Samoan Tattoo Patterns

Samoan tattoo patterns are highly meaningful to those of that culture, and that is something we can grasp just be looking at a Samoan tattoo, even without knowing what its precise meaning is. The tattoo patterns and symbols are complex and abstract, consisting of a lot of interlocked, interwoven shapes and patterns.

As mentioned before, they are also remarkable because of the sheer expanse of skin that they occupy – and especially when the tattooing is done using the traditional methods, this is a real endurance test for the person being tattooed. Instead of needles, the skin is punctured using a pig’s tooth or shark’s tooth.

Not finishing a tattoo once it is started is a source of shame.

Though few of us would be willing to undergo the discomfort necessary to get real Polynesian tattoos, incorporating some of the symbols and patterns into a modern tattoo is a different matter. Polynesian tattoos certainly have a striking, timeless appeal.

The Motives For Polynesian Tattoo

Here are some of the reasons the Polynesian people had tattoos:

• The tattoos were a symbol of courage. The tattoo process was very painful and a lot of perseverance was needed to endure the long tattoo sessions.
• Getting the first tattoo marks the transition between childhood and adulthood. It is a rite of passage.
• Tattoos added to the sexual attractiveness of a man.
• Tattoos offered protection, they were a talisman.
• Polynesian tattoos read like a book. By looking at a tattoo, insiders get to know the social status and rank of the tattooed person.

The Tribal Tattoo

Tribal tattoos have been in vogue for quite a while now (since the early 1990s) and it’s easy to see why, they just look good.

Advantages of getting a tribal tattoo:

The tattoos of an older Indian woman

• There's a lot of black ink in tribal tattoos, which has the advantage that it holds up very well, black tattoo ink doesn't fade as fast as other colors.
• Tribal tattoo designs are very popular, so as long as you don't want a specific or traditional tribal, you shouldn't have a hard time finding a good tattoo artist that can design your custom tattoo.
• It's easier to design your own tattoo or at least a mockup of your own tribal than it is with other tattoo designs.
• Tribal tattoos have a bold visual appeal: their thick, black curving lines and interlocking patterns lend themselves well to many of the standard tattoo locations, such as the upper arm (in the form of a tribal armband for example) , the back or the lower back.

Disadvantages of tribal tattoos:

• Tattoo removal is not working very good on those large patches of black ink.
• Covering them up with another tattoo ain't working either.
• Finding a tattoo artist or tattoo parlor is not easy when you want a traditional design of a specific tribe.
• When you're getting a tattoo that is an imitation of a traditional tribal design, keep in mind that you might be insulting the original tribe members. This is especially the case with Ta Moko, which is a form of family and personal identification of the Maori people. Copying their designs is a form a identity theft.

The tribal styles we see today originate from various old tribes like those from Borneo, the Haida, the Native Americans, the Celtic tribes, the Maori and other Polynesian tribes.

The shapes and motifs of these tribal tattoos are deeply rooted in the tribe's mythology and view of the world. The traditional tattoo artist aims to reflect the social and religious values of the tribe in his tattoo designs. Recurring themes are the rituals of the tribe, the ancestors, the origins of the world and the relationship with the gods.

Some Pros and Cons of Foot Tattoo

Foot tattoos can look very striking – for one thing, the foot provides a nice flat place for the tattoo to lie, and for another thing, foot tattoos are rather rare and therefore sort of exotic (this was true at the time of writing, but foot tattoos are becoming rather popular nowadays, especially amongst woman). There’s no question that a foot tattoo peaking out of a sexy shoe can be very attractive.

The most popular foot tattoo designs are flower tattoos, letter tattoos and the star foot tattoo.

Sun and Moon Foot Tattoo

There are some good reasons why foot tattoos are rarer than other tattoos, though. In fact, there are some tattoo artists who won’t even undertake them (just like hand and face tattoos). For a start, tattoos on the foot and hand tend to be more painful than other tattoos.

The general rule is this: if a tattoo is right over bone, it will hurt more. If it’s on a fleshy part of your body, it’ll hurt a lot less. That’s why a shoulder or upper arm might be a better place for a first tattoo – if you’re a little worried about the pain and not sure what to expect.

For another thing, though there are many tattoo designs that look great on a foot, there is also a greater incidence of ink migration with foot tattoos. This means, simply, that the ink is likely to spread over time, blurring your tattoo design. This is possible with any tattoo, on any part of the body – but it’s more common with foot tattoos.

If you get a foot tattoo, be prepared to go back and have it re-inked if need be. The top of your foot is the best place with the least blurring, avoid other places like the sides or the toes.

Then there’s the little issue of healing. In general, a new tattoo should not be allowed to rub against clothing while it heals, which usually takes two to three weeks. For most tattoos, this is a pretty simple matter, but not for foot tattoos! Basically, depending on the placement of your tattoo designs, this may mean that you can’t wear shoes or socks for the whole time your tattoo is healing!

Some foot care tips for a shorter healing period:

• Wear flip flops or other open shoes during the healing process so the shoe doesn't rub against the tattoo. If the flip flop touches the tattoo, then it's advisable that you get a pair of Down Unders, a kind of topless flip flop. If you really have to wear shoes, then wear 2 pair of light socks.
• The best time for getting a tattoo on your foot is in the summer, it might be a bit cold without shoes in the winter.
• Roll up your trousers if they touch the tattoo.
• Keep your tattoo out of the sun.
• Keep your feet clean, take a regular foot bath with warm water and a mild soap. Dry them by dabbing with a towel, don't rub.
• Keep the tattoo moist by applying a good ointment (Lubriderm). Don't make it too moist or the colors will bleed.
• Don't rub the tattoo.
• Don't swim until the healing process is over.
• Keep in mind that walking could be difficult the first few days because of foot pain. If possible take a few days off from work.
• Find a tattoo artist who has experience doing foot tattoos. Ask him for advice.

Butterfly Celebrity Tattoo

Here's a list of celebrities that have a butterfly tattoo:

• Drew Barrymore: has one on her abdomen, right under her belly button.
• Maria Carey: has a lower back butterfly tattoo (fake or not?).
• Paris Hilton: has a small butterfly tattoo on her back (could be temporary).
• Kelis: has a butterfly on her stomach.
• Dolly Parton: country star with a flutterby on her chest.
• Julia Roberts: has a lower back butterfly.
• Britney Spears: has a butterfly tattoo on her left foot.

To sum it up: butterfly tattoos are among the most versatile tattoo images, which helps explain their popularity with women. They are inherently feminine, but not necessarily ‘girly’ and you can make either a bold or subtle statement with butterfly tattoo art. All of this means that we are likely to see even more butterfly tattoos in the years to come.

Celtic Tattoos

Celtic knots (aka mystic knot, endless knot) work really well as a tattoo design or part of a tattoo. The symbolic meaning of Celtic knots is not really clear, although some people attribute magical powers to the knots.

For me, Celtic knot tattoos symbolize eternity because the lines of the knotwork form an endless loop, without a beginning or an end.

The Celtic trinity knot is a very simple, but powerful symbol and very suitable for a tattoo. It is a triangle knot, the 3 corners have various meanings:

Celtic Trinity Knot Tattoo

• Christian: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
• Pagan: Mother, Crone and Maiden
• New age: Mind, body and spirit

Celtic Butterfly Tattoo

Celtic butterfly tattoos are quite popular nowadays as well. Butterflies have a similar symbolic meaning in many cultures:

• The butterfly is a symbol for rebirth and transformation. Just like a beautiful butterfly comes out of his cocoon, the person who wears a butterfly tattoo has gone through some difficult times and is ready to face the world again.
• In some cultures the butterfly is the personification of someone's soul.

The Celtic butterfly tattoo is often quite small and feminine looking, making it appropriate for the ankle or shoulder. The butterfly is also often seen as a lower back tattoo, adorned with Celtic swirls.

Lower Back Butterfly Tattoo

Lower back butterfly tattoos are usually larger, more stylized butterfly images that stretch across the lower back, one of the most popular places to get a tattoo nowadays (but also known as a tramp stamp).

Actually, butterfly tattoos lend themselves very well to this location. The butterfly image is very symmetrical, so the middle can easily be lined up with the spine, the wings extending on either side. This makes the butterfly wings longer and more stretched out than they would be in nature, but the image can be very attractive.

Butterfly Tattoo

Butterfly tattoos are primarily female tattoos and they come in a great variety of shapes and sizes. Insects are not the most popular tattoo design, except for butterflies and dragonflies. Butterfly tattoos are the 4th most popular tattoo design, after tribal, star and cross tattoos and they are probably the most popular feminine design.

The butterfly tattoo is pretty and feminine without being overly flowery or sentimental. Butterflies have always been an inspiration for visual arts, such as the hieroglyphics of Ancient Egypt a couple of thousand years ago.

Butterfly tattoos are a good choice for a first tattoo because the design doesn't need to be big to be striking. A small butterfly tattoo (life sized or smaller) on an ankle or shoulder can be a pretty and graceful accent to your natural beauty.

Butterfly tattoos can have a lot of meanings, depending on the person or culture. Here's an overview:

• Often a butterfly tattoo is a symbol of rebirth and transformation: the "ugly" and slow caterpillar transforms inside its cocoon to the beautiful creature that a butterfly is. Having a tattoo of a butterfly symbolizes a new life, a new beginning after having gone through some rough times.
• Delicate beauty: a butterfly is small and very delicate, but also very colorful and full of beautiful details. On the other hand, it is not so delicate like most people think: contrary to the widespread belief, you can't kill a butterfly by touching its wings.
• A butterfly tattoo can be a symbol of freedom.
• In some cultures, like the Christian, the butterfly symbolizes a person's soul. The Greek word for butterfly for example, also means soul.
• In Japan they believe that if a butterfly flies into your guestroom, the person you love the most will come to you soon.
• Also in Japan, a large swarm of butterflies is seen as a bad omen.
• The Russian word for butterfly resembles the word for grandmother.
• In China, two butterflies fluttering together are a symbol for love.
• In some cultures it means good luck when a butterfly lands on you. Imagine the luck you'll be having when you have one on you permanently.
• The phrase "having butterflies in your stomach" is a way of saying you are in love (or just very very nervous).
• For the ancient Aztecs, butterflies were the souls of deceased warriors or women who died while giving birth.
• For some people a butterfly means peace.
• And for some people the butterfly resembles a woman's genitals

Female Tattoo

Female tattoos – or tattoos that are feminine in design, and are usually favored by women or girls – are becoming more and more common.

For the first fifty or sixty years after tattooing became commonplace and even mainstream in modern society, few women got tattoos – in fact, those that did were the exception and usually a touch eccentric or rebellious.

All that changed about twenty years ago when tattooing became more socially acceptable, largely due to the many celebrities who publicly sported tattoos. Some of these were women, and so the female tattoo became more common and acceptable. Nowadays most people find female tattoos sexy and attractive, they certainly aren't offensive anymore.

That having been said it’s still true that more men than women get tattoos and it’s even true that there is a little element of social rebellion inherent in a woman’s decision to get a tattoo, although this is less and less the case, tattoos are more like a fashion item these days.

However, female ink is no longer shocking, and we no longer jump to conclusions about a woman’s moral character based on whether or not she has a few tattoos!

The Hawaiian Flower Tattoos

Tattoos incorporating flower designs – as a lot of Hawaiian tattoos do – don’t appeal to everyone, though it should be noted that Hawaiian tattoos are not particularly feminine despite their floral components.

The most popular Hawaiian flower tattoo design is without any doubt the Hibiscus (t he yellow variant of the Hibiscus flower is the state flower of Hawaii). Common Hibiscus colors are yellow, red, pink, white and purple.

Another popular Hawaiian tattoo design is the orchid tattoo, especially ghost orchid designs. Ghost orchids are very beautiful flowers and rather peculiar. Orchids are an endangered species, what makes the symbolic meaning of orchid tattoos something like "rare beauty".

Sexy Tattoos Placement

You have decided that you want a tattoo, and are ready to pick out a design. Before you do this though, you need to figure out where you are putting your tattoo, as it will affect the size and context of your design. Most women like to place their tattoos somewhere sexy so they can attract attention from the opposite sex. And why not, that’s pretty much what tattoos are for right?

Here are some of the sexiest places to put a tattoo:

1.Lower back: with low-rise jeans still in style, this is the perfect place for a tattoo. Most designs in this area use somewhat of a triangular shape with the point facing down, so the eye is drawn to your lower half. This is also a great surface to put a large, sprawling tattoo, and is easy to cover up if you are going to work.

2.Upper breast: since most guys are looking there anyways, why not give them something to look at? Tattoos in this area are generally smaller, with symbols such as flowers, bees, dragonflies and butterflies being very popular.

3.Ankle: if you have great legs then an ankle tattoo is perfect, it will draw the eye to that narrow part of you and then go on from there. Again you will probably want to stick to a smaller tattoo in this area.

4.Wrist: slender, soft, and usually lightly scented, the wrist is an overlooked sexy place on our bodies. Place a small tattoo on the inside of your wrist and notice the attention you get!

5.Shoulder: show off your inner Playboy Bunny with a sexy tattoo on the back of your shoulder, and then go buy some strappy tank tops. You have a great surface where you can place a nice-sized tattoo and get noticed.

6.Back of Neck: As long as you stick with something small, this is a great location for an Asian symbol or something unique. Of course the neck is supremely sexy, and having a cute or interesting tattoo there is a great conversation starter.

There are other, more risqué place where you can put a tattoo, it just depends on who you want to see it. Here are a few suggestions:

1.Above pubic area: perfect for a small, sexy tattoo that your special someone can see.

2.Hip: low rise jeans or a bathing suit can let you show off your little friend.

3.Underneath a bra strap: there’s nothing like finding a cute tattoo on your girlfriend while she’s stripping down.

4.Inner thigh: this is definitely a members-only area, so get a symbol that he’ll really like.

5.Around belly button: there are some great tattoo patterns for this area, and it is a perfect spot if you are sporting a flat belly.

6.Tailbone: again, this spot is reserved for your special someone, so choose carefully.

A tattoo is forever, so you will want to spend a lot of time choosing your spot and your design, and then talk to a qualified tattoo artist to see if they have any suggestions or pointers.

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