Archive for tatoo designs
Most Popular Free Tattoo Patterns: Dragons
Posted by: | CommentsAnother popular tattoo design choice involves using images that depict dragons. There are two different types of dragon tattoo patterns available: ones that depict the eastern dragon and ones for the western dragon.
Eastern Dragon Tattoos
Eastern dragon tattoos have positive meanings. They depict compassion, benevolence, fertility, protection, intelligence, good will, and good fortune. Most eastern dragons are drawn as creatures of beauty. In China, shrines and temples have been built to honor them because some believe they control the lakes, rivers, seas, and rain. Some Chinese cities have pagodas where people still pray to eastern dragons and burn incense.
According to Chinese mythology eastern dragons were great consuls of powerful Chinese rulers. Although the eastern dragons were usually kind and wise, they were sometimes vain and became angry when their advice was not followed. They expressed their displeasure by causing natural disasters. The more powerful eastern dragons were able to create droughts or floods. Smaller dragons were believed to make roofs leak or cause rice to stick. To appease the dragons people would set off firecrackers or carry large paper dragons in parades.
Dragons were believed to represent the essence of life and have breath that was celestial, called sheng chi. Eastern dragons were believed to provide life sustaining water used not only for drinking but also for irrigating crops. In many ways dragons were believed to be similar to what we call Mother Nature. They were also considered to be symbolic of good fortune and have the ability to ward off evil spirits and protect the innocent.
Western Dragon Tattoos
Western dragon tattoos have more negative meanings. They depict greed, destruction, and chaos. They are usually drawn as bloodthirsty, fire-breathing creatures.
Overall, dragon tattoos are more popular with men than with women, perhaps because the dragon symbol is usually indicative of strength and aggression.
Here are some examples of dragon tattoos:
Different Types of Free Tattoo Patterns
Posted by: | CommentsThere are thousands of free tattoo patterns available online. Before you start searching, decide which type of tattoo you’re interested in. The list below provides descriptions of the most popular types of tattoos:
Abstract Patterns
Abstract tattoos tend to covers lots of body space and convey an overall love of the art of tattooing more than anything. They may have a common theme or uniformity. They often have more meaning for the wearer than the viewer.
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Honor or Dedication Tattoos
These tatoo patterns tend to be associated with emotional messages. For example, heart tattoos, American flag tattoos, and military tattoos fall into this category. Tattoos of a loved one’s name fall into the dedication category as well.
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Realistic or Natural Tattoos
Realistic and natural tattoos are those that attempt to portray a realistic imaging of forms taken from nature. These tattoos usually include lots of detailing and shading. The perspective is designed so the image looks as realistic as possible.
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Simple Tattoo Patterns
Tattoos that fall into this category are flowers, animals, or cartoon characters. In general, the images may be somewhat stylized but shading is usually not involved. These tattoos are fairly straightforward and have clean, simple lines.
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Tribal Tattoos
Tribal tattoos represent the most requested tattoo design. Ones to look for are Polynesian, Haida, Native American, and Maori. This category covers thousands of different subcategories, including aboriginal and indigenous. Purists believe that tribal tattoes should only be done in black ink only, because thousands of years ago black ink was the only “color” available for inking ones body. True tribal tattoos are created with a black outline with no shading or filler ink. Tribal tattoos have become very popular these days, especially amongst celebrities. The most common areas to place tribal tattoos are the arms and the back. Placing the tattoo on the ankle is also popular.
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It’s important to do some research before you go to an ink shop to get a tattoo.
