Early in our modern history, people who were exiled from Great Britain to the Australian Penal Colonies (a settlement where prisoners were transported to separate them from the general population) were sometimes tattooed with symbols intended to disgrace the prisoner; for example, D which stood for deserter (for abandonment of a military post). These prisoners often added to the tattoo in an effort to conceal the original design or to express rebellious or sardonic messages.

In Japanese history, full body tattoos were traditionally worn by members of the Yakuza (traditional organized crime syndicates; they called themselves “chivalrous organizations”). Their elaborate design and size of the tattoos showed who the wearer associated with. Around 600 AD these tattoos began to have negative connotations. Instead of being used for ritualistic purposes they were used to mark criminals, and this practice came to be mirrored by the Romans.

In North America today, there are many tattoo symbols that have come to mean something. For instance, the tattoo of three dots within a triangle (usually tattooed on the skin between the forefinger and the thumb) means ‘my crazy life’. Another famous tattoo among the Hispanics is the Pachuco cross which means ‘I need nothing’. This is similar in meaning to those worn by Vietnamese teens.

We all know what the famous gang related tear drop tattoo means (the wearer has killed someone); it could also mean that the wearer had a friend who was killed in prison. The tattoo of the ace of spades (with the A tattooed inside the spade) is associated with the Asian Boyz gang of California and so forth.

He went on to become a student of the famous Sailor Jerry (christened Norman Keith Collins, another leading tattoo artist of his time). Ed benefited greatly from his association with Sailor Jerry; he was able to study tattooing in Japan with the classical Japanese tattoo master, Horihide, in 1973. Ed became well-known for his tattoo style that integrated the Japanese tattoo technique and art with the American panache.

Ed Hardy forayed into the world of publishing in 1982. Ed, along with his wife, found Hardy Marks Publications and first published the five book series called Tattootime. The publishing house went on to publish 20 books on tattoos including catalogs of Ed’s own work and also of Sailor Jerry Collins.

Ed also ventured into other venues of printing after the initial success in publishing. In 2002 he licensed an American company (Ku USA Inc.) to create a line of clothes based on his work of art. Its success in just two years of operation drew widespread interest and soon Ed and Ku USA collaborated to form the Hardy Life LLC which today holds the copyrights and trademark ownership to all his work.

At around the same time (year 2000) Ed was also appointed to Oakland’s cultural arts commission by Mayor Jerry Brown. Although Ed has retired from tattooing today, he still mentors and over sees the tattoo artists at Tattoo City, his tattoo parlor in San Francisco. Apart from tattoo art, Ed had also invested his time in other forms of art such as printmaking, painting and drawing since the 1960s.

Ed Hardy’s journey in life from that of a tattoo artist to that of a fashion (clothes line) designer has inspired many. It certainly has inspired me! Who ever thought there was so much in tattoo artistry!

Don’t give in to peer pressure when selecting a tatoo design. Just because everyone else is doing it doesn’t mean you have to follow suit. Tattoes are meant to be unique; there’s nothing special about getting the same tattoo as a friend.

Also, try to avoid getting a tattoo of a romantic interest. Even if you’re married and get a dedication tattoo of your spouse you’re taking a chance that you might not always be together. Yes, it’s hard to think about but the divorce rate in the United States is around 50%. Think of the celebrities that have gotten tattoos of their loved ones only to later regret it. Some of them end up getting them either removed or covered up with some other design.

Think about the location for the tattoo. The most painful areas for getting tattoos are the sides of the lower back, the inner thigh area, the rib area, the inside of the upper arm, the center of the upper back. The area near joints tend to hurt a lot because of the amount of nerve endings in those areas. Also the skin above bones like the anklebone or the collarbone tend to be more painful for getting tattoos.

Tattoes are permanent markings that will probably be with you for the rest of your life. Choose wisely. Select a design that means something to you and that says something about you and your beliefs, goals, and/or values as a person. Select a design that complements your skin tone. Select a location that showcases a part of your body that you’re proud of or select a location that only you and special loved ones can see. You’ve got tons of choices out there so do your homework and get a design that you’ll be proud of for years to come.

For more information see also:

Laser Tattoo Removals

How Much Does a Tattoo Cost?

The Popularity of Lower Back Tattoos

Celtic Cross Tattoos-What Do They Mean?

Tribal Butterfly Tattoos

Glow in the Dark Tattoos

Symbolism

Butterflies often represent:

• rebirth
• renewal
• perseverance
• rejuvenation
• the soul

Tribal tattoos often represent:

• a person’s identification with a cultural heritage, belief, or practice.
• an allegiance to a specific social group or culture.

Although you may see phrases like Polynesian tattoos, Celtic tattoos, Japanese tattoos, Filipino tattoos, or Maori tattoos, they all fall under the category of Tribal Tattoos. Tribal tattoos tend to be abstract in form and black in color however due to their recent popularity many of them are now applied in different colors.

Tribal butterfly tattoos are some of the most interesting tattoo designs available because of the artistic nature of the design. When viewing a tattoo of this nature your eyes are automatically drawn to the central image of the design, the butterfly. Some of the designs are so abstract that you may not recognize the butterfly at first glance. This makes the tattoo more interesting and by extension, often draws attention to the wearer!

Like many butterfly designs, tribal butterfly tattoos look great in the lower back area. However, unlike regular butterfly tattoes, tribal ones look good on both men and women.

As with all tattoo designs it’s important to follow the guidelines below:

• Start with an image that has clean, clear lines.
• Make sure the image has smooth curves.
• The curves should not be too close to one another otherwise the tattoo artist may have trouble applying the design to your body.
• Get a Xerox copy of the image in the exact size you want it placed on your body. This is very important because a design that looks great in a large size might not be appropriate as a smaller tattoo because the image may lose too much detail.

UPDATE: Attached below are tattoo flash sheets of tribal butterfly tattoos. Feel free to use them as you see fit:

1. Click on any image to open it inside a blank window.

2. Print.

For photos and more information on Tribal Tattoos see:

Lower Back Tribal Tattoos

Different Types of Free Tattoo Patterns

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:

Butterfly patterns are easy to create as a tattoo on the body because everyone is familiar with the basic shape: the oblong middle body with wings on each side. Regardless of whether the tattoo is permanent or temporary, deciding on which colors will go into the butterfly wings and which patterns will be used is lots of fun. And the color and pattern combinations are endless.

When selecting a butterfly tattoo you should first decide on the color scheme. Choose colors that compliment not just each other but also your skin type. And be sure to choose colors that will look good on you whether you do or do not have a tan! Also, remember, butterfly patterns and colors are usually symmetrical, so the colors in one wing will be the same on the other wing. Or, to be original, you could choose to have different colors in each wing. It won’t be natural but it will definitely be unique!

You should next choose the size, shape, and pattern for the butterfly itself and the butterfly wings. Butterfly wing shapes differ depending on the type of butterfly you choose. You may want to search the Internet for butterfly types to help you decide. You should also decide whether you want your butterfly wings to be a realistic or abstract shape. Realistic shapes make the butterfly look natural or real. Abstract shapes will make the butterfly wings look more “drawn” or stylized. For example, butterfly wings that are oblong in shape aren’t realistic; they’re more abstract. You’ll need to decide which one you prefer.

Perhaps the most important decision when choosing butterfly tattooes deals with the location of the tattoo itself. The most popular location for tattoo of this design is the upper arm however some people choose to get smaller tattoos on the outside of the ankle. Lower back butterfly tattoos are also gaining in popularity amongst women because of the graceful nature of the butterfly shape. Imagine how nice that would look with each wing on each side of the lower back.

No doubt, butterfly tattoos are more popular with women than men however a more “masculine” butterfly tattoo that looks sci-fi in nature would work for a man.

Regardless of your choices, butterfly tattoos are some of the most popular and admired types of tattoos available.

Here are a few examples:

If you’d like more information on butterfly tattoos and would like to see more photos see the articles below:

-Celtic Butterfly Tattoos