Cool Cross Tattoos - Not Your Old-Time Religion

By Timothy Croy

Lots of political pundits and authors today seem to be trying to sell the idea that religion and spirituality can't be trendy. They want you to believe that to be a unique individual, you've got to reject religious affiliation. That's not true. You can have it both ways with cool cross tattoos.

Tattoos are one of the most widely recognized symbols of uniqueness and individuality. Free-thinkers and rebels have been getting them for years. But tattoos can be more than just a political statement or a way of saying "I'm different from you!" They can also express your beliefs.

Tattoos are a highly personal decision, and because they last for the rest of your life, you should choose a design that you know you will not get tired of. The best way to achieve both of these goals is to choose a meaningful symbol, like a religious one. A great option is the cross.

Crosses have a rich spiritual and symbolic history, and when you get a cross tattoo, you'll become a part of that tradition. But this tattoo is also your opportunity to truly make that tradition your own. You don't have to get a standard, cookie-cutter style tattoo.

There are many resources available to help you find cool tattoo designs. First, try talking to your friends, neighbors, and co-workers. A surprising number of them probably have tattoos or know someone who does, and they may be able to give you some ideas that will get your own creative juices flowing. (They can also tell you about what you should expect when you get your tattoo.)
You can also try visiting local tattoo parlors. Because cross tattoos are extremely popular designs, most tattoo artists have extensive experience in them, and they can help you decide on what design style would be best for you. They may even have some pictures of their original design work that you can browse until you find the design that you love.

There are a lot of ways to make your tattoo design your own. You can embellish the edges of the cross, for example, or try including a meaningful passage from Scripture. If you are able to afford the extra cost, you can incorporate colors, which can have a big impact.

Whatever design you choose, you should remember that the key to being happy with your tattoo is picking a design that's truly personal. Cool cross tattoos are a great way of expressing your religiosity, but doing it on your own terms.

Cool cross tattoos are a great way of integrating and expressing your spirituality and your individual tastes.

For more ideas and tattoo ideas, please visit our site at: Tattoo Ideas

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

Tattoo Ideas For Girls

By James C.

A lot of the tattoo designs that you can find online are geared toward guys - fierce dragons, skulls, and heavy tribal designs. When it comes to tattoo ideas for girls, though, it can be harder to find good designs that have a more feminine feeling to them. Here are some tattoo ideas for girls that may give you a jumping off point for your search.

Probably the three most common designs that girls get are flowers, butterflies and fairies. All of these tattoo designs are very feminine and can look beautiful on the female body. Just be sure when you are choosing the design to keep in mind where it will be placed on your body, how big you want it and if it is positioned to make the most of the natural curves of your body. When done correctly these girly tattoos can seem like they belong on your body instead of like they were just stuck there. Your tattoo artist should be able to advise you on size and positioning to make the most of the design that you choose.

If you are bored with the idea of flowers, butterflies or fairies or just don't want to get them because every other girl on the face of the earth who has tattoos probably has them you may want to think outside the box a little and get something unique. Tattoo designs that are a little more "manly" can also work well on girls if they are scaled down to the right size for your body.
If you don't want the design to look to harsh you can have your tattoo artist soften it a bit and give it more of a feminine feeling. Try dragons, koi fish, decorative crosses, angels or zodiac symbols.

Celestial bodies such as stars or the moon can also look really great on girls - especially if the design is either stylized a bit or if it is detailed and shaded.

If you are looking for a smaller tattoo, you can always go with an insect. Insects are great because they can either be done in a realistic style or they can be stylized to be more "cute."
Some insects that work really well as tattoos are spiders, ladybugs, bumblebees and dragonflies.
Other tattoo ideas for girls include armbands, tribal tattoos, animals, Egyptian tattoos, or tattoos done in an oriental style.

The more important thing to remember when you are choosing a tattoo design is that it should be something that has meaning to you. It doesn't matter what other people think of your tattoo design or whether it is "girly" or not as long as it holds some significance in your life and it makes you smile when you look at it. Really put some thought into what you are going to get and spend some time finding the perfect design so that you'll get a tattoo that you will truly love for the rest of your life.

Check out 1000's of unique tattoo ideas for girls from the top artists and online galleries http://tattoos.s1so.com

Experience The Ancient World With A Tribal Tattoo

By Mike Selvon

Though it has become very popular in Western Cultures in the past few years, native people groups around the world have used the tribal tattoo for various purposes for thousands of years.
A brief history of these uses will give people who may want a tribal tattoo a better idea of exactly what they want in a tattoo. More than just designs, these tribal symbols are often fraught with meaning and can signify many different aspects of human life.

While there are many different cultures that provide the basis for tribal tattoos, we will look at just a few of them here in order to develop a basic understanding of the most popular types.

The first style is found in ancient Egypt. Tattoos of hieroglyphics have become increasingly popular as people are choosing to tattoo themselves with symbols that may be very meaningful to them, but that they want to remain rather cryptic to others.

In addition to hieroglyphs, the ancient Egyptians used tattoos to depict religious scenes.
Creatures that were half animal and half human represented the Egyptian gods and their beliefs about the afterlife.

Another form of tribal tattooing is found in Asia. A henna tattoo was used in many Hindu cultures to decorate a bride's body for her husband. This practice has become increasingly popular in recent years throughout Western cultures.

While not necessarily used as a wedding adornment, henna tattoos have found a place in gothic subculture as a means of decorating the body.

These tribal patterns are considered works of art by themselves and each one is to be a unique creation of the tattoo artist's abilities and vision.

Native Americans tribal designs have also found popularity in recent years. They are often abstract creations that denote an emotion. Power, peace, wisdom and authority are subtly portrayed in these tattoos.

Men typically get these designs wrapped around their upper arm, or they may have them wrap from their back, over their shoulder and down onto their arm.

Women will typically have these Native American body art designs placed in the small of their back, or on a shoulder.

Regardless, of the location or the origin, the popularity of tribal tattoo designs shows that people are open to listening and learning from the wisdom and traditions of other cultures.

Often, people who choose to get a tribal body art are trying to express an emotion or a message that they are unable to do with words, or a common image. The tribal tattoo design sets apart the message as being something special, unique and important.

Enrich your knowledge further about the tribal tattoo options from Mike Selvon portal. We appreciate your feedback at our tattoo designs blog where a free gift awaits you.

Find Tattoo Styles That Work On Your Body Type - Five Best Designs

By Adam Woodham

Finding tattoo styles that work on your body type can be a real pain, but here are the five top designs for different body types, which work well on a wide range of people, while looking great.

Tattoo styles are constantly changing. While this is always going to happen, you should not pick a tattoo simply because it is the hot trend today. You are going to have the design on your body for a very long time, so you should not settle on something just because everybody else is doing it. You want your tattoo to be original, right? Keep this in mind when selecting the right tattoo styles for you body.

Now we will get right to the good stuff. Remember, you should always take your time to pick the perfect tattoo styles. Never, ever settle on something just because you don’t want to sift though all of the available tattoo styles that will look good on your body type.

New School Tattoo Styles – You might have seen these on people. This is the modern version of old anchor and swallow type tattoos. The old sailor type tattoos are now making a comeback and there is so much that you can do to these to make them an original work of art. Even women are getting these types of tattoos now and placing them strategically on heir necks.

Japanese Kanji Tattoo Styles – These are mostly seen as a “full sleeve”, covering men and women’s arms. These are some of the most beautiful tattoo styles out there and they look great on men and women. The most popular Kanji type design happens to be the Koi Fish.

Floral and Heart Tattoo Styles – These have been around for generations, but it seems as if they are making a strong comeback and are one of the sexiest tattoo styles. New School tattoo artist are now making their own designs and a new style of floral and heart tattoos have been born. Don’t settle for the pictures on the wall of a tattoo shop, because those are outdated. You can find all of the new school designs on various tattoo websites.

Tribal Tattoo Styles – The tribal tattoo has been around forever, way before your grandparents were even born. They are much more complicated designs than they were back then, so you have an enormous amount of tribal styles to choose from. Many people are now getting tribal tattoo styles in color, instead of just using black or green.

Star Tattoo Styles – The days of getting a plain star tattoo on your stomach are coming to an end. Half of the people that got these tattoos don’t even know exactly what they mean; they just thought they looked “cool”. There are now better, more extensive designs available, so you can really stand out in a crowd with an original star tattoo.

You should always take your time and pick out your tattoo styles carefully. Spend as much time as you need than selecting the perfect design. You should also never get a tattoo on impulse. Your best bet is to find five or six of your favorite designs and bring them to your tattoo artist. He or she can then restructure them to your liking and you can pick from multiple original tattoos. This way, you will be assured that your tattoo styles are original and you will be the only person with that design.

Want to know where to find the largest, most original website to browse tattoo styles?
Adam Woodham is the author of this article and runs the blog Art Tattoo which features the 3 top websites with the absolute largest gallery of tattoo styles you will ever see. Finding the perfect tattoo has never been easier.

Find Tattoo Styles That Work On Your Body Type - Five Best Designs

By Adam Woodham

Finding tattoo styles that work on your body type can be a real pain, but here are the five top designs for different body types, which work well on a wide range of people, while looking great.

Tattoo styles are constantly changing. While this is always going to happen, you should not pick a tattoo simply because it is the hot trend today. You are going to have the design on your body for a very long time, so you should not settle on something just because everybody else is doing it. You want your tattoo to be original, right? Keep this in mind when selecting the right tattoo styles for you body.

Now we will get right to the good stuff. Remember, you should always take your time to pick the perfect tattoo styles. Never, ever settle on something just because you don’t want to sift though all of the available tattoo styles that will look good on your body type.

New School Tattoo Styles – You might have seen these on people. This is the modern version of old anchor and swallow type tattoos. The old sailor type tattoos are now making a comeback and there is so much that you can do to these to make them an original work of art. Even women are getting these types of tattoos now and placing them strategically on heir necks.

Japanese Kanji Tattoo Styles – These are mostly seen as a “full sleeve”, covering men and women’s arms. These are some of the most beautiful tattoo styles out there and they look great on men and women. The most popular Kanji type design happens to be the Koi Fish.

Floral and Heart Tattoo Styles – These have been around for generations, but it seems as if they are making a strong comeback and are one of the sexiest tattoo styles. New School tattoo artist are now making their own designs and a new style of floral and heart tattoos have been born.
Don’t settle for the pictures on the wall of a tattoo shop, because those are outdated. You can find all of the new school designs on various tattoo websites.
Tribal Tattoo Styles – The tribal tattoo has been around forever, way before your grandparents were even born. They are much more complicated designs than they were back then, so you have an enormous amount of tribal styles to choose from. Many people are now getting tribal tattoo styles in color, instead of just using black or green.

Star Tattoo Styles – The days of getting a plain star tattoo on your stomach are coming to an end. Half of the people that got these tattoos don’t even know exactly what they mean; they just thought they looked “cool”. There are now better, more extensive designs available, so you can really stand out in a crowd with an original star tattoo.

You should always take your time and pick out your tattoo styles carefully. Spend as much time as you need than selecting the perfect design. You should also never get a tattoo on impulse.
Your best bet is to find five or six of your favorite designs and bring them to your tattoo artist.
He or she can then restructure them to your liking and you can pick from multiple original tattoos. This way, you will be assured that your tattoo styles are original and you will be the only person with that design.

Want to know where to find the largest, most original website to browse tattoo styles?
Adam Woodham is the author of this article and runs the blog Art Tattoo which features the 3 top websites with the absolute largest gallery of tattoo styles you will ever see. Finding the perfect tattoo has never been easier.

Japanese Tattoo Art, History and Such

By Tim Amlong

The decorative and symbolically rich body modification of Japanese tattoos has been practiced in Japan for the last 10,000 years. Many Shogun rulers outlawed Japanese tattoo and were only used in marking and punishment of criminals. Polynesian locals have been getting intricate armband tattoos since the 17th century with a primitive and very painful process involving soot and a bone needles. Traditional Japanese tattoos may be a thing of the past, bu their appeal is timeless. Japanese tattoos are still very popular choice and are some of the coolest tattoos you can get. .

A great armband tattoo to get is of a dragon or a snake, encircling the entire arm. Chinese reflected that the Japanese men, young and old, all tattoo their faces and decorated their bodies with designs. Not so much the style of tattoo that differed from so many other cultures, but the subject of the design of Japanese tattoo, makes them some of the most sought after around the world. Masked people, warriors, ladies, young girls, geisha, samurai, and the ancient gods and goddesses make popular appearances in Japanese designs.

Chinese and Japanese writing tattoos that incorporate other symbols of Asian art are very tasteful and a great choice. Unlike Chinese tattoos who started practicing the art as early as 2000 BC, Japanese tattoo art did not reach its peak till sometime in the 1800's, so Japanese tattoo art came about quite a bit later, comparative speaking. Japanese written language much like Chinese has a very distinct visual style, that has the design elements of tai chi chuan into the look of every character. Japanese tattoo design has a very distinct style that has been very influential on Western tattooing since the 1960's. Regardless of the popularity in its native land of Japan, traditional art of Japanese tattoos is making leap and bounds of popularity in the US and other western countries and cultures. Translating you name into Japanese writing is very beautiful and is a very good starting point for obtaining a cool tattoo design.

A large commitment of time, money and energy is required of Japanese tattoos that cover the entire back and arms, but yet the long process is looked upon by many to be a trial worthy of the samurai's of the past. There is such a delicate beauty that makes it an inspiration for Japanese tattoo art. Making a particularly good visual reference found in modern books of Japanese tattoos appear in visual style and coloring to be older than many other images. It has been said,, Japanese tattoos have been considered to detain a special magical and or religious factor to their owners. Other terms for Japanese tattoos are Irezumi, and Horimono are considered to be very beautiful, the intricate detail can cause complication to understand because of no actual alphabet for the Japanese language. There are a lot of online tattoo galleries that have a wide selection of Chinese or Japanese tattoo to choose from, the biggest problem is finding someone you trust that can re-create the designs and the intricate work involved to getting a quality tattoo of this nature to be applied.

I have a blog that is about custom design tattoos that I have posted a few articles on. If you are interested on getting a new tattoo or your first tattoo go to my site and you might get some good ideas. Also there are a couple of Tattoo Gallery sites that I have links to that offer some very good information that would be very helpful in making an intelligent decision before getting your next or first tattoo. Also I have a link to a very good book that gives a lot of the history behind Japanese tattoos that you can check out on my site.

Website address is: http://www.customdesigntattoo.com
Thanks,
Tim Amlong

Understanding How Tattoos Work

By Robert Hills

Tattoos have been around for thousands of years and are more popular today than at any time in recorded history. They are everywhere. Some studies show that around 35 percent of Americans aged 18-30 have tattoos. To most people tattoos represent a form of self expression and they view them as some sort of statement of their individuality. Most adults also feel sexier with tattoos.

So what exactly is a Tattoo?
A tattoo is a permanent mark, design or pattern made by inserting pigment (ink) into the second layer of the skin. Scientifically - tattooing is micro pigment implantation.

A tattoo is produced by puncturing the skin with special needles dipped in indelible inks. A needle injects ink into the cells of the dermis – the second layer of the skin.

Our skin consists of three layers: the epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissues. The outer layer that acts as a protective barrier and contains no blood vessels is called the Epidermis. Below that is a thicker layer called dermis and that is where tattoos go.

Because epidermis is constantly being replenished (we continue to produce and shed the top layer of the skin throughout lifetime), the tattooist pushes ink through the epidermis and leaves it in the dermis. The dermis stays pretty much the same for our entire life and this is why tattoos stay permanent while many other things done to the skin don't.

A tattoo needle goes approximately 1.5mm (1/16 of a inch) into the skin. A tattooist must make sure that the ink goes in just deep enough to be permanent, but not to deep. The depth varies across the body – it's deeper on the soles of the feet and thinner in other places like genitals.
If tattoo is done too deeply, into the third layer of the skin called subcutaneous layer, it can cause unnecessary pain and bleeding. It can also look blurred even as soon as it's healed, because you have to look deeper (through more layers of the skin) to see it. If any less than a millimeter, it might leave scratches and simply wear off.

The skill with which the tattoo is properly applied takes years to learn, so it is very important to choose an artist with experience and a portfolio of work that demonstrates quality. There are a lot of wannabes out there, so be careful.

Remember: A tattoo is as good as the artist who does it!

If you are looking for unique tattoo designs, visit Printable Tattoo Designs for more ideas.

Choosing the Right Custom Tattoo Design

By Tim Amlong

In today's world, it seems that almost any topic is open for debate. While I was gathering facts for this article, I was quite surprised to find some of the issues I thought were settled are actually still being openly discussed.

It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of custom tattoo design is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about custom tattoo design.

Tattoos have had a colorful history on western culture for the better part of two centuries. An increased popularity to custom tattoo designs has illustrated by celebrities, athletes, and historical figures have influenced body art world to rather extraordinary numbers. Custom tattoos have regained popularity in many parts of the world and particularly in the United States, Japan, and Europe. Many tattoo designs include Tribal, butterfly, Chinese characters, flowers, dragons, planets, stars, lower back and armband tattoos. The wide variety of custom tattoos available today has increased the popularity and truly created a whole new type of art work. The influx of tattoo designs has influenced a new industry of artist, many have technical and fine art training.

The original root word tattoo is commonly believed to come from the Tongan or the Tahitian word tatau, meaning to mark or strike twice. Strike twice refers to the traditional method of applying the design. Some tribal cultures created tattoos by cutting a design into the skin and rubbing the would with ink, ashes or other means. There is some fascinating history behind the evolution of tattoos design and art, early nautical tattoos and modern tribal styles and in between.

Tattoo designs have brought on some negative association for women tagged as "tramp stamp" and other derogatory remarks and slang phrases, sometimes referring to describe tattoo designs on a womans lower back. The popularity of women in the tattoo industry itself and the larger number of women wearing tattoos has somewhat changed this perception. Also tattoos have become a mainstream culture over the past couple of decades has made huge strides to dispel this stereotype and negative comments.

Their are a wide variety of online galleries, both free and paid sites that offer a wide selection of tattoos to choose from. Whether you want a trendy henna tattoo or temporary decals the various assortments will give you a good idea exactly what you want before you go to a tattoo parlor. Most of the online shops or sites you are able to download the image. All that is left to do know is deciding the placement of the design and how big.

Deciding to get your first tattoo can be a major decision, you should research this and make sure that this is the right fit for you. Also tattoos can be very expensive according to the detail and special design. After all, this is something that is going to be part of you for the rest of your life, unless you get it remove later on which is also very expensive. With the thousands of designs, Tribal, characters, animals, and other images I am sure you will be able to pick something that you will like.

Hopefully the sections above have contributed to your understanding of custom tattoo design. Share your new understanding about custom tattoo design with others. They'll thank you for it.

I have a blog that I have started and will be posting many articles. This is the first article that I will be putting on my blog site. If you would like to visit to see other articles please stop by and check them out. On this site also I am promoting a product that has a very large selection of Tattoo design. They have 43 different categories to chose from and also have a geographical listing of Tattoo parlors to have that new tattoo you are wanting inked on. Go to the site and check it out!

http://www.customdesigntattoo.com

Are Fairy Tattoo Picture Designs Just For Women?

By Kip Goldhammer

Some of the most popular designs for tattoos – especially among girls and younger women – are any fairy tattoo picture designs. These mythical creatures can have a wide range of different looks depending on who’s doing the designing. Some people associate fairies with magical lands or kingdoms. Some others think of creatures from some movies that they’ve seen. Fairies have long been associated with the hidden realms that are all around us but hidden away from us.

Said to hide in the shadows of woodland dells and only come out to taunt unsuspecting travelers, these creatures have become synonymous with magical stories. Many stories talk of fairies befriending children who become lost in the woods and need to find their way out. These creatures are said to be part of nature and the woodland realm of sprites and pixies. Some tattoo shops may represent fairies as angels in hopes that some men may opt to have an ‘angel’ tattooed on them.

This is a popular design for tattoos for women who want a whimsical and feminine design. Many tattoo shops have several designs of fairies because of this popularity. Some images have fairies with hearts or other objects clutched in their arms, representing a loved one of the customer perhaps.

For many years getting a fairy tattoo has meant good luck for many people who believe in such things. This is because the creatures have always been associated with magic and luck. There are many tales that mention fairies prominently throughout, and this is another reason why so many people like the image of a fairy tattoo.

If you search through a lot of web pages and find a design for a fairy that you like, you can bring it to your local tattoo shop and have any of the artists draw out an original design based on the image you’ve supplied. In this way the design created will be one that you like but one that’s also still very unique to you.

The tattoo shop artist can then create a design in a temporary tattoo that can be applied to various places on your body to see where you might like to have the actual tattoo when it’s time to do the real inking. Once you’ve chosen the position where the real tattoo will go, you can go ahead and let the tattoo shop artist begin to ink you up. Several colors may need to be applied before the fairy image begins to look like a fairy tattoo so don’t be in a rush to get it done.

Kip D Goldhammer owns and operates http://www.tattoosdesignsreviews.com Fairy Tattoo Designs and Other Mythical Creatures