Here's a new video of a site that provides a huge selection of tattoo designs to help you choose your next tattoo design. Tattoo ideas to print and take to your favorite tattoo artist.
Tattoo Designs: March 2009 Archives
Question: "Why are some tattoos so sharp and others are so fuzzy? My late wife had a
rose tattooed on her breast and 3 years later when she died it was still as sharp as
if it had been painted on. The black outline was still crisp, and the greens, reds,
oranges and yellows were still unfaded. On the other hand those blue navy tattoos
look like water paint that has been left out in the rain."
Answer: There are actually many reasons why some tattoos may fare better or worse than others over time. One of those reasons is the depth in which the ink was placed. The deeper the ink goes, the more fuzziness and spreading is likely to result.
Another possibility is changes in the body of the person wearing the tattoo. Weight gain, weight loss, and just natural aging (which also results in the thinning of the skin) can all contribute to a gradual loss of sharpness.
The most common cause of tattoo ink spread is time. A slight increase in line thickness is not only normal but expected, which is why most tattoo artists won't do finely detailed designs with lines close together because those lines will eventually spread and mash together, creating an ugly blob. Your wife only had her tattoo for 3 years and even thought it still looked great, I'll bet that if you compared it closely with a photo of when it was fresh and new, you would find some softening of the lines.
The blue navy tattoos you've seen are typically at least 30 to
50 years old. Not only does time factor into the appearance of those
tattoos, but the quality of ink and the artistry back then all played a
part. The finesse required for fine, detailed tattoos was non-existent
during the earlier days of assembly-line tattooing. Tattoo inks were
also crude and black ink contained bits of metal that oxidized over
time and turned different hues of green and blue. So, those old blue
Navy tattoos you're seeing were black at first, but they come from a
time when tattooing was much less about art and more about making a
statement.
source: 1
When you think of a tattoo what comes to mind? A sailor with an anchor on his arm, cartoon looking characters, Old English script? If you said yes to any of these then it's about time you expand your mind and open up to what a tattoo can really be. With a good tattoo artist anything is possible, limited only by your imagination.
Old School Tattoos
What is an old school Tattoo? Old school means exactly what the name implies, old. These are traditional designs very common on tattoo flash sheets. If your grandpa got a tattoo while he was in the military it's an old school tattoo. Other common forms of old school tattoos are simple flowers, hearts with banners, various script writing, among other similar simple designs.
New School Tattoos
Just as old school mean old, new school tattoos are relatively new in design. New school tattoos can be drastically out of proportion, using a lot of foreshadowing creating the feeling that the tattoo is coming out of the skin. You will find that new school tattoos have movement in the subject matter. Some common examples of new school tattoos would be claws coming out of the skin, comic book style characters and scenes, various three dimensional designs, etc.
Portrait - Reality Tattoos
A portrait tattoo is exactly what the name implies it is a rendering of an actual photograph. It is common for people to get pictures of their kids or loved ones as well as scenes from their favorite movie. I have also included reality tattoos which include realistic looking animals or objects. The beauty about a portrait tattoo is that no one else will ever have that same tattoo even if they would get the same movie scene on their arm the artist rendering of it will be different for each tattooist.
There are some great portrait tattooist out there but there are even more poor ones. Be sure to do your research on your tattooist previous work before embarking on a portrait tattoo. There is nothing worse then a horrible looking portrait on your body.
A Tattoo Is A Form Of Self Expression
A tattoo should be as individual as the person who will be wearing it. There is no excuse for having a tattoo that you aren't happy with just because you got a deal on it. The cost to have a custom tattoo drawn by a qualified tattoo artist is well worth the money you will spend for a lifetime of enjoyment knowing that no one else has your tattoo.
When thinking about your next tattoo, think outside the box and remember you are only limited by your imagination.
source: 1
Samoan Legend About TattoosThe legend says that one day two Samoan twin girls from Manu'a traveled to Fiji to learn the art of tattooing. Upon their return to Samoa one of the girls sang a song with the words: When a male grows up, tattoo him. When a woman grows up, let her bear children. Although women can also get tattoos that are less elaborate, it became custom for the male to undergo the intensive tattoo operation. The operation is a long process that can take up to 2 - 3 months to complete. It is said to help men to appreciate the labor pains involved with childbirth.
source: http://www.samoancenter.org/pages/cu_faasamoa.html
Here is a list of the most common tattoo designs and their meanings
Anchors
They are the synonymy for the everlasting sailors love.
Angels
In the beginning of this century the angel symbolized hope.
Bars
Bars showed, in the beginning of this century, the days a criminal had to serve in prison. Similar to dots
Cats
This animal symbolizes the extremes of our own nature. Warmth and sense of family on one hand and untamed nature on the other.
Children
A symbol for for innocence and low-brow joy.
Dots
In the beginning of this century dots showed, similar to bars, the days a criminal had to serve in prison.
Fishes
As a traditional motive the fish in its for symbolizes Health and happiness. In contrast the japanese Koi which stand for strength, courage and endurance.
Fists
They symbolize the thirst for revenge.
Hands
Two devoured hands signalize friendship. Two devoured hands with a rising sun mean everlasting love.
Horror & Death
In the beginning of tattooing horror and death motives were rather rare. Only the soldiers of the world wars who were confronted with dead on a daily basis had them tattooed, maybe even to protect themselves from death. The 70's were the high times of bikers and their harley davidsons. Time of crushing heavy metal, brawl rock music and ingenious horror movies like Halloween or Friday the 13th. An inspiring and never ending resource for tattoo fans of devils, witches, skeletons, zombies and grinning skulls who told us the end of the world had come. Today, since death surrounds us all the time and life becomes more difficult every day those motives symbolize a fear of the future.
Kiyo Hime
As it was told in a japanese legend Kiyo Hime fell in love with a monk who regularly came into her fathers harborage. Since the monk could not return her love she turned into a Hanney demon and killed the monk. She is one of the most popular tattoo motives in japan.
Kois - Japanese Karps
Based on the motives of the firefighters of Edo, who were mostly associated with water, developed the red and orange karp which jumps or swims up a waterfall. He symbolizes strength, courage and endurance and as a phallic symbol he stands for virility.
Lions
This animal symbolizes bravery and strength.
Palm Trees
One of the first tattoo motives the sailors decorated their skin with after the discovery of Tahiti was the palm Tree. It should remind the seamen of their "sweet" journey to the southern seas.
Pin Ups
Together with the palm tree, the pin up, a sexy, topless blond with a pout is one of the first modern tattoo motives. The girl reminded the seamen of their journey to the southern seas where they devoted themselves to the seductive women.
Roses
The rose symbolizes a life full of thorns.
Skulls
This motive symbolizes the modern fear of the future, the fear of the unknown.
Snakes
Accordingly to the biblical history, the snake symbolizes the sin. In the japanese tattoo tradition the snake also embodies a negative character.
Suns
The sun gives warmth, comfort and light and is a live spending element. It rises and sets constantly therefore symbolizing a new beginning. It also stands for justice and equality since it shines for all people in the same way.
Tigers
This animal symbolizes boldness and
savageness. In Japan, the kingly and powerful tiger like the
Koi and the dragon a symbol of power.
source: http://tattoojoy.com/tattoo_articles/tattoo_motives_and_their_meanings.htm
Tribal tattoos have been been practiced in one form or another for
millenia. While the practice may be somewhat different nowadays there
are still many who get tribal tattoos for reasons which could be
described as neo-tribal in their quest to belong to a 'tribe' (either
neo-tribal or traditional) even if it is on a subconscious level. Most
simply get tribal tattoos because of their striking appearance.
Historically getting tattooed was 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 peoples 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 chieftainship.
An offshoot of Maori tattooing for health is tattooing to preserve youth. Maori girls tattooed their lips and chin, for this reason. When an old Ainu lady's eyesight is failing, she can re-tattoo her mouth and hands, for better vision.
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.
In the 1970's, American tattooing discovered primitive, tribal
tattoos. People wanted simple designs with meaning and they began
copying Polynesian tattoos primarily from the islands of the South
Pacific. In the past few decades, people of westerners began looking
for tribal tattoos of their own origins and created a new form of
tattoo commonly known as neo tribal. Many old school American
tattooists will tell you...
source: http://offbeatink.com/general/tribal-tattoos-are-chic-for-many-reasons/
