Upper Back Tattoos- An Ideal Introduction to Body Art

The human back makes an ideal canvas for a tattoo artist’s needles. If you are considering your first tattoo could do worse than to have it be an upper back tattoo. Why?

Upper back tattoos can range from small and simple to large and elaborate, and can stand alone or be the foundations for larger and more elaborate tattoo work if you like the outcome and want to add to it. Upper back tattoos are, more often than not, covered in indoor settings so they won’t be an issue in professional environments.

Women considering upper back tattoos will have to decide if their social life is a deterrent; backless formal gowns may be out of the picture once upper back tattoo enter it. But a small tasteful tattoo has found its way to many a female celebrity’s upper back, so the bias against female tattoos in upper social circles may be fading. Tank tops and bating suits will also be a giveaway for upper back tattoos, but in the casual environment at poolside they are not only accepted; they are often admired.

Any upper back tattoos you are considering should be a topic of conversation between you and your tattoo artist before you make any decisions. Placement is key, so that you can incorporate you design into a later full back tattoo if you so desire. At the same time, you don’t want you upper back tattoo to be so oddly positioned that it sticks out like a sore thumb.

You’ll also have to consider the amount of time you are accustomed to spending shirtless in the sun. You should be using sunscreen anyway, even if you don’t have tattoos, but sun exposure is a big contributor in the fading of tattoos. Your upper back tattoo is going to fade, because that is what tattoos do, but here’s no reason for you to speed the process simply because you neglect the sunscreen.

One big positive to having an upper back tattoo as you first is that they are much less prone to infection than tattoos in other areas. But you’ll still be responsible for following your tattoo artist’s after care directions, which will include periods of letting your tattoo be exposed to the air to help it dry. So consider the time of year when you get your tattoo; bring shirtless in January in your part of the world might get uncomfortable.

Nicolas Cage, with a top-hat wearing monitor lizard, David Beckham, with his son's name above a Crucifixion scene; LeBron James, with Chosen 1; Fabio Cannovaro, with his daughter’s name; Melanie Chisholm, with a phoenix; and Laura Headley, with a lotus blossom, are just a handful of celebrities who have chosen upper back tattoos to say something about themselves or the things that matter to them.

If you do an online search for upper back tattoo designs, you’re sure to be amazed at the variety of designs from small and simple to mind blowingly intricate, and somewhere among them find the one which is perfect for you!

Discover how to avoid being the one in four who Hate thier new Tattoo, including simple Tattoo safety tips, in our your free Tattoo Guide : -


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Japanese Tattoos- Way Beyond Flash

While the art of Japanese tattooing, or irezumi, is said have continued for a hundred centuries, the introduction of the Buddhist faith to Japan discouraged its widespread use. The Chinese, who brought Buddhism to Japan, abhorred the art of tattooing, and their influence made its way to the upper classes of Japan.

From the early seventeenth to late nineteenth centuries, during Japan’s Edo Period, Japanese tattoos were most often seen on Japanese prostitutes, who used them to entice customers; Japanese firemen were known for their remarkable horimono, or full body tattoos which were quite unlike any other tattoos in the world. The firefighters regarded their tattoos as signs of brotherhood and masculinity.

The other class of Japanese regularly tattooed during this period were criminals who for one hundred and fifty years were marked either with a tattooed ring, or tattooed character on the forehead, on the arm for each crime They may have resented being permanently marked, but prior to the introduction of tattooing, the usually means of identifying criminals was to amputate their noses or ears.

Japanese tattoos regained their popularity when a woodblock printed Chinese novel, “Suikoden,” illustrated with warriors bearing horimono of tigers, dragons, and flowers. The book was wildly successful with Japan’s lower classes, who began demanding similar tattoos.

But the only tattoo artists available were the woodblock printers themselves. Because the printers had no tools except the gouges and chisels with which they created their woodblocks, they used them and their special black ink which will change its color to a bluish green when it reacts with human skin.

All authentic Japanese tattoos are still applied by hand with “tebori”, groups of handmade needles attached to wooden or metal handles; it takes a great deal of practice to master the art of tattooing by hand. Having a “suit” of Japanese tattoos applied with tebori, as everyone who was tattooed in the mid-1800s did, was a time-intensive experience; an entire tattoo could take up to five years of weekly sessions to finish. As tebori are more likely to cause bruising than the tattoo machines widely used today, they were in many cases very painful years.

Japanese tattoos are rich in symbolism; one of the most popular is the koi fish, or carp, which can outlive many humans and represent endurance and wisdom. Dragons bring luck, and are often depicted with clouds or rivers and lakes, so necessary for the rice crops which have sustained the Japanese for thousands of years. Snakes add a negatic4e element to Japanese tattoos, and are included only when the artist can add peonies, cherry blossoms, or other flowers which bloom at the same time that snakes become active after the winter.

You may have to travel far and wide to find a tebori master to apply your Japanese tattoos, but you can find tattoos of traditional Japanese subjects at every tattoo parlor!

Discover how to avoid being the one in four who Hate thier new Tattoo, including simple Tattoo safety tips, in our your free Tattoo Guide : -

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Shoulder Tattoos- Easy on the Eyes and on the Budget

On the list of your thing to consider before deciding to get a tattoo, the kind of tattoo to get will undoubtedly be at the top. But right behind it will be where on your body you want your tattoo positioned. The size and shape of your tattoo, of course, will eliminate a lot of your positioning options, but one of the most popular places for tattoos, for a variety of reasons, is the shoulder.

Shoulder tattoos date back thousands of years to the Pacific and African tribes who used them as a means of identifying an individual’s tribe and rank within a tribe. hey were also used to commemorate battlefield accomplishments. There is even some thought that shoulder tattoos should represent whatever the wearer wants to carry through life, be it a relationship, a belief, or even a favorite flower.

Shoulder tattoos are great for those who want or need to cover their tattoos periodically, for work, school, or to keep a significant other happy. Unlike upper arm tattoos, shoulder tattoos don’t require you to wear long sleeves in the middle of a heat wave in order to avoid offending people, and unlike back tattoos, they don’t require you to go topless in order to show them off. A tank top is ideal.

If you’re concerned about the level of physical discomfort associated with getting a tattoo, the pain is usually proportionate to the amount, or of lack of, padding on the area being tattooed. Shoulder tattoos are generally considered, after upper arm tattoos, the least painful.

Another advantage of shoulder tattoos is their longevity. One of the realities of getting tattooed is that the location of a tattoo correlates directly to the length of time it keeps its brightness and definition. The two most important factors you should consider in positioning your tattoo for a long and eye catching life are how much sunlight it will receive and how much bending it will have to endure.

The less sunlight and tanning your tattoo is forced to undergo, the better, because this sun is a notorious fader of tattoo ink And the less bending it experiences, the less likely its inks are to “migrate,” and cause blurring of its details. Having shoulder tattoos, however, does not excuse their wearers from protecting themselves with sunscreen.

Another advantage of shoulder tattoos is that, as well as being some of the longest lasting, they are some of the easiest to do, and therefore, some of the least expensive. Location has always played a part in the cost of a tattoo, because some parts of the body are simply harder to access and work on, and will require frequent touch-up work, which is usually free.

The biggest positive abut shoulder tattoos, however, is that the contours of the shoulder lent themselves to some truly stunning tattoos. Floral garlands; shooting stars; never ending Celtic knots and dragons; or abstract tribal designs; in fact, any tattoos to which you’d like add a three dimensional look are all perfect ideas for shoulder tattoos!

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Nautical Star Tattoos - The Original Meaning

Nautical star tattoos have caused much controversy and heated discussion regarding the true meaning of the design. Over the years, many groups have attempted to tag the design with their own unique interpretation. In addition to the nautical connection, this popular tattoo design has been connected to the military, punk rockers, the lesbian community and the anti-racism movement in recent years.

But what are the origins of the nautical star tattoo? Where did it come from and what did it originally represent?

Almost everybody, without exception, accepts that sailors were the first group of people to wear nautical star tattoos.

In previous centuries, working at sea was a very dangerous and unpredicatable way of life. Sailors had very little to guide them at night, apart from the stars. And the one that they relied upon most was Polaris, or the North Star. As this star is positioned close to the north pole, it appears to be stationary at all times, unlike other stars which appear to move as time passes. This provided early sailors with a fixed reference point. And once they know where the North Star was, they could position their ships accordingly and be reasonably confident that they were going in the right direction.

Over time the North Star became a symbol for finding your way home safely and symbolically finding your way in life. But beyond that, as many sailors were deeply superstitious with a rich history of lore about life and death at sea, they were always looking for lucky charms. So many sailors began to place nautical star tattoos on their forearms or hands as a symbol of good luck and a desire to get home safely.

Skip forward through the centuries and the meaning of the nautical star tattoo has become broader. Not only is it a symbol of the sea, but also a sign of security and guidance for all sailors and travelers. It has also become a sign of following your dreams and achieving success in your life.

However, these is some disagreement concerning the design of the nautical star. Most people accept that the basic design of the nautical star is a five pointed star. But a minority of people claim that the nautical star represents the traditional design of a ship's compass. This consists of the four cardinal directions, North, South, East, West, and possibly the intermediate directions of North East, South East, South West and North West. So their idea of the nautical star is a four pointed design or even an eight pointed star.

Personally, I think that the five pointed star best represents the design of the nautical star tattoo, especially when you consider that on many nautical maps, north is shown by a compass style five pointed star.

But whatever style of design is selected, one thing is clear; the nautical star has had a long connection with naval tradition and was originally a symbol of finding your way home safely. And while other groups may attempt to link themselves to the use of the nautical star tattoo, the sailors of bygone centuries will always retain the distinction of representing the original interpretation of this iconic tattoo design.

For more information about star tattoos and ideas about a whole range of tattoo designs, visit Gustavo Gomez's site at SuperTattooDesigns.com


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Tattoo Designs The New Era

The New era in tattoo designs
Tattoos are more and more in style and when you are searching for tattoo designs you will find a new breed of tattoo artist that has been searching the world in search of inspiration to allow them to create these strikingly beautiful tattoo designs. These artisans are not your run of the mill paint by numbers tattooist they are the cream of the tattoo profession

In current times the tattoos encapsulating feeling, have been rediscovered. The time honoured western tattoo designs, which had nearly become extinct are now in huge demand once more, and are being re found by tattoo devotes.

Tattoo design and there origins
The oldest known tattoo is that found on a Bronze Age warrior who lived some five thousand three hundred years ago the remains were found in 1991 preserved in the ice of a glacier on the border of Austria and Italy. The preserved body had fifty-seven different tattoos, no one really knows their significance, it is possible that his intersecting and parallel lines are the earliest yet discovered example of tribal art tattoos.

As we know the talent of tattooing is as old as time itself, but the design style has continually evolved and grown and therefore increased its demand in popular culture. The tattoo revival started in the 1960s and during that period lots of the tattoo artists had done an art degree and had a broad vision of the art of tattooing and its potential.

Choosing an authentic design
A tattoo and its design, in my opinion is an extremely private thing, getting marked on the body is not something you should do without due consideration. I have witnessed dozens of folks go out, get a tattoo on a whim, and live to regret it.

Tattoo mistakes people make
Unless you are a total looser, you would never decide on a tattoo on a whim from the first place you see. You need to look around. You finally got the balls to get a tattoo. You are probably excited about the idea and can’t wait to go in to get inked for the first time

The chief choice you now have to make is with your design. Even if it is your first tattoo and you feel that you are just experimenting, extra precautions should be made. A tattoo design will live with you forever and this undertaking cannot be taken lightly at all.

Getting the perfect tattoo can be a painful process and I am not just talking about being inked. All the probing, the hassle of it all. Going from one tattoo place to another looking at their flash books and not seeing anything you like. On to the next tattoo parlour and then you have enough of all the crap, getting a tattoo was thought to be easy. Then you do the UNTHINKABLE you settle for something that is not quite right but you have that second rate tat anyway.

Don’t do it, as you have seen tattoos have a long and historic position in our society we have adorned our bodies for thousands and thousands of years. Getting the wrong tattoo is an insult to our long and glories heritage. Tattoos and their designs can actually be classed as a form human cultural identity they cross race sex and class barriers and form a large part of the cultural development of many races on this magnificent planet of ours.

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Everything You Need To Know About Chinese Symbol Tattoos

Chinese symbol tattoos are very popular today because they are really beautiful. And because most of us in the Western people cannot read Chinese symbol, Chinese symbol tattoos become an exotic form of expression.

My Name is Yingying and I am a Chinese Tattoo Artist. I have been providing custom Chinese tattoo translation and design service during the past three years. Western people sometimes ask me some questions when they are planning to get Chinese symbols tattoos.

I have listed some of the most FAQs as below. you may find the answers are very useful information if you are planning to get one soon.

Can anything be translated and written in Chinese symbols?
Yes, anything can be translated and written in Chinese symbols. Chinese has more than 4000 years history. The most ancient Chinese symbols called oracle were written on animal bones. Chinese is a fully developed writing system with over 70,000 symbols (characters), capable of recording all nuances of contemporary language.

What are the differences between kanji and Chinese symbols?
Kanji is the term for Chinese symbols that are used in the Japanese language. Kanji in Japanese are typically characters from the Chinese language that have been adapted to mean Japanese words. The meanings in Chinese and Japanese can be the same but pronounced differently, or they may have entirely different meanings.

Why do I need the custom designs for a Chinese tattoo?
Your tattooist needs the design as a clear reference while inking. If you get free translation from web or somewhere else, it is usually a small and blur image which can not be used for inking purpose. If the tattooist does use it for inking, then your Chinese tattoo is worse than do not have one at all. (You may find some vivid samples of both bad and good Chinese tattoos on my website). Comparing the free crap, the custom tattoo design is large clear image come with stencil outline which your tattooist will use it to ink a high quality Chinese symbol tattoo on your body.

Can one English word be translated into either one symbol or two symbols?
The answer is it depends on the English word to be translated. Some English words can be translated into either one symbol or two symbols. For example, beauty can be translated into either one or two symbols, and the meaning is the same. Whereas, some words must be translated into two symbols, hope is an example, there is no single Chinese symbol which can be express the meaning of hope.

Having your body inked can be a very rewarding experience which can last for the rest of your life. Many people who have Chinese symbol tattoos feel that they are very much symbolic representations of their inner feelings and personality. That is the power of choosing a Chinese symbol tattoo that represents your true self, so it is of the up most importance to select the Chinese Symbols perfect match the meanings you want to express through your tattoos.

Yingying is a Chinese tattoo artist, she provides custom Chinese Tattoo Translation and design service. View dozens of stunning photos of Chinese symbol tattoos by visiting her websit www.chinese-tattoos-designs.com and get inspiration to your own one!

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Free Tattoo Ideas

If you know that you want to get a tattoo, one of the best things about the decision can be deciding on what design you want. As exciting as this can be, it can also be extremely frustrating. There are so many designs out there, it can be hard to decide on one. Some people have an idea of what they want but can’t find any images to match it. Below are some great free tattoo ideas.

The greatest place to start getting ideas is from things that you like. Tattoos are permanent and so it’s very important to make sure that the tattoo says something about you, your personality, and what you love. Something that has special symbolism to you is also a great idea. If you take a minute and just think about what is important to you, you’re likely to come up with some great design ideas!

Once you have a general idea of what it is you want, you can go online and look through clipart to find an image of what you want. You may find some actual photos this way too and those are a great aid in your design search!

Using your own ideas and the clipart, try to sketch out a rough drawing of what it is you want. Even if you are not all that artistic, a tattoo artist will have a much better idea of what it is you are after. Take all of your materials with you when you go to the tattoo parlour. Many tattoo artists will then give you a design on paper with lines, colour, and shading to give both of you a better idea of what the design will look like.

Finding the perfect tattoo design for you can be a little bit frustrating. But with just a little bit of thought, doing some research, and showing the artist your sources, you can get exactly everything you want!

Discover the best online tattoo designs recommended by Ricky where you can choose, download and print over 10000 different tattoo designs. Click here for more information.

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How To Cover A Tattoo With Makeup

Many people these days have tattoos they wish they didn't. I am one of those people. I got my tattoos when I was only 17. Of course, I thought I knew everything about everything. What I didn't realize was that I would grow tired of my tattoos as I evolved from a rebellious teenager to a responsible wife and mom. So here I am, 30 years old with tattoos I hate. This led me to look for the best ways to remove and conceal my tattoos. I started Tattoo Disappear, a site devoted to the removal and concealing of unwanted tattoos.

At the present time, I cannot afford laser tattoo removal. It is simply too expensive and there are not any specialists in my area who do it. Therefore, my quest is to try and conceal the tattoos until I can get them permanently removed. If I can't see them and the rest of the world can't see them, I'm happy. The first makeup I ever used to cover a tattoo was Dermablend. I have also tried Tattoo Camo and Colortration. All of these makeups have their own advantages and disadvantages, so you may want to try them and see what works best for your skin.

When concealing a tattoo with makeup, it is absolutely crucial to get the right color for your skin. You may need to mix several colors together to get the perfect match. Some makeup actually darkens a bit when it dries, so test the makeup colors wet and dry. The area that you are going to conceal should be clean, dry and free of hair. I use a foundation brush to apply the makeup and blend with my fingers. Apply the makeup over the tattoo and slightly over the edges of the tattoo. Use your fingers or a sponge to blend and feather the edges so they look more natural. You may find that the first coat doesn't cover the tattoo. You may need to use two or three coats to get the coverage you want.

It is very important to apply thin coats rather than thick ones, and let each coat dry completely before applying the next one. I have found because of the composition of most tattoo coverup makeup choices out there, drying takes awhile so be patient. After you're happy with the finished product, you need to set the makeup so that it doesn't rub off easily. You can use a translucent setting powder made for body makeup, or try a barrier spray like the one made by Mehron.

No makeup is completely transfer proof. You may find that the makeup does rub off onto your clothes. And it may not stay put in chlorinated water for long periods of time. That does not mean that it is not long wearing -- it is. You should get hours of coverage after an application of body makeup. When you're ready to remove your tattoo cover-up makeup, use a good makeup remover designed for taking off body makeup.

Angela Harris is a writer on a quest to remove and conceal her unwanted tattoos. If you are looking for more information about tattoo removal of all kinds including laser removal, TCA peel removal and tattoo removal creams, check out Tattoo Disappear at http://www.tattoodisappear.com Here you will also find plenty of information about concealing unwanted tattoos with makeup.


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