Why These Tattoo Designs Remain Popular
Ever wondered what it would feel like to be a masterpiece? Do you imagine being a walking work of art? You just might want to get a tattoo. There are many incredible tattoo designs out there that would give Da Vinci a run for his money. These designs have evolved over centuries, as documented in this Smithsonian article on tattoo cultural history. It is such a sight for sore eyes to either have mind-blowing drawings wrapping themselves around visible parts of your body, or cute little writings tucked away under your sleeve to motivate you when you’re shirtless. Either way, here are the top ten most popular tattoo designs you can decide to leverage on.
Classic Traditional Tattoo Designs
Nautical Tattoos: Sailor’s Timeless Symbols
There is a high chance that you would have seen one or two Navy tattoo traditions and meanings on your naval acquaintances. Loosely referred to as sailors’ tattoos, this design of tattoos originated from sailors and was usually etched for a number of reasons related to sailor traditions and maritime protection. Nautical tattoos were believed by sailors to have mystical powers that could ward off ill-fortune and protect them as they voyaged.
Also, some of these tattoos were drawn to keep track of milestones, triumphs and creatures they experienced as they traveled on. Nautical designs are foundational elements of traditional American tattoo styles developed by sailors. More recent times have seen many a navy personnel adopt these tattoos that include swallows, anchors, ships, knots, and even dragons with each tattoo holding its own meaning and indication.
Memorial Tattoos: Honoring Personal Meaning
It is not rare to see people tattoo dates, names and quotes on different parts of their bodies. You have probably seen tattoos that look like actual photographs. Yea, they can be such wonderful sights but beyond that these tattoos often have personal meanings that run deep. Many people choose memorial tattoos for grief and remembrance as a permanent way to honor loved ones.
Memorial tattoos can be motivated by the death of a loved one, a defining point in the wearer’s life, milestones and people that are dear to them. They represent personalized memorial art and remembrance that helps people maintain connections. They could also be letterings (like names and dates), symbols or inscriptions that motivate and help them get by with life. The catch with memorial tattoos is that they can be drawn from just any style and often encompass the widest range of versatile tattoo designs as they are often customized to either very simplistic drawings or layers of complex intricate details of just about anything.
Cultural and Symbolic Tattoo Designs
Asian Calligraphy Tattoos: Eastern Artistry
There are lots of proverbs and symbols in Asia that can embody a message beyond the scope of English texts. Quotes from Japan, Korea, China and lots of other places in Asia are made even more beautiful by their unique calligraphic styles, which is why they are being sought out more often by people of other nationalities. The appeal lies in the Eastern calligraphy aesthetic and meaning that these characters convey.
Historically, criminals in dispensations like ancient China were often tattooed with characters on their foreheads as punishment, depicting their crimes. However, in modern times, the coin has flipped and Chinese calligraphy tattoos have become more popular and a worldwide trend, with people engraving them on different parts of their bodies. Some people write meaningful characters with grammatical expressions that inspire them, but most people are drawn to these designs more for the aesthetics of the calligraphy. Understanding authentic Chinese calligraphy and character meanings prevents cultural appropriation or embarrassing mistakes, and more often than not, have on themselves, incoherent Chinese calligraphy.
Zodiac Sign Tattoos: Astrological Identity
Astrology has always played an integral part of human existence which is why a lot of people credit circumstances, personal attributes and even their births to zodiac signs. These tattoos express astrological identity and personal attributes that people believe shape their character. Understanding spiritual and symbolic meanings in tattoos helps you choose designs with personal resonance. Zodiac signs have a number of representations:
Rams with curved horns or a ‘V’ with curved tips are the symbols for Ares. Scales symbolize Libra. A bull represents the sign of Taurus. Fishes stand for Pisces. The Half-Man, Half-Horse is known to be Sagittarius. Twins, usually depicted with two people sitting back to back, is the symbolism for Gemini. A two-horned Goat represents the Capricorn sign. Lions are usually tattooed to mean the zodiac sign of Leo. A Crab is the imagery symbolizing Cancer. The Water Bearer is usually referred to as Aquarius. Scorpions obviously are the signs for Scorpio. A Maiden is drawn to represent Virgo.
You definitely fall under one of these signs and just might decide to get one of these, in any form and with any design that appeal to you.
Nature-Inspired Tattoo Designs
Animal Tattoos: Wildlife and Mythical Creatures
You don’t have to be vegan to appreciate animals. Animals are everywhere and even though some can be quite scary or mythical, it doesn’t change the fact that they are loved and held in admiration. Different animals can be seen to represent different things to various people and this shapes the relationship between man and animal in a lot of ways. Some animals are viewed as meat while some are revered. Others are chosen as friends and more others have become guiding spirits to other folks.
Animal tattoos have transcended centuries, cascading down the years with spiritual relevance and personal expressions to people who have them drawn. These designs showcase wildlife symbolism and mythical creatures that resonate with personal identity. It is not out of place to see people tattoo their pets on their arms and some go even further to tattoo extinct creatures such as dragons, dinosaurs, and gargoyles, all with differing levels of meanings. Animal tattoo designs are as unexhaustive as all the animals to ever walk, fly, crawl or slither upon the earth. It does not matter what walk of life you’re from; whether you’re a veterinarian or a zoologist, a farmer or a pet-lover, animals do not discriminate. You should get an animal tattoo too (maybe a bunny or a chicken)!
Floral Tattoos: Botanical Beauty and Symbolism
Don’t you just love flowers? How beautiful and colorful they are. Such heavenly scent they have. Contrary to general perception, men love flowers too! This is why floral tattoo designs are one of the most popular unisex tattoos worldwide. These designs combine botanical beauty and flower meanings that resonate across cultures.
Flowers like roses, lilies, and anemones are quite popular muses for tattoo artists. In-fact, floral tattoo designs are just as wide a variety as animal tattoos and hold even more profound symbolisms. Maintaining colorful floral tattoos requires quality aftercare products like Vitium Tattoo Butter for vibrant color preservation. Flowers like begonia are drawn to symbolize happiness and wealth, the gardenia flower is usually tattooed to symbolize love and purity, while orchids represent beauty and strength.
Contemporary and Artistic Tattoo Designs
Musical Note Tattoos: Rhythmic Expression
You ever liked a song or a rhythm so much you just wish you could take it with you everywhere? Well, you just might want to tattoo the notes of the song on your arm. A lot of people are passionate about music as a phenomenon and can go the extra mile to express this passion as tattoos of musical notes or chords on parts of their bodies. These tattoos represent musical passion and artistic expression that defines identity. Usually, musical notes tattoos are placed on conspicuous parts of the body such as the wrist, lower arm and neck, as a badge and a public show of affection for the object of passion: Music.
Wings Tattoos: Freedom and Spirituality
Everyone loves to express their freedom and I believe you are not averse to that. Wings are one good way to assert your free-spirited personality. These designs symbolize freedom, spirituality, and remembrance with deep personal meaning. People who get wings tattoos can also have them as a means of remembering loved ones that have passed on. You might also get wing tattoos to exert an aura of strength or purity. One reason why wings tattoo designs are popular is because they can be worn by both men and women and can be placed just about anywhere on the body, using any tattoo style. However, many people prefer to draw them on the back or across the chest.
Scorpion Tattoos: Strength and Protection
Scorpions are fierce and resilient and despite their small sizes, they can be quite intimidating largely because of their stingers. Tattooing a scorpion relays the message that you are not someone to be messed with and embodies strength, resilience, and protection. Even though this tattoo design is more prominent amongst males, females are beginning to find it attractive enough to wear them. On the flipside, a scorpion tattoo can mean you are loyal, brave and devoted. Many men also wear scorpion tattoos as a show of masculine sexuality. Some totally cool places to inscribe a scorpion design tattoo are the forearms, hands, shoulder-blades, and the ankles.
Celestial Body Tattoos: Cosmic Mysteries
A few things are more mesmerizing than the mysteries that surround phenomena like space, the creation of the world and even celestial bodies like the moon, the sun, comets and star constellations. People love these subject matters and draw differing representations from them. These designs explore cosmic mysteries and celestial symbolism that fascinate humanity.
Black and grey inks can be employed to tattoo images of the sun or lunar activities or even other celestial beings like angels to symbolize fertility, sensuality, eternity, mysticism and even guidance. Tattoos of star constellations can be drawn with dotted lines all crisscrossing to fashion appealing patterns. It is also common practice for people to tattoo hyper-realistic images of the solar system or comets on the insides of their forearms, their sides or their backs.
Choosing Your Perfect Tattoo Design
A lot of work goes into designing creative tattoos and even though the process of getting tattooed can be quite painful, endurance pays off when you see the product of ink and experience adorning your body. There are numerous designs, some of which are already widely popular and more of which are beginning to gain admiration and replication across continents. Luckily there are no rules and you can decide to get as many tattoos as your body can take!
When selecting your design, consider design complexity and placement carefully – intricate designs require larger canvas areas and skilled artists. Once you’ve selected your design, focus on choosing a tattoo artist for your specific design style to ensure quality execution. Before getting any design, review American Academy of Dermatology tattoo safety guidelines for proper health precautions.
If you’re still wondering what tattoo to get, or you’d want to add to your collection, I am certain this piece would be of immense help.
