their tattoos to be too noticeable and also a desire for a more sexual placement of the tattoo.

See Erotic Tattoos and Hip Hop and Rapper Tattoos for further reading.

When it comes down to it, its what makes you feel good. Its going to be around for quite a while so you may as well choose a tattoo that has lasting appeal. There are so many good tattoo designs and custom pieces a tattoo artists can do nowadays so don't be tempted to get some cartoon character such as Betty Boop 'off the wall' which will date really fast and end up looking tacky.

Tattoos - Designs, Galleries & Free eZine
Tao of Tattoos

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Caring for Tattoos

Before You Get a Tattoo

Make sure the tattoo parlor is clean and safe. Remember, the artist is going to be sticking needles into your skin, so be picky about the tattoo parlor you choose.

The artist should use a brand new, sterile needle with every tattoo. Ask the artist to go through the entire procedure with you, including all of the tools to be used and the specific design. If the artist looks annoyed, go somewhere else. All other tools involved must be sterile. Everything should be personally laid out just for your tattoo, for example: single use disposable ink bottles. The artist should wear latex gloves and apply Vaseline on the new tattoo with a disposable instrument - NOT BY HAND!

Select the design. Think about it carefully. Will you love that in a year, five years, ten years? Don't get a name that you may want to hide in years to come. Children and parent's names are safe.

Talk to the artist about how you want the design to look - with shading and color. Show them samples and talk to them about color. Even medium dark skin can get color but remember that no matter what your skin tone is, two layers of your own natural (or sun tanned) skin color will cover the finished product. So you may want to pick really bright colors so they heal out good on dark skin. Orange may heal to be a bright red.

Make sure you skin is in good condition. A few days prior to the day you plan on getting your tattoo prepare your skin. Drink plenty of water so your skin is well hydrated. Use a good lotion a few times a day. Do not drink alcohol the day before or the day of getting your ink because that will cause excessive bleeding when getting your tattoo. Do not tan or get too much sun prior to when you will get ink.

Caring for Tattoos

The important things to remember:

* Vitamin E oil 24-hours a day for one week.

* No hot water on the tattoo for one week

* No soap on the tattoo for one week.

* No sun on the tattoo for one week.

* No chlorinated pool or hot tub water for one week

* Please consult your own doctor & tattoo artist for more help.

Methods of Tattoo Removal

There are several excellent methods of tattoo removal available today. The method that the physician chooses will depend upon the size of the tattoo and its location as well as the length of time it has been on the skin.

* Excision

* Dermabrasion

* Laser

* Salabrasion

Regardless of which method of tattoo removal is used, some scarring or color variations are likely to remain. Healing time varies depending upon the size and depth of the tattoo, the procedure used and the healing process.

Celtic Tattoos and Their Popularity

The history of the Celtic peoples goes back thousands of years. The early Celts displayed their skills in complex artwork particularly metal, jewelry and weapons as they were regarded as fierce warriors by the Romans. Evidence of celtic crossses and celtic artwork can still be found all over Ireland.

Modern Celtic peoples have evolved symbols for themselves, and in the North American people of Celtic descentoften wear these symbols to show that they are of Celtic descent. The ancient Celts passed knowledge down through an oral tradition of storytelling and didn't keep many written records, consequently, there is little evidence of their tattooing remaining even though celtic cross tattoos and celtic know tattoos are very popular designs.

Most of Celtic tattoo designs are taken from the Irish Illuminated Manuscripts 'The Book of Kells', on display in the library of Trinity College in Dublin, my home town. This is a much later time period than the height of Celtic tattooing. Designs from ancient stone and metal work are more likely to be from the same time period as Celtic tattooing.

Celtic knot tattoos are usually loops with no end or beginning symbolising the never ending cycle of death and rebirth. Celtic animal (zoomorphic tattoo designs) designs are similar in construction but the cords terminate in feet, heads, tails. Pure knots are usually unending, unless the end of a strand is stylized into a zoomorphic element or a spiral.

Celtic knotwork’s meaning defies literal translation and is to be found at a deeper level. The repeated crossing of the physical and the spiritual are expressed in the interlace of the knots. The never ending path of the strands may represent the permanence and the continuum of life, love and faith and for these reason celtic tattoos have become so popular.

For people who have a Celtic heritage, whether Irish, Scots or Welsh , getting a Celtic design can be a way of expressing pride in their heritage by reaffirming an affinity the indigenous artistic style of their ancestors. They are usually not easy designs to do, and it is strongly recommended to anyone contemplating getting one to make sure that the artist they are considering has experience in designing Celtic tattoos. Not all tattoo artist have the eye for detail and exacting line placement needed to draw the intricate patterns particular to Celtic art.

Do not Let Your Kanji Tattoo Get Lost In Translation

Thinking of getting a kanji tattoo or kanji jewelry? Then arm yourself with this information before you buy anything. It may be the difference between being cool and national humiliation.

What? National humiliation? Well OK, national humiliation is an unlikely outcome, but an article in the March 1st, 2005 Washington Post Express shows that the possibility is there. "Lost in Translation" looked at the real dangers facing the unwary consumers who get kanji tattoos.

I am not joking when I say “real dangers”. But neither am I referring to unhygenic tattooing practices. What I am talking about is toe-curlingly appalling linguistic blunders. Specifically, I mean kanji combinations like these:

- Extremely Military Affairs Stopping
- Crazy Diarrhea
- Weird (tattooed on one B. Spears)

Yes, these are phrases that real people (yes, Britney Spears is a real person) actually have had tattooed into their skin.

To be honest, I am not entirely surprised at these and other errors. After all, I have seen many reversed images of kanji being offered for tattoos, and kanji jewelry that simply did not mean anything like it was supposed to.

One necklace, I remember, had the kanji for “road” on it - although the poor owner had been told it meant love. I guess her love hit the road and didn't come back no more, no more, no more, no more....

As Tian Tang puts it in the Post:

"People ask, 'I got the tattoo, can you tell me what this means? And I'm like, 'Why didn't you do this before you got that tattoo?'"

Yes, you would think that would be the obvious thing to do – especially if you are getting something permanent like a kanji tattoo. So how can you make sure you don’t end up a national laughingstock?

First of all, make sure you know something about the Japanese language. Check out the copious information at sites like japanese.about.com and in five minutes you will know more about kanji, hiragana and katakana than most of the people already walking around with it tattooed into their skin.

Next, remember that there is often no such thing as an exact translation. Basic nouns are one thing – a table is a table is a table, after all. But abstract concepts, like Semper Fidelis (the motto of the US Marine Corps), can be notoriously difficult to translate well.

Once you have grasped this background material, you are ready to meet with the tattoo artist. That’s right – meet. Don’t get anything done yet. At first you just want to talk. Specifically, you want to find out how familiar he or she is with the issues mentioned above. If after an hour or so on the internet you know more about Japanese than your tattoo artist, then you need to be very careful about kanji she suggests.

So what can you do if your tattoo artist doesn’t know his kanji from his katakana? How do you go about getting the kanji yourself?

Well if you are confident in your new-found kanji knowledge, then there are a number of online dictionaries that can help.

Otherwise I would recommend getting a translation from - Japanese-Name-Translation.com A good translator will be able to offer you a number of different options as well as explaining the exact meaning and pronunciation of the different kanji. They should also be able to offer you a number of different styles, from basic kanji calligraphy fonts to genuine Japanese shodo calligraphy.

At the end of the day, how you decide to go about getting your kanji tattoo is up to you. Just remember that preparation is the key to making sure your kanji tattoo doesn’t get “Lost in Translation”.

About the Author

Stephen Munday lives in Japan. He works for Provide Cars, who buy cars at japanese car auctions and sell them to japanese car importers around the world. This article is (c) Stephen Munday 2005. Permission is given to reproduce this article in whole with the URLs correctly hyperlinked.

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Five Must-Knows When Getting a Kanji Tattoo

Japanese tattoos are cool. But if a personal translator is out of your league how can you avoid becoming a kanji fashion victim and get stuck with a tattoo you will really regret?

1. Know the difference – hiragana, katakana and kanji

Before you talk to your tattoo artist, make sure you know what you are talking about. You say you want a Japanese tattoo, but what do you know about Japanese characters? You need a quick stint in 2-minute Japanese boot camp.

First off, let’s be clear that there is no Japanese “alphabet”. There are three sets of Japanese characters – hiragana, katakana and kanji – and each group has its own history, function and style. Get your head around these facts and you will already know more than 99% of the people walking around with Japanese tattoos right now:

Hiragana – These simple, rounded characters represent sounds, but have no independent meaning. They were developed by women in the Heian period and are still considered feminine by Japanese people.

Katakana – Developed by Buddhist monks around the same time as hiragana, these are simple, angular characters that also represent sounds and have no meaning of their own. You saw them cascading down the screen in Matrix (although they were backwards!)

Kanji – Originally from China, these characters are like pictures, representing a meaning and also several different sounds depending on the situation.

Just reading this has probably given you an idea of which style you might like for your tattoo – but don’t stop just yet! Now you know what kinds of Japanese characters there are, let’s move on to…

2. Writing styles

Come a bit closer. Lean forward towards the screen. That’s right. Now, look at the words in front of you. Take a good, close look at the shapes of these letters. OK? Now tell me honestly: Would you want a tattoo in Times New Roman? How about Tahoma? What’s that? You don’t want a tattoo by Canon or Epson? Sure you don’t. And in the same way, you don’t want to have your Japanese tattoo looking like a printout either!

So, now we move on to writing styles. Just like there are three kinds of Japanese characters, there are also three ways they can be written. Don’t worry. This is easy! I know, you are thinking that you can’t even read Japanese, so how on earth will you be able to recognize these different styles? Well, try this:

Kaisho – Block letters. You learned to write your ABCs like this, and Japanese kids learn to write their characters in just the same way: Like a Volvo – boxy but good.

Gyousho – Cursive letters. You moved up to middle school and learned you could write faster by letting the parts of some letters flow into the next. Yes, you guessed it - the Japanese do the same thing, and they call it gyousho.

Sousho – Super-cursive letters. Ever seen a prescription from a doctor? Then you know what sousho is like in Japanese: Sure, the writer or some other trained person can (probably) read it, but no one else has a clue what it says!

Are you getting the picture? If you want to look like a computer printout, then be my guest and go for the kaisho style. That’s your choice. But I think you probably want to use either gyousho or sousho for your tattoo. My personal preference would be gyousho: It’s stylish, but it won’t leave even native speakers baffled.

3. Real or fake?

Remember I mentioned Mel C at the beginning? Well guess what kanji she got tattooed on her arm? That’s right – “Girl Power”: Great in English, but show this kanji combination to most Japanese people and you’ll get a blank look at best. Want a worse example? Try “big daddy”. Now, you know what it means in English, but put it into kanji and you end up with “large father”! It just doesn’t work.

I’m sure you remember that kanji are the only characters that have meaning as well as sound. And their beauty means that they are what most people want for their tattoos. But watch out: As well as being popular, they can also be the most dangerous!

Let’s see if we can find a pattern here: Look carefully at the examples above. What are they communicating - concrete concepts or abstract ideas? Can you see the difficulty the translators had? The kanji for “dragon”, “samurai”, “love” or any other concrete ideas are pretty easy to discover. But go for anything with an idiomatic meaning and whoever is trying to help you translate it is going to get a major headache!

Just an idea, but how about this suggestion: Rather than trying to force a round English peg into a square Japanese hole, why not find a real Japanese phrase that you like and get that instead? Bushidou (the Way of the Warrior) and Ninjutsu (The Art of Stealth) are two good examples of real Japanese terms that would make great tattoos.

4. Your name in Japanese

As I’m sure you remember from 2-minute Japanese boot camp, katakana are the characters usually used to write foreign words and names. So, if you want to get a tattoo of your name, technically these would be the characters you would choose. But I am guessing that, like most people, you want your name written in kanji.

Do a quick search on Google and you can find a number of sites that specialize in translating names into kanji. Basically there are two different methods that these sites use, so let’s look at them here.

Translating the meaning

This method involves finding out the original meaning of the English name, and then researching the kanji equivalent.

For example, my name has its origins in Greek and means “crowned one”. The one who is crowned is the king, so I could translate my name into the kanji for king and call myself ohsama. (Perhaps a little pretentious – and disturbingly similar to Mr. Bin Laden’s first name!)

Translating the sound

This is a lot more difficult! Flick through a dictionary and you will find a bunch of kanji that can be combined to sound like your name. But sound isn’t everything: Remember that kanji have meaning as well. In fact, it is even more complex than this! Be sure to check each of the following factors with anyone who translates your name like using this method:

1. Sound – Does it sound like your name or not? I have seen my name “translated” on certain websites to sound like Stefan. Shame my name (Stephen) is actually said the same as Steven!

2. On-yomi and kun-yomi – Yes, more technical words! But don’t panic – they are easy to understand: Basically, kanji have two kinds of reading. One kind, on-yomi, is their original Chinese sound. The other, kun-yomi, is their Japanese-only sound. What to watch is that (like oil and water) on-yomi and kun-yomi don’t mix. Use either all on-yomi reading or all kun-yomi readings to make the sound of your name.

3. Meaning – Do the kanji have a good meaning together? Now, it can be very difficult to find kanji that sound right and have a good meaning, so you may need to compromise a little on one of these.

4. Masculine or feminine – I guess this is more like a sub-category of meaning, but it is something you need to check out to avoid embarrassment. For example, while “Asian Beauty” may be a great combination for a woman, I get the feeling most men would not be too happy about having that permanently written into their skin!

5. If in doubt, check!

First, use your new-found knowledge of Japanese to ask a few difficult questions to your tattoo artist or kanji “specialist”. If you get the feeling they don’t know what they are talking about, you probably want to look elsewhere.

Next, before you get anything permanent done, use an online dictionary to check whether the Japanese really means what you want it to. You may not be able to input Japanese yourself, but you can copy and paste characters from an email or web page and see what they mean.

Finally, if you are lucky enough to know any, ask a Japanese person what they think. Their confused expression may tell you that you have come up with another “big daddy”!

Follow this advice and you will avoid the most dangerous pitfalls of Japanese tattoos and get a kanji tattoo you can be proud of.

Stephen Munday lives in Japan. He works for Provide Cars, who buy cars at japanese car auctions and sell them to japanese car importers around the world. This article is (c) Stephen Munday 2005. Permission is given to reproduce this article in whole with the URLs correctly hyperlinked.

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