Sleeve Tattoo Designs

The Sleeve tattoos are becoming increasingly popular amongst men these days and is probably due to the increasing number of celebrity males getting this sort of ink done. A sleeve tattoo can be described as a tattoo which wraps around the upper part of the arm from shoulder to elbow. This is some times referred to as a half-sleeve tattoo while a tattoo which wraps around the arm and extends all the way down to the wrist is known as a full sleeve tattoo. If the tattoo starts from the elbow area to the wrist then this is called a quarter sleeve tattoo.

These types of tattoos mean you are making a bold statement due to there size and complexity. This means you will need to have a through consultation with a tattoo artist you know has a good reputation for going this type of tattoo. This is not a small girly tattoo to get.

Best Flower Tattoo Designs - The Lily Tattoo

The Lily flower is my girlfriend's favourite one. I think many other women feel the same about it. I must admit it is quite a beautiful flower, but what I appreciate most about it, is that it is a great subject for wonderful tattoo designs.

The lily is native of the Balkan Peninsula in south-eastern Europe, from where it was imported in other European countries, where it became first one of the most admired flowers and then on of the most popular flower tattoos.

Traditionally Lily flowers are white - noble, elegant, white flowers, which have been often associated with ideas of purity and innocence.

Christians made of the lily a symbol of purity to represent the divine virginity. St. Joseph is often depicted with a stick from which sprout white lilies. A legend says that Mary chose Joseph because she saw him among many with a white lily in his hand.

Throughout the centuries the lily has been associated with several Saints and the Archangel Gabriel.

But a lily has not always symbolized purity and chastity: Lilies' typical phallic pistil and their erotic fragrance made quite the opposite impression on ancient Greeks, who linked these flowers with concepts like fertility and procreation.

Dragon Art Tattoos - Significance, Designs, and Ideas

Looking for dragon art tattoo ideas

This brief overview will help you make a better guided decision when it comes to choosing your design.

Dragons have long been important mythological figures in Japanese, Indonesian, Korean, Chinese, and other Asian cultures. Dragons also exist in Western culture. The major difference between Asian and Western dragons lies in what they each represent. Asian dragons have a connection to emperors and imperial families and commonly represent empowerment, wisdom, freedom, and protection. Western dragons have traditionally been a symbol of evil.

Another significant difference between the two classes of dragons is appearance. Asian dragons are usually long, snake like creatures, whereas western dragons are more similar to dinosaurs in appearance. Among both Asian and Western cultures, there exists a rich diversity among the dragons themselves. For example, Japanese dragons commonly have long "whiskers" projecting from above their mouths and a jewel under their chin, both attributes which are unique to Japanese dragons.

Dragon art tattoos have become popular among many individuals due to their mystical appearance and range of possible of meanings. A common significance associated with dragon art tattoos is guardianship, since Japanese dragons were viewed as the protectors of the imperial family.

A unique idea for a dragon tattoo is having a design in which a dragon is breathing out a flame which spells out a lovers name or initials, or anything else meaningful. This could be a symbol of "the fire within", which represents a passion or burning desire for something or someone.

Tattoo Sleeve Art For a Great Arm Tattoo Design

Tattoo sleeve art has always had a negative connotation with society. This sleeve art has been totally made infamous by gangs and mobs, like the Yakuza, and other gangs who just expressed their angst and identities through the use of tattoos.

However, because of the growing fashion of the tattoo sleeve art, these negative connotations are slowly disappearing and are instead becoming more of a fashion statement. Tattoos are so very common that it has let its presence felt in both sports and entertainment. Basketball stars show off their shooting, streaking arms decorated with these cool sleeve tattoos. Even wrestling superstars, or entertainers have one time or another, been showcasing their charisma and talent together with these tattoo designs.

Like all other tattoo arts range from varieties of design - tribal, Japanese, Chinese, Irish and many more. However, very common designs are the Japanese sleeve tattoos, and the tribal art designs.

star in tribal tattoo on foot

star in tribal tattoo on foot popular tattoo designs for girls

color butterfly tattoo

color butterfly tattoo

Tattoo Art Galleries

Tattoo art has become extremely popular in the past few years. Research shows that North America alone has over 45 million people who have one or more tattoos. Due to this ever-increasing popularity of tattoos, tattoo art galleries have also come into tremendous form. These galleries display all kinds of tattoo designs, both ancient and modern, which help to understand the meaning behind this body art that is inked into skin. The art of tattooing is said to have originated from various tribes and most of the tattoo art galleries highlight the amazing history, powerful rituals and extraordinary social significance of tribal tattooing in many different cultures of the world. Some of these galleries go back to the history of tattoos by displaying the work of various old masters of the tattoo craft.

Some of the tattoo art galleries can also be called as photo galleries as they showcase photos of the fine ink work of various popular tattoo artists on Hollywood stars such as Thomas Lockhart, Christina Ricci, Chassity Ebony, Nikki Miller and others. Hence, along with showcasing tattoo art, these art galleries also highlight some of the top photographers for their fascinating and varied interpretations and visions of tattoos and their culture. Each photographer has a unique perspective and hence, the model is the main focus in some photos whereas the tattoo is in the others. The settings of every photo also differ from each other, as they display both ordinary as well as extraordinary settings. The tattoos applied by people today are very different from the ones showcased in tattoo art galleries. The tattoos that people have done today barely resemble the tattoo art that was found in the jungles and ancient civilizations of Southeast Asia and the South Pacific.