Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Japanese Tattoos- Way Beyond Flash
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!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Girl Tattoos - Sexy Designs Girls Love
Usual places for a man to have a tattoo is on the chest, shoulder or upper arm. Girls fashion can be some what revealing, so having a tattoo on those parts can limit a girls wardrobe if it needs to be hidden. Girls have to consider weather the tattoo will look good when wearing a bikini or wedding dress. Which means they are generally more careful, making sure that a tattoo is easily concealed in professional clothing.
Before searching for a sexy girl tattoo, deciding where it will be on the body is the first step. Popular places for girls are on the lower back, between the shoulder blades and below the belly button. These positions seem to reflect the latest fashion as they can be easily covered up or put on show. Avoid having a tattoo on the upper chest or breast. Pregnancy or late age can cause the tattoo to stretch and become ruined.
Tribal Flower Tattoo Design
Nowadays, one can stylized or update a flower tattoo design in various ways. The increasing appreciation of tattoo as a form of art has brought about a wider range of flower designs. The most popular of this is the tribal flower design.
Each kind of flower is chosen for its specific meaning. For example, a cherry blossom signifies spiritual beauty, calla lily means maiden modesty and hibiscus is delicate beauty. To enhance its significance, you can combine it with a tribal design. Tribal patterns have specific meanings as well. For best result, research on it and consult an artist as much as possible.
Tribal design is mostly done in black or red ink. If you choose to have the flower done in vivid colors, the tribal color makes a stunning contrast on the art work. It is not as easy for an artist to do tribal flower tattoos. The intricate tribal pattern should be done correctly. The ink should be applied evenly. And the flower should be shaded properly to stand out. If you want it done in one color, draw the flower in a tribal manner. Where you plan to have it done is also important in choosing the right tribal flower design. Tribal design needs to be properly contoured on the body part where you want it done.
Flower designs are done in delicately beautiful strokes, while tribal designs are mostly angled. Tribal flower tattoos have become fashionable for women. It is commonly done on the lower back, ankle and wrist. The tribal design emphasizes the significance of the flower on the chosen for the art.
The combination makes tribal flower tattoo popular choice among men as well. The tribal detailing creates a masculine impact in an otherwise feminine design. Men would usually choose just one color, though.
The internet offers a variety of options should you decide to go for a tribal flower tattoo. The meaning of each design is also readily available online, making it easier for you to work on your tattoo concept. Be sure to only use it as a reference, though. It is still important to revise the tattoo into a personalized art work. After all, the tattoo is going to be a representation of who you are. Researching this kind of tattoo entails more work.
You have to check on the significance of the flower and the tribal design you want done.
Designs of tribal flower tattoos transcend gender. It can function as a feminine body art. It is universally regarded as a symbol of feminine beauty. At the same time, the tribal pattern brings a masculine impact should a man decide to have this art work done on him. Combining the delicate flower design with the intricate tribal pattern made this tattoo one the most popular designs.
Types of Koi Fish and Koi Fish Colors
Kohaku. This is probably the most common and popular type of koi. It's colors are red and white. The japanese translation for kohaku is red and white.
Asagi. This beautiful fish is pale blue with an orange-red type color of belly. It's scales on it's back form a net pattern. The word asagi means pale blue.
Ogon. This shiny metallic koi is usually gold or orange. You can also find these in cream color, but they are rare in that color. The scales are one color. Ogon means gold.
Bekko. This koi can be white, yellow or red. It has black markings on it's body. Bekko translates into tortoise shell.
Matsuba. This koi is one color. It's scales are similar in design to a pinecone.
Utsuri. This fish is black with white, red or yellow markings. The markings are similar to ink stains. This is the reason the japanese word for to print, utsuri, is it's name.
Karasugoi. A black fish with an orange belly.
Showa. This beautiful koi has a black body with white and red markings.
Ochiba: A light blue koi with yellow markings. Ochiba translates to fallen leaves.
Butterfly koi: Koi that are bred with asian carp. The color is determined by the type of koi that is bred with the carp. Butterfly koi are known for their long, flowing fins.
Koi fish, overall, are viewed as symbols of love and friendship. These and other meanings ranging from courage to strength are the reasons that they are such popular symbols being seen on anything from jewelry to tattoos. Koi fish colors are beautiful and original no matter what type you choose.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Tattoo Designs for Girls
Tattoo Designs for Girls
Girl Tattoos
Girl Tattoos
As to what qualifies as a cute girl tattoo, there’s a wide range of options; everything from the now cliché’d "circle of thorns" to roses to butterflies. Pick an image that you’re going to find enjoyable and meaningful for years to come. When you’re getting the work done, be sure to ask to see the health inspector certification. A good tattoo parlor should be as clean as an operating room.The Inherent Sexiness of Sexy Tattoo Designs
Ancient and tribal tattoos were administered not merely to decorate the body, but also for sacred purposes. Some were symbols of rank and prowess. In Western history, sailors and servicemen were well known regulars of the tattoo parlor. Nowadays, anybody could be sporting a tattoo. The practice has developed into an art form. Practitioners are called artists, as well they should be. Today's tattoo artists work with an array inks, dyes, and pigments. There are now high tech machines that help with the process. Skin and the human body is the canvas. A good sense of design and style are most needed in this field, not to mention technical know-how and some training in related health issues. This has injected professionalism into the practice. Competitions are regularly held, as well as conventions and get-togethers.
In popular culture, sexy tattoos could be of any single thing. There is a vast array of designs to choose from. The old meanings of most designs have been lost or blurred by their appropriation into modern culture. What used to be tribal, sacred, or prison and gang symbols are now seen everywhere as marks of fashion and style. Therefore the zigzag lines and other ethnic patterns as anklets, the cobweb tattoos at the elbows as fashion statement and heretofore religious symbols as body decoration. In the theme of the sexy, there are the single-stemmed rose designs, strategically placed in the hidden parts of the body. Roses are a symbol of romantic love. Star patterns are also popular, usually seen in the lower back, erotically peeking from pants or underwear. The heart has become a very common symbol of love, ordinary in its familiarity. However, when tattooed into a precise area in the body it is an effective sexy symbol.
Sexy Back Tattoos
Tattoos covering the shoulder blade are great for women wanting to highlight their feminine sensuality. These tattoos draw attention to the contours of the neck and shoulder of the woman. Both images and words are great choices for this area. Actress Angelina Jolie has a celebrated tattoo on her left shoulder blade. It is a traditional Buddhist chant written in Khmer, the language spoken in Cambodia. Tattoos in foreign languages, by the way, are a really hot new trend that is taking the world by storm.
In the 1990s women stumbled upon the concept of the lower back tattoo and the trend stuck. It's estimated that lower back tattoos are one of the most popular tattoos for women today. The right tattoo covering the lower back and trailing outward toward the sides highlights the feminine curve of the waist. They're great to show off at the beach or anytime.
Getting a tattoo on your upper back is more of an old classic, but a fresh new original design makes all the difference. Tattooing words is a relatively new phenomenon in the tattooing world, so tattooing a word rather than an image can really mix up the old upper back tattoo. The fact that it is the broadest expanse of skin on your body means that your options with upper back tattoos is virtually endless, and any size large or small is no problem.
Various Types of Bird Tattoo Design
In the days of old, heroes were always accompanied by birds as they went in pursuit of fiends, ogres, dragons and monsters. In most tales of yore, the birds would fly ahead to spy and return to inform the hero of looming obstacles, thus bringing about the famous phrase, 'a little bird told me'!
Bird tattoos are also very popular due to their connection with religion as well as the mystical. Birds can be found in every era of history; stick figurines of birds have been discovered in the ancient Egyptian tombs in the pyramids, bedecking Arapaho Ghost Dance costumes, at African traditional rituals and weddings across all religions. Christian portrayals of cherubs and angels show them having wings, which are synonymous with birds. In almost all instances, birds are symbols of all the positive things in life, which is why many people tend to go for bird tattoo designs, especially for their first tattoos.
Generally, a bird tattoo design will consist of a pair of birds, depicted together. They tend to be opposites in characteristics; fair to dark, black to white, big to small. This merely shows the dual nature of the universe; where sadness exists, so does happiness. Where night exists, so does day. In other cases, good and evil are also portrayed by birds, for example, when we have a bird tattoo design of a bird fighting a serpent.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Chinese Letter Tattoos Have a Mythical Asian History
Chinese letter tattoos have mystery and hidden secret meanings. For this reason you need to have a sound knowledge about the letter meanings. You can find many tattoo artists using different types of stylish tattoos but out of all of them Chinese letter tattoos are the most popular.
Nowadays, tattoos are becoming more of a craze and immensely popular among women and they want to embrace tattoos with the same enthusiasm as some men do. In the eighties, women were frowned upon if they implanted tattoos on their skin. Now the whole situation is changing and women are now being treated more equally with men (and so they should).
In addition, being a part of such a wonderful trend, Chinese letter tattoos can give women a more stylish and contemporary look. Chinese Letter Tattoos have a mythical Asian history and are loved by everyone. You can get Chinese letter tattoos in different shapes and designs and there are new designs coming up everyday. People prefer something different and which cannot be seen anywhere else. Chinese tattoos are made with different characters that are sometimes hard to understand.
The Chinese language is not at all simple like the English alphabet but its extraordinary look can bring a smile on anyone's face. You can have a permanent tattoo or a temporary one, as it all depends on your taste. However, one thing you need to make sure that these tattoos must be hygienic.
Therefore, you need to find an expert tattoo artist who is good in doing tattoo. Embedding tattoos on your body can sometimes be painful but the result that it gives is well worth the temporary discomfort. Although, after implanting a tattoo on your body if you should find your skin reacts in some way to the ink,then you should immediately visit your doctor.
As some tattoos may affect different types of skin and produce possible infections and sometimes allergic reactions (but these cases are normally pretty rare). However, if you have the real desire to have a tattoo on your body then trying Chinese letter tattoos can be a wonderful idea if done by a good professional who can guide you in a good way.
Super Sexy Tattoos For Women
Before you can find a sexy tattoo for women you first need to decide where you put the tattoo. Where you place the ink on your body will determine the style and size you can go for. Listed below are some recommendations of where to put a tattoo and the largest recommended size you should do so you can still pull of the sexiness of the tattoo.
Lower Back: This is a great place for a sexy tattoo as it can be seen with a sexy shirt of bathing suite. If you place a tattoo here you would not want anything larger than about 5" by 5" unless you are doing a wider tattoo such as a vine or script. In these cases, you can spread the width of your back but it still should not be more than about 4-5 inches high.
Wrist: Wrist tattoos are super hot but I would suggest really sleeping on this one. Depending on the job you have it may be frowned upon having a visible tattoo on your body. Wrist tattoos should be no large than the size of post-it note and I would stay away from dark colors just in case you need some skin cream to cover it up for social events such as galas, church and weddings.
Ankle Tattoos: Ankle tattoos are crazy sexy and you would want to follow the same rules as the wrist tattoo. At the ankle however, you can go a bit bigger if you choose. The most common type of tattoo for the ankle is one that wraps the entire area such as a band.
Sexy Back Tattoos For Women
First, you need to choose the specific location of your back that you'd like to tattoo. Sexy areas for women are over the shoulder blade, on the lower back, or on the upper back.
Shoulder blade tattoos are sexy back tattoos for women because it highlights the feminine nape of the neck and slope of the shoulder. Whether you tattoo images or words, it goes to highlight a distinctly feminine area. Angelina Jolie has a rather famous tattoo on her left shoulder blade, with words running vertically. It is a Buddhist Pali incantation written in Khmer script (Cambodian). Getting tattoos in other languages, particularly Arabic and Asian languages, is very popular right now.
Lower back tattoos for women weren't very popular until the 1990s, when women realized how sexy the right tattoo in that location can be. Lower back tattoos cover the small of the back, and are usually oblong in shape to emphasize the feminine curve of the body. Though showing them off with crop tops isn't exactly in style anymore, the lower back is still a classic region to tattoo for maximum femininity.
Upper back tattoos are a little more old school, but that just makes them a familiar classic. This is a fairly wide expanse of skin means that you can do anything you want with upper back tattoos. Your tattoo can be as large and sprawling as you like it, or it can be small and sweet. If you want, it can be one of many small tattoos ornamenting your back in different locations.
Don't limit yourself when choosing the location and design for your next back tattoo. Sexy back tattoos for women are out there in abundance. Pay attention to color, shape, and location. If you are tattooing a word or phrase, think about size, script, and content. Remember that the best tattoo is something that is uniquely yours and represents your personality for your whole life through. Choose something central to you that is sure not to change, because your tattoo is there to stay.
Japanese Dragon Tattoo Designs and Meaning
In the Greek language, dragon is sourced from draca, which means serpent.
Like the angel, the Japanese Dragon also has the meaning of guardianship, providing a protective force over those it was associated with. Other meanings associated with the Japanese dragon is strength and power. In Japanese culture the dragon is associated with supernatural powers, and amazing wisdom.
There are six forms of the Japanese Dragon. They are:
Sui-Riu is the king Dragon and is in control of the rain. Therefore in this day and age of drought he is all powerful!
Han-Riu has many stripes on his body and is up to forty feet in length. One of the biggest dragons.
Ri-Riu dragon is a rare breed that is not well understood. However, it is known that they have amazing eye sight.
Ka-Riu is a brilliant red color, and a petite dragon in comparison with the others.
Fuku-Riu is a favorite dragon of many people as it is the dragon of luck.
Hai-Riyo is known as the dragon bird, and the most advanced form of dragon. It evolved out of Chinese mythology.
The colors of the dragons have special significance, which are based on their parents. For example a dragon with a black color means their parents are very old and wise. Green dragons are smaller than average, but are representative of life and of the earth. Gold colored dragons are special because they have many special attributes such as wisdom, kindness and the ability to face challenges head on.
Yellow dragons represent the east. They are great companions when you need a hand, but can be self absorbed at times. Blue dragons are from the west. They are forgiving and compassionate, but on the negative side can be lazy and uncaring when it suits them.
Finding the right Japanese Tattoo Design for you can be quite daunting. Check out all the free sites on the net to get as many ideas as you can. Just remember that many other people have done the same thing to get ideas. For example, last month, over 41,000 people searched for dragon tattoo designs on Yahoo. Apparently, roughly 8 times that amount check out Google for the same search term. Then there is MSN and the other search engines. So a huge amount of people see the same free designs as you. If you want original Japanese Dragon tattoo designs, it is recommended that you check out books or other sources of tattoo designs that are not freely available. I have checked out three Japanese dragon tattoo galleries on the internet that have from 3,500 to 6000 different designs, so you will have no trouble finding what you want.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Tattoo Art
Finding the perfect tattoo art work for your body can be quite a bit of a challenge especially when you know that the design you choose is going to stay with you forever. The last thing you would want to do is to select a tattoo design which you thought looked great at the moment, but regret having it later.
So how does one go about selecting a tattoo design? Trust me when I say that going with your instincts is not really a great idea as it may seem at first. Selecting a tattoo design within an hour (or less) of walking into a tattoo parlor is something most people regret later. You need to be sure of the design art you select for your body.
My advice to people getting a tattoo has always been to select a design or artwork and then give it some time to sink in. It is only after a day or two or more of selecting a tattoo design that you'll know whether you really want it or not. The best way to go about it is to browse through tattoo art galleries available online or at your local tattoo parlor, get a copy or printout of it and think about it for a couple of days. If after a few days, you are bored of the design or worse, can't stand to look at it anymore, then it's safe to assume that specific design is not for you.