Dolphin Tattoo Designs - Tattoos For Both Men and Women

Dolphins have always been a favorite animal tattoo because of the friendliness and the warmth that it exudes. It is a loving and adorable creature that the mariners worldwide considered it as their protector and guide in the ocean. They are not actually a fish, but a member of the mammal family and one of the only few that are blessed with such playfulness and compassion for the humans.

For the ancient Greeks, dolphins are regarded as symbols of both the divine and wisdom since Apollo himself took the form of a dolphin. As a tattoo design, it can represent one's love for the ocean and everything related to it such as surfing, sunny beaches and pretty women. It can also symbolize a fun, carefree personality as how the dolphin itself is portrayed. A dolphin tattoo design can even mean freedom, lightheartedness and happiness.

Dolphin tattoos can be represented in a variety of ways and they are equally favored by both men and women. They can be inked in colors with shades such as blue, green and gray. They can also be tattooed in plain black and combine with other symbols such as waves or surfboard. They can be highlighted with tribal lines or Celtic art just by adding these touches. There are also tat enthusiasts who has dolphin tattoos as armbands or anklets.

Dolphins are also flexible and adaptable as a tat design as they look great whether inked small or big especially if a skilled tattoo artist does the work. They can placed almost anywhere on the body - on the arms, upper back, lower back, foot, ankle rib or lower stomach.

Cool Henna Design Tattoos

One of the coolest displays of art that I have seen was henna design - no, really. It was a really cool nature design and was utilized in the form of giving a tattoo. Tattooing is simply using what nature has to offer and using it as a form of expression on the human body. In many cases the natural ingredient is ink. But there is something so quaint and ethereal about henna design that I find it to be simply breathtaking.

The first time I had the opportunity to see henna design in action was during my trip to Rajasthan, India. It was quite an exotic odyssey. The state is located in the desert and is known for its large community fairs. It is a central meeting point where people from the neighboring villages gather to celebrate and they can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. The longer the duration, the bigger the fair. And the bigger the fair, the more mammoth the attendance.

I was there for the Fall fair. It was a four-day event and the energy there was absolutely astounding. The people were simple and their wants simpler. The colors and spirit found there were something that never before even remotely have come before these eyes. This is where I saw my first henna design, and I must say it was quite impressive.

I happened to notice the henna design as I was walking around the fair trying to capture the color of all that I saw. I saw two women sitting on the on ground and were totally engrossed in their task. When I moved closer, I saw that it was a henna artist and that she was applying one of the finest henna designs I have ever witnessed.

I just kind of stood there in a daze admiring her work in launching a much joy she spread by artfully sketching her henna designs on people's hands. It was a very simple operation and there were not a lot of implements require for her to create her art. Just a tube of henna and her active imagination. She had a book of designs that the customers can browse through to choose one they wanted. And she would set to work to draw the design in all its glory on their hands.

That's all that I needed to give me hooked on the art of henna designs. Now I'm actually compiling a book of henna designs. Guess who is going to be on the cover? My henna design muse of course! She is the perfect choice and I'm thrilled to include her.

Don't Pay for a Tattoo that Millions of People Have - Get a Unique Custom Tattoo Design

Recently it was reported that tattoo related terms received more searches per month then most adult related keywords. This has spawned a huge growth of websites selling flash tattoo designs. You can go and visit these sites and for $10 or so find a tattoo design. You can then download this design and take it to your local tattoo parlor and get a new tattoo.

Well, for many this has become the Achilles heel so to speak of the tattoo art industry. Buying tattoos this way is definitely contrary to the main reasons people get tattoos. Tattoos and the tattoo industry has always held that tattoo art was the last bastion of personal expression and freedom in America. You see most tattoo enthusiast feel that the tattoo they get are very uniquely theirs and a tattoo, being something you have to live with for a long time, should say something about yourself. So these huge flash tattoo sites come along and sell thousands of the same tattoo to people. These same people go to their local tattoo parlor and get a new tattoo and soon they are sporting it around town feeling proud to assert their individuality. However in reality they have just copied a bunch of other people and probably ended up with a tattoo that says nothing interesting or unique about them. They just bought the design because it was popular.

The other sad part of this phenomena is that most tattoo artists are on the loosing end of the proposition. The big websites that sell tons of designs often have had some graphic designer just create a bunch of low quality tattoo designs to sell. The designer was not even a tattoo artist in the first place. However, the tattoo artists out there are now losing tons of business to these larger companies. That is not to say all tattoo sites selling tattoo designs online are doing this. Of course there are some that have taken this into consideration have have worked hard to value the artists for their original ideas and work.

However it still leaves the tattoo enthusiast who just got the same tattoo as thousands of other people out in the dark. Think about what is going to happen when that person is at a concert of some large public event and a guy comes up to him and says, :hey cool man nice tat." The guy turns and the notices that the speaker is sporting the same exact tattoo. Here he thought he was unique and individual and doing something really cool. What is one to say in that kind of situation? Other then start looking at all the tattoo removal adds online there is not really much.

It is for these exact reasons that a few websites have started popping up on the internet that have solved these basic problems. At the time of this writing there are in fact only two sites on the internet that have effectively dealt with both of these problems. They are custom designed freelance tattoo art websites. That is kind of a mouthful so I will explain what each of those terms means. It means that a person wanting a unique tattoo design can go to the site and post a job. Then tattoo artists from around the globe can come and bid on the job to design a great custom tattoo to the individuals specifications.

This is really the best of all worlds as it encourages tattoo artists and pays them fairly for their abilities and skills. It also create a unique tattoo to the exact specifications and desires of the person getting the tattoo done. It is a really great way to solve the problem and these sites have had a high rate of customer satisfaction and repeat business from both the tattoo artists and the tattoo enthusiast.

How To Avoid Vital Mistakes Of Chinese Character Tattoos

Chinese Characters have a complex beauty as well as individual meanings. People who get Chinese Character tattoos are often drawn to this. Unfortunately, the flip-side is that there are a lot of Chinese tattoo Mistakes. I have personally seen such elementary mistakes as Chinese Characters being tattooed backward and meant something else other than intended. My goal is to help people explore the beauty and complexity of Chinese Characters safe in the knowledge that they are dealing with the professional.

The typical mistakes of Chinese Character tattoos as below :

• Missing Strokes and Poor Script Western tattoo artists always add their own artistic flair, which is fine with English letters, but their script would deface Chinese Characters and make them meaningless. Missing strokes are common mistakes and thus making the tattoos meaningless, and the poor handwriting defaces the Chinese characters and makes Chinese Character tattoos look ugly. Wearing meaningless Chinese Character tattoos is embarrassing.
• Chinese Characters Being Tattooed Backwards A much more common mistake is that the Chinese characters are flipped horizontally or vertically and thus is a mirror image of what it should be. I think this might be the problem when people use temporary tattoos or work from those because after a while they might get confused as to which side is the correct one. To have a Chinese Character tattooed on you backwards is also embarrassing.
• Mistranslation of Chinese Chinese are complex and can easily be mean something other than intended. Get the wrong one and your new Chinese character tattoo will be a permanent source of embarrassment to you! A lady has told me her Chinese character tattoos experiences: After deciding to ink a Chinese character tattoo, She went to Chinese restaurant and pull over a Chinese waiter and asked him to write out the word "free" in Chinese characters for her, free has two meaning in English dictionary, the first one is free of charge and the second meaning is freedom which was the lady wanted, the waiter wrote down the first meaning in Chinese for the lady. The lady ended up with the sign "free of charge" on her skin and then later it was wind up with spending US$900 to remove the tattoos.
• Do not Know the Meaning of Chinese character tattoos I have come across many western people who do not know the meaning of their Chinese character tattoos .Tattoo is a way of self expression. if anyone curiously ask you the meaning of Chinese character tattoos, answering them either do not know or make up the meaning is quite awkward.
• Choosing Kanji from Tattoo Parlors. Some Tattoo parlors present some dozens of Kanji either on the wall or on the binders for their customers to choose, Most of these Kanji are either missing strokes or being mistranslated, you would make mistake from the right beginning if you choose them from Tattoo parlors. Moreover, do you think you can pick up your dream tattoos which would express who you are from a handful of kanji.

Here are the advice when planning to get Chinese Character tattoos:

Getting Chinese Character tattoos right at the first time Your tattoo will be with you for the rest of your life, please make sure you get a right character tattoo at the first time. Yes, you can remove it later on, but it is extremely painful and very, very expensive. A $100 tattoo "mistake" can cost several thousand dollars to remove.

• Do not Pick up Kanji From Tattoo Parlors Many people have gotten what they thought were Chinese Character tattoos only to find later that the characters were drawn wrong, or in one case, the mirror image of the character was tattooed. You would make the mistakes mentioned above if choosing them from tattoo parlors.
• Do You Own Research Before you run off to the tattoo parlor to get one done you should do your own research. Selecting Chinese Characters deserve careful study and attention.
• Consulting With a Chinese Many words in English can be translated in several different Chinese characters. Each of these may have a slightly different meaning in Chinese. Consulting with a native Chinese to get a exactly CORRECT characters for your intended meaning.
• Choosing Meaningful Words Tattoos are forever. If you're planning to get a Chinese Character tattoo soon, be sure to choose the right and meaningful characters. It is important to choose something of lasting appeal not something faddish, and it also needs to be a cool design you'll love tomorrow just as much as you love it today.
• Getting Them Look Right Western tattoo artists' script usually defaces Chinese Characters and makes them meaningless. Again, take the time to do some research and find someone good at Chinese calligraphy to write out your design. Chinese calligraphy is a classic ancient art. The brush strokes must have a certain shape. Each part of a character must be in precise relation to the others. Chinese Characters can be written in a wide variety of calligraphy styles.
• Getting a stencil Outline of the Proposed Design. Every tattoo design has a matching "stencil". It is an exact copy of the tattoo design, but without any color or shading -- just the black line work that makes up the design. Your tattooist will transfer stencil directly to your skin prior to beginning the tattoo process, thus the tattooist will ink the tattoo which is exactly the same as the proposed design.

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.

Indian / Hindu tattoo designs - Like ancient Indian texts and spirituality being rediscovered by people in the West since the 1960's it has been reflected in the demand for Indian tattoo designs. They say everything old become new again.

Design Your Tattoo - 6 Tips For You Before Getting a Tattoo

Want to find a tattoo design? When you have started the search, you may now feel a bit worried. The reason is obvious. The tattoo you choose will be staying with you forever. If you finally dislike the tattoo, you will regret definitely.

So, here are 8 top tips for your entire "tattoo journey", from the selection of the tattoo design to the after-care procedures.

Tip 1: Be Aware of the Tattoo Trends

People get inked for different purposes. Some may want to express a certain meaning while others want to follow trends. If you are in the latter group, you may want to pay attention to your choice carefully, especially the tattoo designs and tattoo placement.

In the tattoo industry, there are lots of trends arising. For example, the chain link design was popular in the past. People liked to ink this design around the ankle, bicep or wrist. However, most people regard this tattoo outdated now. You will never want to have an outdated tattoo on your skin.

For the placement, people especially women like to have the tattoo on the lower back. This is very popular until now. As there are more and more people choosing to get a lower back tattoo, a term "tramp stamps" has emerged. Some people think it is just for categorization. However some may consider the term offensive because it is sometimes used to mean a woman just follows the trend without thinking.

Of course it is completely alright to have whatever tattoo on wherever you like. As long as it meets your personality, no one can criticize it. Remember, do not make yourself regret after being inked.

Tip 2: Spend Time Finding the Best Tattoo

Finding a favorite tattoo design takes time but it totally worth it. There are ways for you to choose the tattoo.

The most convenient way is to choose from an online tattoo design gallery. You can search a number of this kind of websites over the Internet. Some of them are free while some require you to pay a small amount of one-time membership fee. Considering the importance of getting a tattoo that you will never regret, it is acceptable to join the membership programs because their tattoo designs are normally more creative and unique.

If you are tired of browsing the Internet, you could enter a local tattoo parlor and you will be given some books on tattoo designs. You may feel embarrassed that you have read their books but you finally do not ask the tattoo artist to do the job. However, do not think in this way. Go to more tattoo parlors and read more tattoo designs. The one who will wear the tattoo is you.

The third way to get a tattoo design is to DIY. You can draw one with your imagination. Just draw what you want to represent and then take it to the tattoo artist. You will then have a very unique tattoo.

Tip 3: Choose the Appropriate Part to Get Inked

Consider how painful you can tolerate during the tattoo procedure. If this is your first time getting a tattoo, you may want to choose a part that you are comfortable with.

It will be more painful if you choose to have the tattoo on bony areas like neck, ankle, spine, shoulders and hands. You will feel more comfortable if your tattoo is inked on thighs, buttocks, stomach or upper arm.

Tip 4: Test the Tattoo Design First

It is strongly advised that you get a henna design of the tattoo you choose on the part you want before getting the permanent one. This will allow you to wear the tattoo design for 1 to 2 weeks. You can feel if you really like the tattoo or not so that you will not regret in future.

Tip 5: Ask Others for Opinions

It is a good idea to ask your friends your family members how they feel about your tattoo design. But you also need to bear in mind that you are the one wearing the tattoo. Their thoughts should not play the most important role.

Tip 6: Be Careful of What to Take Before Getting the Tattoo

Some people say that drinking alcohol is helpful to reduce pain. I am not going to say it is wrong but it would be risky for you. Since alcohol can thin your blood, it will make you bleed more during the tattoo process. Also, some tattoo artist will refuse the tattooing once you have taken alcohol because it makes their job more difficult and risky.

If you really need something to reduce pain, you may ask the tattoo artist for advice. Normally, pain relievers like Motrin are allowed. But the best option is to ask the professionals, your tattoo artist.

Tip 7: Learn Tattoo Etiquette

Yes, you may not have heard this kind of thing but it is a good idea to keep yourself up-to-date with the tattoo etiquette. For example, your tattoo artist may ask if you are a tenderfoot. If you do not know the meaning, you may feel confused and your tattoo experience may be not the happiest one.

Tip 8: Pay Attention to After-care Procedures

Once you have the tattoo job done, listen carefully to the tattoo artist how you should take care of the tattoo. Ask them any question if you are not sure. It is important for you to keep the tattoo nicely.

We hope the above 8 tips will make your "tattoo journey" more enjoyable and comfortable. Remember that it is worth spending time on the small steps. Do not give yourself any opportunity to regret.

Tattoo Designs, Tattoos, Tribal Tattoos. Choosing Your Tattoo Design Has Never Been Easier

Tattoo Designs are something you need to think about seriously. Do not make one of the most important decisions of your life an embarrassing mistake. Your choice on tattoo designs, which will be permanently inked into your skin, has to be some sort of tattoo designs that YOU are comfortable with, one that truly rocks and makes heads turn in awe.

It can be difficult making that important decision on tattoo designs. It is something you do not want to rush then regret later on.

What you need to know about tattoo designs is that in this day and age tattoos are very common, in fact a study done in 2006 by the American Academy of Dermatology, estimated that roughly 1 in 4 people between the ages of 18 and 50 had at least one to two tattoo designs. Even with tattoos being so common, many people do not know much about them. Tattoos are sometimes still considered odd, questionable and even taboo.

Tattoo Designs are patterns, pictures or markings made by dye inserted into the pores of the skin by perforating the skin with immense caution. People in the Tattoos industry refer to them as tats, work, ink or art. In scientific terms, tattooing is actually micro-pigment implantation.

Globally this type of art practice is gaining approval and many mainstream art and design galleries hold expos of tattoo designs and tattoo pictures. The popular name for tattoo designs is Flash.

Tattoo Designs more often than not reflect the personality of the person wearing them and so they should, they are on your body. Often people search for the tattoos they want in the actual parlor for something that will suit them. It would be hard to choose your tattoo designs from only what is on display in the chosen tattoos parlor. You should do extensive research on tattoo designs first. I have found numerous sites online that offer a plethora of tattoos, tattoo designs, tribal tattoos, pictures and information. The time it took to find as much information and ideas that I could was massive, but worth it in the end as we can be very specific to what we want when deciding on tattoo designs and location to place the tattoos.

Weather it be an extreme concern for your cultural roots or something of significant importance to you, the tattoo designs that you choose will be one of the most important decisions of your life.

I have heard countless horror stories of bad decisions related to tattoo designs. People excited to rush out and get those 'Perfect' tattoos that they saw on their favorite celebrity like Britney Spears, Alyssa Milano, David Beckham or Robbie Williams. Or even seeing some tribal tattoos in a movie like Blade, only to realize after coming out of the parlor that the tattoo designs just do not suit them, or wasn't what they expected. The fact then hits that they are stuck with those tattoo designs for the rest of their lives.

Their problem was a lack of research in tattoo designs and tattoos in general, because the excitement of actually getting some tattoos finally, blurred their judgment and made them hasty to rush out and get those tattoo designs that they saw or thought up and then trying to describe it to the artist. Definitely not the smartest thing to do.

Also the location of your tattoos is key. You must consider some things when thinking of the location of your tattoos. Will others see it easily? Do I want my tattoos to be easily seen by others? Do I want my tattoos in more of a private place so only those close to me would be able to view them? Which body parts hurt more than others? Generally, places that have thinner skin tend to hurt more. These places include, but are not limited to, due to differences in all of our bodies, the ankles, head and the lower back.

Less painful places include the upper arm, back of the shoulder and the chest. And it also depends on your pain threshold when getting tattoos on how bad it will actually hurt.

I bet you have heard of or been with some people who just rock up to the tattoo parlor, look through the tattoo designs in the books and all the pictures of tattoos on the walls, pick something that looks cool and jump right into the chair to get what should be meaningful tattoo designs inked into their skin. They either want to go the extremely cheap option and choose simple tattoos, (more common tattoo designs are generally less expensive and take less time) or they have just been out on a heavy night on the Britney Spears - (Beers) and just stumbled into the parlor, only to wake up in the morning wondering why they have a Superman tattoo pic on their butt.