Archive for tattoo designs
Zodiac Tattoo Designs – Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus
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Some of the most popular tattoo designs today are those of Zodiac signs and if you are thinking of getting one, its better you know what they mean – for after all, you are going to be stuck with it permanently!
The word Zodiac as it is used today comes from the Greek words z?diakos kuklos, which literally mean a ‘circle of animals’. It’s quite apparent what could’ve inspired such a terminology in ancient astronomy – almost all of the twelve symbols depict animals. Although the Zodiac remains one of the ecliptic coordinate systems used in astronomy even today, these twelve symbols and their names are mostly used in horoscopes and astrology.
Aquarius also known as the water bearer is usually represented by a couple of jagged horizontal lines. Obviously this symbolizes water waves, and is also sometimes depicted as a man pouring water from a pitcher. This sign is usually associated with the color blue. If your birthday falls on or between Jan 20th and Feb 18th, this is your sun sign. The Aquarian is said to be very independent, inventive, loyal and intuitive but also careless and eccentric.
Pisces also known as the fish is depicted by two fish swimming in opposing directions. These tattoo symbols are usually found in a soft sea green color – the color associated with the sun sign. You are a Piscean if your birthday falls on or between Feb 20th and March 20th. The Piscean is said to be very sensitive, flexible, humble and friendly but also very indecisive and unorganized. 
Aries symbolized by the ram is often depicted as the curvy horns of the ram. The color associated with this sun sign is red. You would fall under this sun sign if your birthday falls on or between March 21st and April 20th. Just like the daring and aggressive ram, those that fall under this sign are supposed to be very brave, adventurous, smart and enthusiastic but they can also be very hot tempered, egoistic and impulsive.
Taurus, also known as the bull is denoted by the title animal. The signs are usually symbolized by a circle (a round face) with a semi-circle sitting on top of the circle denoting the horns of the bull. The color most often associated with this sign is pink (surprisingly!) You fall under this sun sign if your birthday falls on or between April 21st and May 21st. Much like the animal the sign represents, these people are said to be a bit possessive, lazy and stubborn. Their good qualities however are that they are very practical, responsible and hence very reliable.
Cat Tattoo Designs
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The cat, for many is representative of freedom of thought, independence and quick recovery. The Cat supposedly has nine lives – the animal earned this reputation primarily due to its inexplicable ability to land on its feet no matter what great a height it falls from.
Studies show that Cats have walked the earth for about 50 million years now. It first appeared as a small clever animal which was a predatory carnivore with retractable claws. The Cat has always evoked different reactions from different people – love, hate and even fear. Similarly, various ancient cultures viewed the cat in different light. Some considered it good luck while others thought it was a bad omen. Some considered it sacred, even as a god and some considered it an instrument of evil.
The cat was most revered perhaps in ancient Egypt. It is believed that by 3000BC the cat had become an influential totem. It was symbolic of the feminine representing fertility and motherhood. It was also associated with the moon in early Egypt. It appears as the defeater of evil Apep in the book of the dead. The Egyptians even depicted many of their gods in the form of a cat – either fully or as a half breed (half human half cat). In Egyptian mythology the lion headed goddess Sekmet appears to be the ruler of human fate who had a twin sister Mafdet – the domestic cat. Cats were so sacred to the early Egyptians that killing one earned the death sentence. It is popularly believed that the Persians while at war with the Egyptians captured thousands of cats and threatened to kill them unless they surrendered. The Egyptians surrendered!
In other parts of the world cats were loved for several other reasons. In Japan and China it was valued for its ability to rid the silkworm cultivators of mice. In Thailand, the Siamese cat was a revered temple cat and the cat supposedly guarded the temples of Buddha in India.
Some cultures however associated the animal with Witchcraft and witches leading to the superstitions associated with a black cat. It was believed that a black cat crossing your path brought bad luck.
Many today have come to love the creatures and regard them as silent companions. For many they make a great house pet as they are cleaner and you don’t have to deal with all the poop scooping – like with dogs. I personally don’t like cats all that much but I do think they make great tattoo designs!
The History of Chinese Tattoos
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Chinese tattoos are the in thing nowadays. They not only look great but often have a deep meaning that makes it even better.
Like most of the world, the Chinese also associated tattooing with criminal behaviour. Those found guilty of a serious crime were tattooed on their face and sent into exile. The tattoo served as a permanent mark that marked him as a criminal if he were to return after the exile. The Chinese word for tattoos is Ci Shen or Wen Shen which when literally translated means to ‘puncture the body’. Although tattooing has become a common practice today, the ancient Chinese saw this as a denigration of the body – something unattractive.
Very little is known of its discovery and use in the ancient world. The popular history of Chinese tattooing we know now derives mostly from 940 AD on. A reference to tattooing is found in one of the classical novels of Chinese literature. The story is of Song Jiang and his 108 companions, who were bandits in the Mount Liang area (12th century districts of China). Three of these bandits are fabled to have had full body tattoos.
Perhaps the most famous of these legends is that of the Chinese general Yueh Fei of the South Song Dynasty. The South Song Dynasty (between 960 1279 AD) is known to be the first government in all of history that issued paper money and was also the first one to institute a permanent navy. It is said that during a battle the Marshall under whom General Yueh Fei served, deserted his army and joined the enemy. After this betrayal General Yueh Fei quit the army and went home to his mother. Apparently, his mother did not take too kindly to his renouncement of the Chinese army. She later tattooed the words that (more or less) mean ‘Serve China and be loyal even in the face of death’, to serve as a constant reminder that his first responsibility lay with his country.
Although the mainstream culture does not have any traditions with tattooing, many minority Chinese groups have traditions that go back a few centuries. Most notably the Drung and Dai tribes, as well as the Li people of Hainan Island.
Popular Tattoo Artist: Sailor Jerry
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Norman Keith Collins popularly known a Sailor Jerry is America’s own famed tattoo artist. He is also referred to as the world’s finest tattoo artist by some. Sailor Jerry was born in Reno, Nevada in January 1911 – back in the day when tattooing wasn’t a very popular art. It is said that as a child, Sailor Jerry used to hop freight trains across the country which introduced him to Tatts Thomas, a man who introduced tattooing to Sailor Jerry. In fact it is popular belief that Tatts Thomas was the one who taught Sailor Jerry how to use a tattoo machine.
Sailor Jerry practiced his new found art on wayfarers and transients as he sailed the Pacific Ocean. He later established himself in Hawaii and made it his home. He is described as “a class-A pirate” by one of his best students (Mike Malone). His full arm tattoos under a plain white T-shirt became his trademark. He joined the United States Navy at age 19; he was exposed to the art forms of South East Asia during his travels with the navy, which very much influenced his own style in tattooing.
Sailor Jerry loved to sail (no surprises there I suppose!). In fact, he continued to sail and work as a licensed skipper (a person who has command of a vessel), conducting tours of the Hawaiian Islands, even during his career as a tattoo artist. Apart from his two key undertakings (sailing and tattooing), he also loved to play the saxophone – he played the Sax in his own dance band.
Sailor Jerry was not only an artist but he was also a prolific writer. He had many pen-pals (I’m sure teenagers today won’t even know this word!) around the world, with whom he had meaningful interactions. He also hosted his own radio show on KTRG from time to time. He spoke about varied subjects including politics.
By the end of his career he entrusted his art to two of his students – Ed Hardy and Mike Malone. A few decades after Sailor Jerry’s death (1973) Hardy and Malone partnered with an independent Philadelphia clothing company and established Sailor Jerry Ltd. The company mainly produces clothing, along with a wide variety of items such as ash trays, playing cards and shot glasses.
Five Dots Tattoos
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The dots tattoo means different things in different cultures. It is a group of five dots placed like that on a dice. It is normally placed on the arm between the forefinger and the thumb.
The five dots in Portugal resemble the five shields (reminiscent of the five wounds of Jesus’ crucifixion) of the Portuguese flag. This tattoo was previously worn on the shoulder or the hand by some members of the Portuguese army. Today it has become more like a Portuguese-American or Portuguese-Canadian street tattoo.
In Greece and Romania the tattoo is normally worn by prison inmates much like many inmates in the American, Canadian and French prisons. They represent the four walls of the prison cell, with the individual in the middle. In South America however, the dot in the centre represents a cop, surrounded by four prisoners.
The tattoo also holds another meaning in the United States. It is said to be the sign of an anti government group that is mostly in Colorado. It also means that the wearer is a member of the Blood or People Nation gangs representative of the points of a five point star. This tattoo is normally placed on the left hand. It is also a common symbol among the Oriental Troop gang. The five dots here represent the number 5 in the number 15 which denotes the letter O, meaning Oriental. Additionally in their culture the five dots stand for Health, Wealth, Family, Love, and Respect.
According to the criminals of Russia (who are sporting the majority of these tattoos) the dots stand for “I will not forget prison”.
The United Kingdom has a unique meaning for the five dots tattoo. It is very popular among the youth there and is said to stand for “find her, follow her, finger her, f*** her, forget her” – yea, unique indeed!
African Tattooing Techniques
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We all know how tattooing is done (with a tattoo machine you say – I hear you!). The basic idea behind it is to open or scar the skin and rub some kind of a pigment on it that will remain under the skin as the wound heals (a long time ago people used ash as pigment). While most cultures use similar techniques for tattooing, the African tattoo technique is among the most unique form of the art. The tribes of Africa use a sort of texturing process as opposed to the more popular dying or pigmentation techniques. You see, the procedure is unique not only because it’s different from the usual technique but also because it’s a heck of a lot more painful than normal! The African tribes use this process to mark their passage into womanhood or manhood (I agree. Growing up is the toughest thing I’ve ever had to do!)
The tattoo design is literally cut into the flesh with a knife or a similar sharp object. Due to the tribal people’s dark skin color merely pigmenting the cut with color is not enough to create a distinct design. So they pack the wound with colored soil or dust to form a sort of elevated design. The scar that results as the flesh wound heals is the tattoo! (No way am I going to get one of those!)
I’m sure you can imagine just how excruciating the process is. For the indigenous peoples of Africa this process indicates whether a child entering womanhood / manhood will be able to survive the hardships of life that are prevalent among the tribes. These tattoos often are indicative of the wearer’s age, rank and affiliation. They are highly esteemed symbolizing a major accomplishment in toughness and fortitude. They show case the wearer’s worth to himself / herself and to the tribe as a whole.