Tattoo Designs

There are an enormous range of possibilities when it comes to tattoo design. Modern tattoos come in all different shapes and sizes, and modern techniques and equipment can produce incredible detail in any color that you want. The design of a tattoo often expresses something about the wearer. People tend to choose something that is important to them.

There are some designs which people ask for again and again when they are getting a tattoo done. The most popular designs at the moment include stars, angels, flowers, butterflies, and Chinese or Japanese Kanji symbols. Other scripts such as Hindi or Arabic can also make beautiful tattoos. It goes without saying that it is best to be clear on what these foreign characters actually mean before committing to have one tattooed on your body.

Many tattoos designs are associated with a particular meaning, whether this is a written one as with a Chinese character, a symbolic meaning that is generally recognized, or a private and personal meaning that other people will not understand. Many people spend a long time considering what design they will have. Getting a tattoo means putting yourself through a painful process and making a permanent change to your body, so it is no wonder that so much though is put into this. Tattoos have always held great meaning, in the tribal cultures that invented them and in the cultures which have adopted them. 18th century sailors, for example, used specific tattoo designs as badges of experience. Only those who had achieved certain feats, such as crossing the equator, would be allowed to wear a particular design.

Tattoos can be found on many different parts of the body, and in all different sizes. Some designs are shaped to the contours of the body, with their design varying according to how they are placed. The size and location of a tattoo will have a huge impact on what it says about the wearer. Some tattoos are designed to mark out the wearer from the crowd while others are more conservative, and may remain hidden under clothes for all or most of the day. People may get tattoos as a memorial to a loved one, or to mark a relationship. They might choose a unique design, or get one to match a friend.

There are trends in tattoos just as there are in fashion, with some people being influenced by what they see on TV or in magazines, while others are more attuned to the advances in tattoo art as new styles are invented. Recently there has been a revival of interest in tribal tattoos. Maori designs are popular, for example, with their bold, abstract patterns in pure black.

It is also possible to design your own tattoo, or to get someone to design one for you if your artistic skills are not up to the job. This allows a truly personal design to be developed, and means that you will not meet anyone else with exactly the same tattoo.