Choosing tattoo designs is more fun – and more complicated – than ever. In short, we have more tattoo designs to choose from than any other culture in history, for several reasons. For one thing, this is probably the first time in human history that tattooing has been an option that’s open to virtually everyone (well, everyone who’s eighteen or older, that is).
Tattoo Designs Then
In traditional societies tattooing may have been very common, but it was ceremonial rather than purely decorative. You had to earn your tattoos, for the most part, and you were restricted in terms of choice of tattoo designs.
Then, in western society, tattooing briefly became popular among the upper classes in the seventeenth century. Both men and women got tattoos, but it was an expensive process few could afford. And when the invention of the tattoo gun made it affordable it became less socially acceptable. For a time only sailors and those who had a criminal or gang-related past had tattoos. Up until a few decades ago, in fact, only men had them and though there were some great tattoo designs, they were rather limited in range.
Tattoo Designs Today
Tattoo Designs Today
So much choice
Fast forward to today: men and women, young and old alike are drawn to tattoos. There is little if any social stigma left. Even people you might never expect to have tattoos – like middle aged or older women – have them and love them. And in terms of tattoo designs, again, there are no limits. We draw on world history, cross cultural designs, and modern art. A Maori symbol might make a cool tattoo design, but so might something from the Celtic or Native American culture. With all that choice, how do you go about choosing tattoo designs?
Start with everyone’s favorite information source – the internet. Look for free tattoo designs online and you’ll find a wealth of images. It may take some searching, but eventually you will come up with so many designs that the problem becomes narrowing it down to those you find attractive and are able to use. Here are some things to keep in mind: often, simple tattoo designs are the best because they allow for the boldest lines. Colors are great, but they do tend to fade a bit faster than black, so that’s another thing to keep in mind. If you haven’t gotten a tattoo before and you don’t have an image in mind, look for small tattoo designs. Some of them can be added to later on, but a smaller image is a great place to start.
Finally, enjoy yourself. The fact that there are so many tattoo designs available to day is reminiscent of a lot other things in our culture. For example, if you live in a larger town or city, chances are that you have food from many different world cuisines easily available to you. All the options can make choosing harder, but the payoff is great. The main thing about choosing tattoo designs is to choose one that appeals to you, personally – you’re the one who’s going to be living with it!
