Tattoos are more popular than ever before.  It is estimated that nearly 1 in 4 people have at least one tattoo.  When deciding on a tattoo design, there are many different styles to choose from, giving people a chance to be creative. The article below will explore some of the most popular tattoo designs (not necessarily forearm tattoos).

Tribal tattoos are among the most popular designs. Tribal tattoos have a history dating back many hundreds of years and they continue to evolve and become more and more complex with their designs and styles. Tribal tattoos can either be the traditional black style that cover the arms and the legs or the more colorful styles that can cover every area of the body. The colorful, more modern look is becoming more and more popular when compared to other styles.

The “old school” styles of tattoos continue to be popular. Anchors and other more ‘retro’ designs are making a great comeback these days and are not just tattooed on sailors. These styles were very popular back in the 1960 and 70s. We are pleased to see that they are re-gaining their popularity

Lower back tattoos are the most common for women. The lower back is one of the most sexual and sensual areas on a women, making the ideal spot to have a tattoo. Tribal designs are the most popular, although dragons, flowers, and other symbols make great tattoos as well. The lower back offers plenty of natural curves, which can make for an innovative tattoo. 

Dragon designs are another popular type style of tattoos. They were popular in the past, and are now starting to get their popularity back. There are a lot of different dragons to choose from, including the mythical dragon and ancient Chinese dragon. Dragons are great on the chest or shoulder for males and the back for females. Dragon tattoos can be virtually any size, although most males tend to have them cover one side of their chest or the upper region of their arms.

Celtic tattoos are also popular as well (and our favourite). They are mostly seen with those who have a Celtic heritage (in particular Scottish, Welsh, Irish or Cornish), although many with no Celtic heritage have them now because they offer a variety of symbols and designs, providing universal meanings for everyone. 

There are several other types of tattoos out there, although the above are the most common. Tattoos can be very creative and innovative; it all depends on what you want. If you’re looking to stand out and be truly creative – you can always have a professional tattoo artist design one for you.

If you are looking for inspiration or a more standard design you could start with checking out the links below.

The sites below provide literally thousands of tattoo design ideas. All you have to do is register and choose your design, print it off and take it down to your local tattoo parlor.

Each of the sites below categorizes the designs to make it easy to find what you are looking for. The popular designs (including Tribal Tattoos, Dragon Tattoos, Flower Tattoos, Lower Back Tattoos, Anchor Tattoos, Forearm Tattoos and Celtic Tattoos) as mentioned above can all be obtained from these sites.

Chopper-Tattoo (provides you with literally thousands of award winning tattoo designs – easy to browse)

Tattoo Me Now (3,523 designs (and growing!) in 40 categories with over 37,000 customers).

Print My Tattoo (7,500 tattoo designs ready to be printed and used, with unlimited downloads).

Technorati Tags: Anchor Tattoos, celtic tattoos, Dragon Tattoos, Flower Tattoos, Forearm Tattoos, Lower Back Tattoos, tribal tattoos

The Shoulders 

Technorati Tags: Eyeball Tattoos, Forearm Tattoos, Wrist Tattoos

Technorati Tags: Tribal Tattoos on Forearm

Tribal Tattoos: Designs & Origins

Ancient tattoos are often preserved when skin has been mummified or preserved in ice or peat, but nobody knows for sure when the first tattoo was inked.

This blog post is written to take you on a quick trip around the world looking at some interesting facts about the origins of tattoo designs.

The Pacific Islands

It is thought that the word tattoo originated from the Tahitian word tatau, meaning ‘to mark’.

Maori men tattooed their faces with fierce looking patterns and Maori women tattooed their lips and chins and were a sign of beauty.  These tattoos are caved into the flesh using a bone chisel, and ink is then placed in the cuts.  Recently Maori tattoos have become popular in the tattoo world.

In Samoa the tattoo marks the ability to bear pain and is still true today.

Tattooing in Japan is thought to go back some ten thousand years, with probably the most recognisable (and probably the most beautiful and elaborate) form of Japanese body art is associated with the organized crime group the Yakuza.

Central and South America

There is evidence showing that prior to the arrival of the Spanish in Central and South America that tattoos and body painting was widespread and largely used for social and spiritual purposes (rather than just decorative).  The arrival of the Spanish marked the start of a rapid decline and termination of many indigenous cultures, taking with them the knowledge of how these looked and how they were applied.

Central and South Africa

Tribal tattoos designs were traditionally applied using a the method of marking out the design on the skin with series of black dots, which works less well on darker skins.  This may explain why tribal tattoos are not as prevalent as in Central and South African cultures.  Rather than tattoos – skin painting and scarification is widely used as a way of decorating the body.

Europe

The remains of Ötzi the Iceman were found entombed in a glacier in the Italian / Austrian Alps and have been dated back some 5,000 years shows that he had about 57 carbon tattoos consisting of simple dots and lines on his lower spine, on his right ankle and behind his left knee.

Tattooing in Europe has obviously been around for many thousands of years (as seen on Ötzi the Iceman), although it was thought that Captain Cook ‘re-introduced’ tattooing back into Europe after his expedition around the Pacific in 1769.  Many sailors returned bearing permanent souvenirs on their bodies.  Since the return of this voyage, tattoos have been associated with life on the sea.

Tribal Tattoos Designs

Tribal Tattoos Designs vary considerably in terms of their design and style, however they mostly use large areas of solid black called ‘blackwork’

Below are a few links to other websites which, if you are looking for tribal tattoo designs or forearm tattoo designs would be a good place to start looking (please note we may get a commission if you purchase anything from these sites).

Tattoo Me Now (3,523 designs (and growing!) in 40 categories, including many blackwork designs)

Chopper-Tattoo (provides you with literally thousands of award winning tattoos, including tribal tattoos designs – easy to browse)

Print My Tattoo (7,500 tattoo designs ready to be printed and used, including many forearm tattoo designs).

See more information about tribal tattoo at: ezinearticles.

Technorati Tags: Blackwork, Forearm Tattoo, maori, Tattoo Designs, Tribal Tattoo Designs, Tribal Tattoos Designs, yakuza

The art of tattooing is probably as old as humanity itself and tribal tattoo designs have always been at the forefront of the most favorite tattoo designs throughout the ages. Even though the technology used in tattoos have evolved from the crude ink and needle techniques of yesteryear’s to the modern tattoo- making tools and machines that can create colorful, very intricate and very complicated works of art on a human body, the preference for tribal designs never waned.

The following is a short discussion of the various tribal tattoo designs that many people prefer and a look into the meaning behind these designs.

*The Traditional Meaning of Tribal Tattoos

It has been the tradition of many tribes around the world to sport a form or two of tribal-tattoos on their bodies as part of being a member of that particular tribe. Some of the more popular traditional designs that we see today originated from Borneo, the Celts, the Haidas in Southeast Alaska, the Native American Indians, the ancient Chinese, the Aztecs and other South American tribes, and the Polynesian tribes particularly the Maori people.

Tribal tattoo designs and meanings vary from each tribe and it depends on their mythological roots and how each tribe view and interact with there surroundings and with the world. Most of these designs are associated with their beliefs and religions and form part of rituals and rights of passages. These tattoo designs also have significant social meanings ranging from a unique identification system for families or tribes or as a record of the individual’s accomplishments and phases in life. Others believe tattoos can bring out magical powers or they can drive off evil spirits.

*Tribal Tattoo Meanings in the Modern World

Tribal tattoos are really great-looking designs that stand out despite their monochromatic characteristics. The modern world and tattoo enthusiasts have combined certain elements of traditional designs and mix it up with modern lines, curves and other elements. These designs can be adapted from traditional patterns used by real tribes, or designs can be created from an original variation of the artist using traditional tribal elements.

However, a person wanting such variations or adaptation from original designs should be careful not to offend the original tribe by making more careful studies on tribal tattoo meanings particularly for a specific tribe. Some traditional designs used by native tribes signify their identity and if used by an outsider, the act would be considered a serious insult to the original tribe.

In most cases, tribal tattoo designs used in a modern context does not have the same meaning or connotation as traditional tribes have intended them to be. Most do not have a real meaning in itself and were just created because of plain, artistic and aesthetic beauty that the image possesses. Despite that, a lot of people are enamored and would prefer the tribal design over the multi-colored variations.

Tattooing is an age-old tradition used by many tribes all throughout the world. The black images used in tribal tattoo designs have different connotations and meanings as they are used throughout the tattoo world – both traditionally and in a modern sense.

If you are looking for unique, hot and sexy tribal tattoo design I recommend you have a look at http://www.MiamiInkTattooDesigns.com. They have more than 25,000 tattoo designs in their gallery.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amy_Johns
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Technorati Tags: favorite tattoo designs, Tribal Tattoo Designs, tribal tattoo meanings, tribal tattoos