Men's Tattoo Designs Reflect Personality Traits!

The tattoo design you choose tells a lot about your personality. There are several popular men's tattoo designs like zodiac signs, Celtic designs, symbols and tribal tattoo designs. For instance a zodiac tattoo may depict a scorpion for someone that is a Scorpio. A person whom falls under the sign of Taurus may choose a bull.

Tribal tattoos are extremely popular but differ based on the origin of the tribe selected. For example, a Japanese tribal tattoo would look very different from a Hawaiian tattoo. Other choices for tribal tattoo designs include Celtic designs, Tribal dragons and Native American themes.

For animal lovers there are a lot of individualized Animal designs available. The skill and design of veteran artists have created stunning tattoos of wolves, tigers, birds, and snakes. The Chinese dragon has been a long time choice of men throughout history and remains very popular today.

Of all the men's tattoo designs, one that has an extensive history in the world and still remains one of the most requested designs would be none other than "name designs". From names of your wife, girlfriend, mother, favorite motorcycle brand, or spiritual belief, men have been adorning their bodies with names for years now. Name designs probably will never lose their popularity.

Equally important in choosing the design of the tattoo will be choosing the location on your body where it will be placed. Whatever tattoo design appeals to you, you need to decide if you want it visible or invisible. Visible, is usually an area of the body typically exposed such as an arm, wrist, neck, ankle, etc. Invisible is usually more private such as a buttock, thigh, lower back, or below an underwear line. With the longevity of tattoos you want to insure that you will be both happy with the design as well as where you have placed it.

Tattooing is a special art that allows us to decorate our bodies with a statement about our beliefs and personality. Everywhere we go, this art accompanies us signifying a little bit about who we are or what we believe in.

If you are considering a tattoo, always take into consideration the symbolic design and intrinsic value behind your tattoo. Is it a symbol or design that has long-term meaning and is not a just a passing fad? What statement do you want to make convey about your personality in the form of a tattoo? How do you choose the best men's tattoo design for your personality or do you want to create your own unique design?

Whatever design or placement you choose, choose wisely! When it comes to a tattoo, quick decisions can last a lifetime.

View thousands of tattoo choices at Mens Tattoo Designs or learn how to create your own personal design at Design Your Own Tattoo. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dennis_Ransdell

New School Tattooing - A Break From Tradition

Body art has been with mankind for centuries. It's thought that tattooing began as far back as 6000 years ago. Although this is an interesting fact, of more concern to anyone considering a tattoo today is the emergence of New School tattooing. Just what is new school tattooing and how is it different than the old style of tattooing? Before we can understand new school tattooing, we first must define what old style tattooing is.

As mentioned earlier, body art began a long time ago, however the tools and methods used for inking were primitive. Modern tattooing did not emerge from the dark ages until the early part of the 20th century. Once good ole Tom Edison invented the electric engraving machine the birth of modern tattooing got underway. During the early 1900's traveling Circus entertainers began tattooing their bodies to create the circus freak show attraction known as the tattooed man. This was the first introduction of tattooing to large groups of civilized people. As time went on body art became accepted by sailors, outlaws, criminals, and others considered as patrons of the low side of life.

The art in those early days was simple and centered on single item imagery like flowers, animals, cartoon characters, crosses, hearts, knives, skulls, etc. There was of course artistic talent applied to the single item imagery and body art became quite elaborate and artful. This style is of a flatter or one dimensional nature and uses red, green, golden yellow and a lot of black as the only colors. Old School tattooist for the most part were shunned and repressed by the public and their craft revolved around mean concepts and attitudes, dark colors, heavy shading and surly kinds of people.

Somewhere around the late seventies, early eighties, a new movement in tattooing began. With the advent of better tattooing guns, the creation of better ink with more colors, and the creation of standards for cleaner, safer tattooing practices, a new attitude was beginning within the public and amongst tattooing artist. Young upstart tattoo artists not knowing the ways of old were beginning to bring a different style of body art to the public. The new, younger "inkers" aided by better ink & equipment began combining the old tradition of tattooing with their personal style in a fashion that is now considered to be New School Tattooing.

New School Tattoos

Modern day body art is a brighter, lighter, friendlier style of tattooing. It's bubbly, realistic, beautiful, and at times almost obnoxious. But that's what makes it what it is, proud, lighthearted, colorful, and artistic in a much more elaborate way. Another aspect of new school tattooing is that it takes on a 2 or 3 dimensional look while the old style tends to be flat or 1 dimensional.

The modern tattooing style seems to have no set boundary and in many cases people are doing nontraditional tattooing (New School) unwittingly. Tattoos of today combine many of the old school styles with artistic creativeness that simply did not exist 30 years ago. It's not unusual to see Tribal and Oriental tattoos intermixed, or flat tattooing with fine line designs overlaying each other. In fact new school tattooing is not clear cut in its appearance. What you or I may consider to be new school tattooing may be considered to be neotraditional or old school by others. However you see it, new school tattooing is a dramatic departure from traditional tattooing.

To see pictures of old school Vs. new school tattooing go to New School Tattooing Examples. While there, have a look at all our other free tattooing information. Article written and distributed by Woody Longacre - www.Getting-A-Tattoo.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Woody_Longacre

Celtic Tattoo Designs - The Famous Cross and Knots

Celtic Kingdoms were ruling all over the Europe some 3000 years before, till the Roman Empire arises. Celtic people were known for their bravery and contemporary approach towards culture during their ruling tenure of over 500 years. Celtic civilization had taken different dimension over the centuries and to date its antique unique art remain far excellence in forms of Celtic writing, Celtic art, Celtic music and Celtic spirituality. It is difficult to see art in the current world without Celtic essence.

Unlike other tribes, Celts had mastered in arts and their unique tattoos are more popular than others in modern era. Celtic tattoo design is also more complex and decorative. Here is the list of few popular Celtic designs; Cross, Knots, Spirals, Claddagh, Trinity, Shamrock, Zodiac, Clover and Tree of life. Unfortunately, Celtics had not recorded meaning of their many unique designs, as revealed by archeologists. Interpretative meanings circulating in the present world is based on Celts myth, may not be exactly as the way Celts thought.

Celtic cross: After the Celts were invaded by Romans, Celtic polytheism turned to Celtic Christianity and thus Celts traditional worship symbol of the circular sun was also forced to impose a cross on it, to show the supremacy of Christianity over sun. Celtic cross tattoo are preferred by spiritual lovers who believes it as a symbol of eternity and construing four arms of cross as Earth, Water, Air and fire which are necessity for eternity.

Celtic knots: Intricate Celtic knot profiles are carved in church tops and in floor mosaics make it so artistic. This inter woven knots have neither start nor end and its knot can be either simple or with flower, butterfly and other birds. Celtic knot tattoos are best to be tattooed in ankle, leg and arms. However, girls prefer to get it inked on the lower back. Mostly knots are inked in black and other colors such as blue, green and golden yellow are also used in the design.

Celtic tree of life: Trees are truly powerful and helpful to humans in a way to provide food, shelter and comfort. A Celtic tree of life tattoo also symbolizes eternity by weaving roots and branches together to depict endless life. This high stylized symbol is also tattooed in black ink mostly on any part of your body.

Celtic tattoo design is so popular because of its unique pattern, but in the meantime it requires lot of time for the tattoo to be completed as it has many intricate shapes and also requires high skilled attention by the tattoo artist.

For more information like this about unique tattoo designs go to: http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-choose-the-perfect-arm-tattoo. Also Discover Incredible Tattoo Technology Revealed If you've ever wanted to create an amazing tattoo that's just for you, then this might be the most important page you ever read (anywhere)...You see, recently, there's been an amazing breakthrough in what I call "Tattoo Technology", where you can actually design your very own tattoo in 3 minutes flat, print it out and have it inked on your body quickly and easily. All you have to do is go here: http://newguytattoos.com. And grab instant access to this never before seen tattoo technology and create your own Celtic Style Tattoo. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Heeley

Tattoo Design Tips : Preparing For Your First Tattoo

Tattoo designs. Review plenty of books (remember the library? There are MANY books there with some amazing unique designs), articles, or web sites written by tattoo artists in which they discuss what they think makes a good design. Stop in at the tattoo parlor near you and look at the flashes (paper drawings or pictures of designs that hang on the walls), or ask to see a portfolio. This will give you an idea of some design styles. RESIST the temptation to get a tattoo at this time! Please remember, the design you choose will be with you for the rest of your life. You will want to make sure you get a tattoo that represents the true you, and that it is meaningful. Getting a tattoo is not an impulse decision. If you plan on adding more tattoos at a later time, this would be a good time to think about what theme you want them to represent.

The making of a tattoo. A strong, quality tattoo generally originates from a simple, uncluttered design. After you get to this point, start looking at the world around you, and all of the design ideas in it. T-shirts, other people's tattoos, advertisements, cartoons, can all offer inspiration. It is always wise to bring a picture of what you want to your tattoo artist. This will help him accurately recreate the design from the beginning stages forward. Tattoo artists are incredibly talented, but they can't read your mind. To help ensure the exact design you are looking for, help the artist any way you can. You don't want to leave the shop without what you imagined because you were not communicating properly. It is also possible that your artist will refer you to another after he sees your design idea. It has nothing to do with his opinion on your design, just that he thinks someone else's style may be a better fit for your design.

Finding an artist. After narrowing your search to a few artists, see if you can visit their shop, or talk with them before making your appointment. It is very important that you are fully comfortable with the artist, and that they are properly trained and licensed. Also, look around the shop. Does it look clean? How are the restrooms kept? Are there current inspection certificates displayed? And of course, ask friends and family about their experiences.

Some tips about your session. You want to be prepared for the cost. Ask about pricing. Some pricing may have a little room for negotiation, but be prepared to accept the fact that this is not the case. There is nothing wrong with saying you need a little time to save up the money for your visit. It is a general rule to tip 10%, but feel free to go up to 20%-25% for a job well done. Keep this in mind while you are saving up your money. It is absolutely ok to cancel or postpone your appointment if you are not sure you want to proceed. Don't worry about what someone thinks, it's likely that deep down, they will respect you for making a decision that is right for you. It wouldn't hurt if you had someone else drive too, one less thing to worry about.

Just be sure to do your research, and make sure you trust your artist, and his design before you move forward. The tattoo is permanent, and you want to be comfortable before you get inked.

Paul L Westcott is dedicated to helping prepare you for all things tattoo related. Tatt00 Ideas is a website dedicated to helping you through the whole process. For some other great Tatt00 Designs and advice, look over our site. See our site for safety tips and general advice as well. Thank you. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_L_Westcott

New Era For Body Art And Tattoo Designs

TV programs like LA Ink and Miami Ink have helped change the "stigma" about getting tattoos. Tattoo designs have moved along with progress and is now quite technical, you can use software programs to help with choosing your body art and there are thousands of templates to choose your Tattoo design from. You can choose your design, print it and take it to your local Tattoo artist - so simple.

Remember the day when only sailors, bikers and gang members wore tattoos, now that's all changed. People are getting inked for all types of reasons, like the loss of a loved one to a life changing experience like religion. Then there's the person who wants body art for no other reason than just because, and leaves it up to the artist to come up with a design. Artist seem to love this, allows them to show off there creativity and artistic talent.

Tattoo conventions are bigger than ever, with hundreds of artists under one roof and thousands of visitors coming through the doors for days, there's no excuse not to find the style and design that suits you. There are as many woman artists as men, no longer a male dominated industry. Classic styles like Celtic Designs Tattoo's are still popular some of the most common designs asked for are. Knots: The entwined patterns of the knot design represent the continuous cycle of life and death with no beginning and no end. There are times when the knot works form certain geometric shapes, like triangles and circles. When triangles and circles combine, it makes a trinity knot that symbolizes the mind, body and spirit.

Hearts: The Celtic heart is also know as the love knot tattoo. It basically represents the unity of souls. The Heart designs are popular for someone looking for a romantic design.

There are plenty more Celtic designs available like "Tree of Life" and "Maze".

The styles that have seen the most growth is definitely "Custom Body Art Designs" The main reason custom designs have become so popular is because it's unique, the chance of someone else having the same design is virtually zero. Going down to the beach and seeing someone with the same tattoo design as you is as bad as going to the party, or showing up on the red carpet and someone else has the same dress as you. Not cool.

Arms are still the most popular area to get a tattoo especially for guys. Some things to consider after you've decided to tattoo your arm will firstly be - where on the arm you want your tattoo and how big. You could go for a full sleeve which like the word says will cover your arm like a sleeve, within a sleeve you could have a number of different designs.

To get access to the latest technology on Tattoo Designs which I'm sure you'll love, you can also check out Body Art Designs for this incredible technology just revealed!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rory_Van_Graan

Irish Celtic Cross Tattoos Are More Than Just A Pretty Design

Irish Celtic cross tattoos are one of the best looking and most symbolic designs available. The people from Scotland, Ireland and Wales are fond of spotting these tattoos to reflect the historical and religious background of their ethnic heritage. Others simply find the designs of the Celtic cross tattoos to be visually appealing. Indeed, the Celtic cross is a particularly beautiful representation of the almost universal symbol of cross. What with artists like Justin Timberlake and Robbie Williams showing off their Celtic cross tribal tattoos, it pushes the popularity of the Celtic cross designs even further.

Designs of Irish Celtic Cross Tattoos

A big attraction of the Irish Celtic cross tattoos is that the cross itself is just different enough from modern crosses and crucifix designs to make it stand out. A common design you'll see has a circle around the point where the vertical and horizontal parts of the cross meet. Instead of a circle, a Celtic knot can be placed over the area where both parts cross over too.

Another variation of the Celtic cross tribal tattoos has a series of Celtic knots surrounding the border of the cross. Alternatively, the knotwork may adorn the inside of the cross. Whatever the designing variations, the effect of these cross tattoos is usually stunning, whether in plain black or bold Celtic green.

Celtic cross tribal tattoos are typically worn by men. In recent years though, they have caught the eyes of the women. With more delicate and curvy ornate lines than the usual cross, Celtic cross designs are very beautiful and can look very feminine. No wonder the women are starting to embrace the Celtic cross tattoos. But Irish Celtic cross tattoos are more than just a pretty design.

Symbolism of the Irish Celtic Cross Tattoos

Wearing Celtic cross tribal tattoos did not originally represent one's Christian faith since the Celts were pagan. Christianity was only associated with the Celtic cross much later when the Gospel was being introduced to Ireland. As the legend has it, St. Patrick blessed a sacred standing stone marked with a circle when shown. The sacred stone was believed to be a Celtic cross. Thus began the union of Gospel and Celtic culture in the Celtic cross.

Going all the way back to the original design of Irish Celtic cross tattoos, the structure of the cross itself is the main feature rather than all the knotwork infill. The Celtic cross was initially equal in length and width. This gave rise to four planes symbolizing the four basic elements of air, earth, water, and fire. There was also a circle in the middle of a Celtic cross illustrating eternity or the never ending cycle of life. The middle circle is originally a distinct feature separating the Celtic cross from the regular crosses.

Nowadays, the knots interweaving the borders of the cross tend to be the distinct feature of the Celtic cross tribal tattoos. The strands of the Celtic knots are normally designed in such a way to have no beginning and no end. This is another way to symbolize the never ending nature of human life. The knot itself on the other hand represents the joining together of the physical and spiritual worlds.

Celtic cross tattoos are highly appealing to many people as they combine the beauty of a cross with the Christian and Celtic ideologies behind them. Over time, the artistic images of Celtic crosses have changed such that the crosses don't always have equal length. Nonetheless, you can still reflect your faith while at the same time hearkening back to ancient civilization by wearing Irish Celtic cross tattoos.

Go here to access a growing gallery of cool tattoo designs [http://offto.net/tattoo_designs] of Irish Celtic cross tattoos, Irish tribal tattoos and many more. More ideas on Irish shamrock tattoos, Japanese kanji tattoos and other tattoo designs that fascinate Piers Pang, an avid admirer of body arts. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Piers_Pang