Latin Crosses
The first type of cross tattoo that is most recognizable is the Latin cross. it’s a simple cross that is a vertical line that’s intersected by a horizontal line which is shorter. It looks a lot like a lower case letter t. Latin cross tattoos are usually connected and associated with Christianity. The best thing about this cross is that it can be in any size and has a lot of meanings, including peace when put together with a dove, Irish culture when it’s put with a shamrock, or a name and date to symbolize someone who has died.

Celtic Crosses
Celtic cross tattoos are very beautiful and very symbolic. The most basic design is a regular Christian or Latin style cross that has a Celtic knot over the place where the lines intersect. The border of the Celtic cross is also surrounded by Celtic knots. The knots are designed so that the strands don’t have any beginning or end. This elegant yet simple design a symbol of life’s never ending nature, with the knot represents the joining of spiritual and physical worlds. Celtic cross tattoos are very popular with people who are from Wales, Ireland, and Scotland.

St. Andrews Cross
Another type of cross tattos is the St Andrew’s cross, and it’s different from the other types of cross because it’s shaped like the letter X instead of the letter T. it’s named this because of the fact that St Andrew followed St Peter in the fact that he didn’t want to be crucified in the way that Jesus Christ was, so he was crucified upside down. This symbolizes standing out from the crowd and St Andrew’s cross tattoos are also great for people who are from Scotland and want to proudly display their background.

Ankh Cross
The Ankh cross is another popular cross tattoo. It looks a lot like the Latin cross with the exception that there is a loop on the top of the cross above the cross’ horizontal line. It represents fertility and infinity, and it also has similar symbolism to the Latin cross.

Gothic Cross
Gothic cross tattoo patterns are very different from the other kinds of cross tattoos. They symbolize the Goth culture and usually will represent anger, pain and depression. People who choose the Gothic cross are sometimes rebelling or feel as if they are misunderstood.

When someone is considering cross tattoos, they should think about the different designs in this article and think about which one is right for them. There are cross tattoos that are right for everyone and all they have to do is figure out which is right for their style and their life.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

It’s important to do some research before you go to an ink shop to get a tattoo.