Tattoo Designs and Locations for Men Plus Most Frequently Asked Tattoo Questions Answered

Tattoos have been around for a very long time and the popularity is still very much increasing. So if you are thinking of getting tattooed but still have some questions unanswered, here are some facts for you.

Does it hurt?

One fear about the tattooing process is the pain that one has to undergo. Just how much does it hurt? Well, fact is the pain really depends one each individual's pain tolerance and which part of the body you will get tattooed. Generally, the flesher areas of the body hurt less than the bony areas like rib cage and foot.

What designs to go for?

Deciding on what design to choose for your body ink is a crucial step as this can make or break the whole experience. It is therefore best to spend time and effort in going through this so you would not regret it in the end. It is always best to go for a design that you can live with for the rest of your life, some thing that illustrates your personality or pose some significance to your life. If your tattoo has stories to tell, that makes it more attractive and sexy.

The most popular tat designs for men nowadays are mostly images that represent strength, courage and bravery like dragons, koi fish, tribal art, pin-up girl, angels, cross and skull. The most preferred body parts to get inked are the arms, especially the sleeve tattoo theme, chest, back, rib cage.

How much does it cost?

These mostly depends on the size of the design you want to be inked on you and of course, the artist you are going to worked with. Just remember that when it comes to your tattoo, if you want it perfect and presentable, do not be afraid to shell out some money. As they say, good tattoos aren't cheap.

Check out Tattoo Designs for Men for more designs and ideas. You can also visit Printable Tattoo Designs to find out where you can download thousands of high quality tat art. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Brat

Tattoo Design Tips : Preparing For Your First Tattoo

Tattoo designs. Review plenty of books (remember the library? There are MANY books there with some amazing unique designs), articles, or web sites written by tattoo artists in which they discuss what they think makes a good design. Stop in at the tattoo parlor near you and look at the flashes (paper drawings or pictures of designs that hang on the walls), or ask to see a portfolio. This will give you an idea of some design styles. RESIST the temptation to get a tattoo at this time! Please remember, the design you choose will be with you for the rest of your life. You will want to make sure you get a tattoo that represents the true you, and that it is meaningful. Getting a tattoo is not an impulse decision. If you plan on adding more tattoos at a later time, this would be a good time to think about what theme you want them to represent.

The making of a tattoo. A strong, quality tattoo generally originates from a simple, uncluttered design. After you get to this point, start looking at the world around you, and all of the design ideas in it. T-shirts, other people's tattoos, advertisements, cartoons, can all offer inspiration. It is always wise to bring a picture of what you want to your tattoo artist. This will help him accurately recreate the design from the beginning stages forward. Tattoo artists are incredibly talented, but they can't read your mind. To help ensure the exact design you are looking for, help the artist any way you can. You don't want to leave the shop without what you imagined because you were not communicating properly. It is also possible that your artist will refer you to another after he sees your design idea. It has nothing to do with his opinion on your design, just that he thinks someone else's style may be a better fit for your design.

Finding an artist. After narrowing your search to a few artists, see if you can visit their shop, or talk with them before making your appointment. It is very important that you are fully comfortable with the artist, and that they are properly trained and licensed. Also, look around the shop. Does it look clean? How are the restrooms kept? Are there current inspection certificates displayed? And of course, ask friends and family about their experiences.

Some tips about your session. You want to be prepared for the cost. Ask about pricing. Some pricing may have a little room for negotiation, but be prepared to accept the fact that this is not the case. There is nothing wrong with saying you need a little time to save up the money for your visit. It is a general rule to tip 10%, but feel free to go up to 20%-25% for a job well done. Keep this in mind while you are saving up your money. It is absolutely ok to cancel or postpone your appointment if you are not sure you want to proceed. Don't worry about what someone thinks, it's likely that deep down, they will respect you for making a decision that is right for you. It wouldn't hurt if you had someone else drive too, one less thing to worry about.

Just be sure to do your research, and make sure you trust your artist, and his design before you move forward. The tattoo is permanent, and you want to be comfortable before you get inked.

Paul L Westcott is dedicated to helping prepare you for all things tattoo related. Tatt00 Ideas is a website dedicated to helping you through the whole process. For some other great Tatt00 Designs and advice, look over our site. See our site for safety tips and general advice as well. Thank you. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_L_Westcott

New Era For Body Art And Tattoo Designs

TV programs like LA Ink and Miami Ink have helped change the "stigma" about getting tattoos. Tattoo designs have moved along with progress and is now quite technical, you can use software programs to help with choosing your body art and there are thousands of templates to choose your Tattoo design from. You can choose your design, print it and take it to your local Tattoo artist - so simple.

Remember the day when only sailors, bikers and gang members wore tattoos, now that's all changed. People are getting inked for all types of reasons, like the loss of a loved one to a life changing experience like religion. Then there's the person who wants body art for no other reason than just because, and leaves it up to the artist to come up with a design. Artist seem to love this, allows them to show off there creativity and artistic talent.

Tattoo conventions are bigger than ever, with hundreds of artists under one roof and thousands of visitors coming through the doors for days, there's no excuse not to find the style and design that suits you. There are as many woman artists as men, no longer a male dominated industry. Classic styles like Celtic Designs Tattoo's are still popular some of the most common designs asked for are. Knots: The entwined patterns of the knot design represent the continuous cycle of life and death with no beginning and no end. There are times when the knot works form certain geometric shapes, like triangles and circles. When triangles and circles combine, it makes a trinity knot that symbolizes the mind, body and spirit.

Hearts: The Celtic heart is also know as the love knot tattoo. It basically represents the unity of souls. The Heart designs are popular for someone looking for a romantic design.

There are plenty more Celtic designs available like "Tree of Life" and "Maze".

The styles that have seen the most growth is definitely "Custom Body Art Designs" The main reason custom designs have become so popular is because it's unique, the chance of someone else having the same design is virtually zero. Going down to the beach and seeing someone with the same tattoo design as you is as bad as going to the party, or showing up on the red carpet and someone else has the same dress as you. Not cool.

Arms are still the most popular area to get a tattoo especially for guys. Some things to consider after you've decided to tattoo your arm will firstly be - where on the arm you want your tattoo and how big. You could go for a full sleeve which like the word says will cover your arm like a sleeve, within a sleeve you could have a number of different designs.

To get access to the latest technology on Tattoo Designs which I'm sure you'll love, you can also check out Body Art Designs for this incredible technology just revealed!

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Irish Celtic Cross Tattoos Are More Than Just A Pretty Design

Irish Celtic cross tattoos are one of the best looking and most symbolic designs available. The people from Scotland, Ireland and Wales are fond of spotting these tattoos to reflect the historical and religious background of their ethnic heritage. Others simply find the designs of the Celtic cross tattoos to be visually appealing. Indeed, the Celtic cross is a particularly beautiful representation of the almost universal symbol of cross. What with artists like Justin Timberlake and Robbie Williams showing off their Celtic cross tribal tattoos, it pushes the popularity of the Celtic cross designs even further.

Designs of Irish Celtic Cross Tattoos

A big attraction of the Irish Celtic cross tattoos is that the cross itself is just different enough from modern crosses and crucifix designs to make it stand out. A common design you'll see has a circle around the point where the vertical and horizontal parts of the cross meet. Instead of a circle, a Celtic knot can be placed over the area where both parts cross over too.

Another variation of the Celtic cross tribal tattoos has a series of Celtic knots surrounding the border of the cross. Alternatively, the knotwork may adorn the inside of the cross. Whatever the designing variations, the effect of these cross tattoos is usually stunning, whether in plain black or bold Celtic green.

Celtic cross tribal tattoos are typically worn by men. In recent years though, they have caught the eyes of the women. With more delicate and curvy ornate lines than the usual cross, Celtic cross designs are very beautiful and can look very feminine. No wonder the women are starting to embrace the Celtic cross tattoos. But Irish Celtic cross tattoos are more than just a pretty design.

Symbolism of the Irish Celtic Cross Tattoos

Wearing Celtic cross tribal tattoos did not originally represent one's Christian faith since the Celts were pagan. Christianity was only associated with the Celtic cross much later when the Gospel was being introduced to Ireland. As the legend has it, St. Patrick blessed a sacred standing stone marked with a circle when shown. The sacred stone was believed to be a Celtic cross. Thus began the union of Gospel and Celtic culture in the Celtic cross.

Going all the way back to the original design of Irish Celtic cross tattoos, the structure of the cross itself is the main feature rather than all the knotwork infill. The Celtic cross was initially equal in length and width. This gave rise to four planes symbolizing the four basic elements of air, earth, water, and fire. There was also a circle in the middle of a Celtic cross illustrating eternity or the never ending cycle of life. The middle circle is originally a distinct feature separating the Celtic cross from the regular crosses.

Nowadays, the knots interweaving the borders of the cross tend to be the distinct feature of the Celtic cross tribal tattoos. The strands of the Celtic knots are normally designed in such a way to have no beginning and no end. This is another way to symbolize the never ending nature of human life. The knot itself on the other hand represents the joining together of the physical and spiritual worlds.

Celtic cross tattoos are highly appealing to many people as they combine the beauty of a cross with the Christian and Celtic ideologies behind them. Over time, the artistic images of Celtic crosses have changed such that the crosses don't always have equal length. Nonetheless, you can still reflect your faith while at the same time hearkening back to ancient civilization by wearing Irish Celtic cross tattoos.

Go here to access a growing gallery of cool tattoo designs [http://offto.net/tattoo_designs] of Irish Celtic cross tattoos, Irish tribal tattoos and many more. More ideas on Irish shamrock tattoos, Japanese kanji tattoos and other tattoo designs that fascinate Piers Pang, an avid admirer of body arts. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Piers_Pang

Tatto Ideas : Most In Demand Tattoo Designs for Body Art

Tattoo Tips for Body Art Designs

There are thousands of designs to choose from online, and it can be quite frustrating to search for one unless you already know ahead of time just what you want. Below are the major categories for the top tattoo styles below.

Beginner Tips

If you are uneasy about an image, try getting a stencil of the tattoo design you are considering and seeing what it looks like on you. Another best bet is to get a temporary tattoo in the form of a henna tattoo. Although henna is usually a dark brown pigment and not multicolored, you can "test drive" your design and gauge your emotional reaction to it.

Most Popular Design Choices

CELTIC - Dating back to the Celtic Civilization of Ireland, Wales and Scottland, filigree designs displaying twisted wire-like representation.

ANGEL - Ever popular with the young and the old, angels are associated with divine goodness, purity and spiritual love.

BUTTERFLY - Especially women are drawn to the natural beauty of butterflies you've seen and ones you can dream up.

KANJI - Symbolic characters based on ancient Chinese and Japanese hand drawn writing, there are half a million characters to choose from. Research your choice of a meaningful phrase or keyword online.

FLOWER - Popular with women are the timeless representations of beauty.

TRIBAL - Tribal tattoos have been practiced in one form or another for millennia and their current popularity show no sign of slowing down. Included in this category of tribal tattoos are Maori tattoos, Polynesian and Haida style of tattoos.

SWALLOW - Swallow tattoos used to be the preserve of sailors but have come full circle and are the ultimate in old school hip.

BLACK AND GRAY - Black and gray tattoos are generally believed to have started in prisons in the United States but have evolved into a popular style of tattoo. Certain tattoo artists specialize in this style and have become well known for it.

BIKER - Biker tattoos usually depict the biker club or gang the biker belongs to. Skulls, snakes and dice tattoos are often be seen on bikers along with fantasy style and Norse tattoos depicting mythical creatures.

STAR - Shooting star tattoos and nautical stars are the most popular form of tattoo design based the high number of searches to this website and according to many tattooists.

Learn about arm tattoos, body art and the most popular categories of tattoos http://armtattoosforguy.com and get all the resources you need to make a decision and/or experiment with a temporary tattoo in the form of a stencil or a henna design. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=JD_Kelso

A Guide To Snake Tattoo Designs

It was over 50 years ago when I saw my first snake tattoo. My father proudly showed off his snake and dagger tattoo design he just had inked on his upper arm. I liked it too as he had incorporated my name in the design. He told me then he chose this design to represent strength and protection. If he were alive today, maybe he say something different, but I'm sure, in that tangled web of tattoos he eventually ended up with, this was still one of his favourites.

What is it that still draws people to this design? There are many answers to this and I will name just a couple. For example, the snake's popularity may have something to do with the rich history of myths and legends. One such myth is that of the ancient Greek myth of Medusa, the beautiful snake haired woman, who had the power to turn men into stone with a single glance, and I'm sure we know of a few women who still have that power today.

Snakes and serpents have a long mythological history associated with good and evil, life and death, beginnings and endings. When a snake sheds its skin it is seen as a symbol of rebirth, change, and healing.

Another tale of re-birth is that of the Ancient Greeks who had Ouroboros, a snake curled into a circle biting its own tail. The idea being that the continuing eating and re-growing of the tail is a symbol of the eternal cycle of ruin and re-birth.

The shedding of skin by the snake has also been associated with re-birth or new beginnings. The ancient Greeks believed snakes were sacred to the god of medicine Asclepius who had a staff with serpents wrapped around it, which you can still see today as a symbol in modern medicine.

What about the story of Hydra, a 9 headed serpent defeated by Hercules. The story goes Hercules had a difficult time killing the Hydra because when he cut one head off two heads would grow back. He eventually solved the problem by burning the stumps to stop another head growing, and the Hydra lived no more.

In some mythologies snakes are seen as the keepers of wisdom and sacred secrets. But the snake has also been show as a symbol of evil, death, or deceit. In Christianity, the serpent tricks Adam and Eve into disobeying God. Perhaps due to the deadly venom many snakes possess, myths involving snakes have often portrayed them as evil.

In Australia, India, and Africa, where snake myths are related to rainbows, and rainbows are often associated with rain and fertility. I like the story of Da, a mythological African serpent who kept the oceans and sky in place and we could catch a quick look at Da when a rainbow appeared.

Another reason for the snake's popularity as a tattoo design is that you can be incorporated with any other design, such as, hearts and daggers, or skulls and dragons. The beauty of the snake tattoo design is it doesn't look out-of-place with any other tattoo design.

And snake tattoo designs looks great with, or without the use of colour. You can have the brilliant array of snake scales in various shades from the very bright to a dull hue. Or no colour at all starting from a pale grey to a vivid black, and either way the end result I'm sure will look fantastic.

Whatever your reason for wanting a snake tattoo I hope this guide to snake tattoo designs has given you some insight into the meanings behind snake tattoo designs, and if you would like to see more of the snake or other popular tattoo designs, then go to my site at http://guidetotattoodesigns.com. I work as an Affilliate marketer and I have recently set a site A Guide To Tattoo Designs. You can find this site at http://guidetotattoodesigns.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_J_Simmons

Tattoos Design

This is a tattoo design that has it’s roots in the ancient Celtic pagan religions. A lot of people consider this to be an Irish tattoo design and the two terms are often used to refer to the same genre. When it comes to tattoo designs, one of the world’s most requested designs are Irish tattoo designs. There is no arguing about it. With its interesting history and the imagery of Ireland reflected