Bull Tattoos and Symbolisms - A Closer Look at Bull Tattoo Art

It is surprising that although different cultures throughout the world each have unique sets of beliefs and traditions, there are still some overlapping elements that seem to unify the entire human race. One such element is the symbolisms attached to certain animals like the bull. The bull is depicted in different forms depending on the racial perspective. It can be seen plowing the field, bathing in a river, leisurely grazing the grass or standing tall while being worshipped as a pagan god. The bull is an epitome of a lot of things, thereby making it one of the most prominent images in tattoo designs. Bull tattoo art has certainly made a niche in the field of tattooing.

Typically, the bull is considered a masculine emblem which why lots of men have bull tattoos. But the bull is actually a symbol of opposing things. It has both male and female connotations. It can be both fierce and gentle. Strength, power, and authority are the most common traits associated with the bull. However, in some religious belief systems, the bull also signifies fertility, patience and a nurturing character. Concepts for bull tattoo art designs primarily depend on which side of the bull best describes or represents the person getting the tattoo.

Bull tattoo art basically works around the features of the bull. In ethnic groups where tattooing is still considered a rite of passage, it is most likely to find the bull in a tattoo drawn in its natural form. In commercial tattooing this is not the case. People are freer to use their creativity. Usually, the bull's head or the skull form is the focal point of bull tattoo art. Emphasis on the eyes and the nose of the bull is done through the use of colors and drawing techniques. Modifications on the length and curvature of the horns are also being done to create a fierce image.

Accessories like nose rings, necklaces, and eyebrow piercings are a part of bull tattoo art. Also, images of the earth's natural elements are featured in the designs. Flames and water waves become background images for the raging bull. To create a softer impression, flowers, smoke, or Celtic knots may be used to form the background of the image. Essentially, bull tattoo art is a matter of personal aesthetic just like any type of tattoo art. The best tattoo is always the design that best exudes the personality of the individual.

Japanese Tattoo Art - How Has it Evolved Over the Centuries

When it comes to Japanese tattoo art, you either get it or you don't. This is especially true when it comes to Kanji tattoo. Some people see their worth and some people see them as nothing more than characters. If you can appreciate the value of Japanese art and lettering, then you will find plenty of tattoo designs that you really like.

What is the history behind Japanese tattoo art?

This art has been around for several centuries. It's believed that the earliest Japanese settlers had facial tattoos. Throughout the centuries, the art evolved a great deal. it was often customary for the tattooed images to have a lot of details. Intricate details is something that is still present in many designs today. In the early nineteenth century, six very unique and intricate designs were created by Kuniyoshi Utagawa, and they represented the Heroes of Suikoden. They were similar to Robin Hood, and each of the tattoo designs showed a part of their stories.

There were a few centuries during which most people associated tattoos with negativity. Many people believed during those times that only prisoners got tattoos. Obviously, that belief changed somewhat when warriors started getting tattoos. And now, since the rest of the world has become intrigued by Japanese tattoo art, more people from Japan are accepting it as more than just an underground phenomenon. While there is still some negativity towards the art, it is becoming tolerated by more people.

These designs are quite extraordinary when you take a good look at them. Everything from the simplest Kanji character to the huge, sprawling design is fascinating to look at. They contain fine lines, vivid colors, and unique patterns. You need to look at more than just the design itself---you have to look for the meaning.

The Tribal Ordinary Tattoo Design

Tribal tattoos are generally influenced by tribal art from native and indigenous tribes. The tribal tattoo art comes from the older tribes such as the Celtics (Ireland, Scotland, & Wales), the Maori Tribe (indigenous people of New Zealand), the North American Tribal, the African Tribal, the Marquesan (Polynesian inhabitants of the Marquises Islands) and the tribes of Borneo.

Celtic Tattoo Art

Celtic tattoo art come from Ireland. Celtic knot tattoos are some of the most popular and most common designs, featuring loops with no end that symbolize a never ending cycle of dying and rebirth. There are also Celtic cross and animal tattoo designs as well

Mori Tribal tattoo Art

The Maori, the aborigines of New Zealand, call their tribal tattoo "Moko" and Mori art is incredible to behold. 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 chieftainship.

North American Tribal Art

There are many Indian tribes in North America and many different traditions for tribal tattooing. It was very common for tattoos to denote rank within the tribe. Take the Illinois Indians for example. It was quite common for weapons of war to be tattooed upon the men and it is suggested by some that the women received tattoos of tools used for labor. The tools of war outranked the tools of labor. This was, to the best of my knowledge, their tradition. They seemingly kept their practices to a minimum.

Samoa Tribal tattoo art

The Samoan tribal tattoo was done with a carved boar tusk, sharpened with a piece of coral, attached to a turtle shell, and then affixed to a stick. This tool is used to carve the designs into the flesh by tapping it against the skin and then a mixture of candle nut soot and sugar water is rubbed into the resulting wound.

Marquesan Tribal tattoo art

Sea-faring Polynesians from Samoa colonized the Marquises Islands as early as 300 A.D. They were warring tribes who sometimes cannibalized their enemies. Marquesan art is very uncommon. Most tribal tattoos are done with one specific object and the size variation is minimal. This is not so with the Pacific.

African Tribal tattoo art

Tribes in Africa do not use pigment for tattooing, they cut the skin and either the wound is packed with a substance so that it becomes raised or it is rubbed with ash or sand until the wound rises up, then the scar is the tattoo.

Borneo Tribal tattoo Art

Borneo is the third largest island in the world. The Dayak people reside here for centuries, they believe that spirits are in everything around them. For this reason they believe that by tattooing an object or creature on them they can draw energy from these spirits.

While the tribal tattoo was originally used to identify members of specific tribes, represent battles fought, and to serve as the symbolization of social status, today tribal tattoo art is a popular fashion. a lot of people today choose various designs simply for aesthetic reasons. Some of the most popular designs include dragon, butterfly and suntribal tattoos. This tattoo can be put virtually anywhere on the body, The back and arms are usually the most common areas where people have them applied, but the ankle, calf, and chest are also used.

Lower Back Tribal Tattoos - Choosing the Best

The lower back is an excellent location for a tattoo. The area provides a fairly large canvass for the tattoo artist but is easily covered by your clothing when displaying a tattoo might be inappropriate. You can chose from a large number of beautiful designs. The only drawback is that you won't easily be able to admire your tattoo without a mirror.

Low cut jeans and bikinis make these tattoos especially popular with the ladies. While easily concealed on formal occasions or at the office, back tattoos are also easily displayed in less formal settings. Pictograms and floral designs are popular for these tattoos. Few men chose back tattoos, choosing to place their tattoos on the upper back. Women wear clothing that may show an upper back tattoo when they would prefer it not be visible which makes the lower back their ideal location.

The size of the area allows a great deal of flexibility in the design.

Popular designs include floral designs, celtic knotwork, picture designs with people or animals, and occasionally tribal art. Tribal art, with its bold black lines tends to be more popular with men than women. You can choose a tattoo for just the center of the back, or one that goes from hip to hip. Many lower back tattoos are triangular in shape.

Among the animal images, dolphins are very popular. Lower back tattoos are often chosen by women who have an affinity for the beach because dolphins are a symbol of the sea. Butterfly designs are another top pick whether for a smaller center tattoo or a large design.

Some women prefer dragons with sinuous lines. Fairies and roses and occasionally hearts can all be used in lower back tattoos. The tattoos can be a picture which relates a story, or simply an attractive design.

In addition to being easily displayed or covered, the lower back is often chosen as the location for a tattoo by women because of its sex appeal. Men often find a woman's hips or buttocks to be sexually attractive, and a lower back tattoo calls attention to those areas. Men who have tattoos on the lower back generally extend them well above the waist, while women keep them below the waist.

Wherever you get a tattoo, make sure you like the design. It will be with you for a long time. Don't chose a design that's too trendy, it will be out of fashion next year and you'll still have the same tattoo. It's unwise to use husband's or boyfriends names in your tattoo.

Tattoos are created with needles that penetrate your skin and for that reason, they carry a risk of infection. It is important that you care for your tattoo for about a week after it is applied. Your tattoo artist will tell you how to clean and dress your tattoo and with lower back tattoos, you may need someone to help you since it is an awkward area to reach by yourself.

There are lots of designs available for lower back tattoos. Check out online tattoo websites and your local tattoo artist's portfolio before making your choice. You may opt to create your own unique design by combining ideas from several designs. Chose a design you love now and will love in the future.

The Love of Vine Flower Tattoo Designs of Both Men and Women

Vine flower tattoo designs are terrific for creativity of both the wearer and the artist. These beautiful tiny plants are also a symbol of growth, re-growth and harmony. However, the meaning does tend to vary depending on which type of vine you use.

One of the most commonly seen vine tattoos is of the ivy plant. To the Druids the ivy was seen as a symbolization of purpose; to Christians it is a symbol of man's debility, and his need to cling for support. Most ivy vine flower tattoos designs are done in a coiling style up a leg or arm, you may even now and then see this style growing up the back and shoulders. Granted that ivy is a notoriously good cultivator, you could try something a little uncommon, like wrapping it around a statue, cross, or the legs, hips and arms of a pin up girl. You could even use a individual leaf, or whole vine of poison ivy to intend both beauty and danger.

Some folks favour a wider mixture of color for their vine tattoos. For this you could use large clumps of fiery red Virginia creeper over a broad area of the body; soft sprouts of purple, red, and pink and white sweet pea; or a creeping kudzu with its royal blue, or dark purple, and tail-like blossoms. given the vast array usable, your vine tattoos can be an burst of colors, and feature any combination of these plants; they can be done in stripes down the back, they can be mingled together, or located in their own private part of the body.

Vine flower tattoo designs can be either straight forward, or elaborate. Many individuals choose a monotone technique, sometimes with just a sprinkle of color on the flower. These are often done in short, discreet patterns; a few loose tendrils from a grapevine (a symbolization of abundance), and maybe even a little, purple bunch of the fruit alongside of it. Additional people like to form broad scenes with their vine tattoos; possibly creating an Edenic garden, with angelic creatures walking through the variety of vines. This plant is also commonly used as borders or platforms to additional images, and every now and then even texts, such as poems, quotes and book passages.

While vine tattoos can depict a simple, green plant creeping up and around an appendage, they can also be used as part of an unique picture. What's more is that you will never be short of significance and symbolism when you use these gorgeous plants in your art.

World Tattoo Designs

World Tattoo Designs

Tattoos-Popular Tattoo Designs for Girls

Girls are always asking me what tattoos they should get or what I think are the hottest tattoos for girls. Unfortunately there is no clear cut answer simply because there are as many different types of tattoos are there are girls. What one person might find sexy another might consider unattractive or very unfeminine.

Certain styles of tattoos might not suit the image you want to project. For example certain work environments may not accept highly visible tattoos even though tattoos are becoming more and more accepted. It may be wise to hold off getting that sacred heart tattoo emblazoned across your chest if your boss is going to flip out if (s)he sees it!

So in saying that what I hope to do in this short article is offer my insight and experience within the tattoo industry for the past 9 or 10 years and point out the current tattoo trends and what the most popular styles of tattoos are for girls. At the end of the day you want a tattoo that has lasting appeal and not a tattoo that was done on a whim. If I give you some good ideas for your next tattoo all the better...

Trends come and go. What was cool ten years ago is no longer cool. In the nineties certain types of tattoos such as cartoon characters like Betty Boop, barbed wire armbands and dolphins were in. Looking at them now they appear very cheesy and basic.

Tattoo art has come such a long way in the past few years even. Certain styles of tattoos have become perennial and have risen to a point where they are getting the respect and acknowledged they deserve for their intricacy and artistry.

Styles as diverse as Japanese tattoos, Indian/Hindu tattoos, Anime, Traditional American and Floral designs are raising the bar higher and higher and becoming increasingly popular.

Alongside that is the fact that people are beginning to see their skin as a human canvas and not just settling for random tattoos placed haphazardly on a part of the body that is hidden. Nowadays more and more girls are getting larger tattoos and more of them.

This may explain the popularity of Japanese tattoos. In traditional Japanese tattoos each character has a meaning and interacts with the other tattoo designs as part of the whole.

The same is true for Traditional American tattoos. Previously what were once done as individual tattoos from disparate elements of American culture are now being woven into an organic and is more like a story unfolding.

Top Five Most Popular Tattoos for Girls

Irezumi - Traditional Japanese tattoos - More and more girls are asking for large tattoo designs such as koi fish, dragons on their hips, back and arms.

Traditional American tattoos - Old school 'Sailor Jerry' tattoos and images such as classic American cars, pin-ups, swallows and nautical stars are becoming more popular on girls chests, abdomen, back and legs.

Floral tattoos - So many girls are getting flower tattoos as full sleeve tattoos or covering their entire back or legs with floral designs. Flower tattoo designs such as lotus flowers, peonies, orchids, chrysanthemums and flowering vines are the most popular.

Anime - Japanese animation has become massive and doesn't show any sign of disappearing any time soon. As a result Anime tattoos have become popular in the past five years or so. The only risk with Anime tattoo is that unlike other styles will probably age much quicker even though it looks great now.