Monday, November 30, 2009

Bizarre Tattoos

Some of the strangest places on the human body people can get tattoos, I believe, is the face, but as strange as this may seem, I believe this to be a beautiful thing. I really believe that no matter what anyone thinks, if you want to decorate your body and show the world, then do it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Why do people do this?

Bizarre tattoos are amongst us all and that is what makes us unique. The true gift of a tattoo.The essence of the art. The creator and artists. The everlasting signature. Yes, it may look strange to some, but for others, it may look even stranger without.

When confronted with someone, I look at the whole picture, the art, the details, the extreme time and patience it took to create such a wonderful and beautiful design. Yes, the art of tattoos has been around for centuries and will always be around.

I look forward to seeing even more bizarre and more beautiful tattoos in the future. I believe the artists deserve more recognition for the awesome and amazing work they perform when creating tattoos. If the work most of them creates were to be transformed onto a canvas, much of the art would be hanging in museums all over the world today. I believe this is what makes Tattoo art so different from other art forms. It is an art that can't be duplicated and is unique in every way and form.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Five Different Types of Tattoos

Tattoos are used to express our feelings and to make us stand out in the crowd. They represent our personality and show who we are. It is desire of every individual to have an attractive Tattoo on his or her body.

There is a wide variety of Tattoos available for you to choose from. This article identifies five famous types of tattoos.

Abstraction Tattoos - Abstractions tattoo designs are mostly derived from archaic design tattoos. These types of tattoos are very simple. It requires minimal art work for artist as it doesn't requires much colors. Mostly it used only black and grey colors. Almost all the Tribal Tattoos fall into this category.

Stylized Tattoos - Stylizes tattoos are very popular amongst youth. As the name implies, these types of tattoos are very stylish and comes in plenty of shapes, sizes and colors. Some of the most common designs of stylized tattoos contain beautiful and attractive images of animals, flowers, zodiac signs and heart. You can also customize these pictures according to your personality at some extra cost. Compared to other designs, they are inexpensive, rising their popularity.

Naturalistic Tattoos - Tattoos that look realistic are called naturalistic Tattoos. It requires lot of time and efforts of Artist in order to make a tattoo as realistic as possible. Because it takes so much hard work and time, these tattoos tend to be quite expensive, but it worth it for quality and realistic looks reason.

Combination Tattoos - Combination Tattoos, as the name implies, involve designs that are being prepared by mixing several different designs, forms and shapes. Compared to other types of designs, they are much more impressive as they comprise of various different images, shapes and designs.

Pledges Tattoos - Pledge Tattoos are quite inexpensive than other designs and more commonly used in western society. They contain heart shapes, anchors, quotes and names. They are not as popular as other designs but still they are best for a person who wants to make a dedication or statement to an occasion.

Doing a little research on internet, you can find a huge variety of tattoo designs, pictures and tattoo quotes with detailed information. You can buy design of your choice online at any good online tattoo shop.

Gothic Tattoos

In recent times, it is seen that many youngsters are overwhelmed with gothic culture. It is an alternative subculture. It is both a kind of music and a fashion. Different people like different kinds of music. One may like a certain genre of music but that doesn't mean he/she would dress up accordingly. In the same way, people who like to dress up like Goths do not necessarily like gothic music. However, in most cases it is seen that people who are specifically termed as metal heads are inclined towards the Gothic culture and especially the 'Goth' look.

This so-called Gothic look is basically all about the color black with the occasional outburst of red, white, and purple. The Goth look includes black hair & clothes, silver jewelry, unique style of makeup, with really pale faces and black eyeliners and nail polishes and the Gothic Tattoos.
Here in this article, we will be focusing on an important part of the Gothic look, which is 'Gothic Tattoos'.

Gothic tattoos have developed to be a vital part of the gothic look. It represents the special sort of subculture that influenced mostly youngsters in both the United States and Europe simultaneously during the late 1970s. Unlike what many people think these tattoos do not concern ill will or evil but are a representation of mythological characters and religion that people practiced during medieval times. These tattoos have distinctive features that differentiate them from other kinds of tattoos.

Now you may be wondering what kind of tattoos are characterized as Gothic tattoos or Gothic Fantasy Art. This is exactly where it gets complicated. The people who are into the gothic culture have a very thrilling, diverse, and imaginative interests and tastes that are well reflected in their tattoos. Gothic cross tattoos are very popular and are usually covered in a lot of decoration, this is their way of celebrating the beauty of death.

A Gothic tattoo can be classified into two categories. They are:

Gothic fantasy art tattoos: images like the dragon, fairies, and the like are a major part of 'Fantasy Tattoos'. These Gothic tattoos represent the interest and the beliefs of the people in medieval times. The images are inclined to be mythological and imaginary in nature.

Occult tattoos: this second category of Gothic tattoos deals with what may be called 'Occult'. These images are associated with white witchcraft also known as Wicca, the Viking Runes, The Tarot, and other magic craft and prophesy.

Images like 'Pentacle' (the five-pointed star), the 'Athame' (a double-edged blade used for white witchcraft), and images related to the four elements (fire, water, earth and air) fall under the Wicca tattoos.

Many think these occult Gothic tattoos to be evil, but let me tell you this is a very wrong notion. These images are not evil and have nothing to do with 'Satanism'. They are signs of prehistoric religions that Gothic tattoo enthusiasts dig out and celebrate by getting them etched on their bodies.

Gothic tattoos are very diverse and different from the regular tattoos, as they tend to reflect the various tastes and interests of people who consider themselves a part of the gothic lifestyle and culture. Different people have different opinions about gothic tattoos. Some Goth tattoos are more accepted than others by people. But in any case, not only do these images help portray some beautiful and intricate designs, they also usually convey messages to a deep meaning to them.

Love Tattoos Are Very Popular Today

Love tattoos have always been a great way to express your feelings for someone else. Love tattoos are always very popular and a great many couples choose to show their love for one another in the form of a tattoo. Obviously, the love tattoos are not restricted to the love between couples but they cover a wide range of relationships ranging from a mom-daughter or a son-dad relationship.

Tattoos are no longer found only on the tough guys in the crowd. Tattoos are now so popular that it can often be a struggle finding new angles when it comes to both the background and placement. Tattoos are an art form for some people but an abomination to others on the other end of the spectrum.

Tattoos are very common these days, with just about 1 in 4 individuals having at least one and often more. Tattoos are usually considered to be part of the living organism of skin and must be maintained over the years to keep their colors alive and fresh. Tattoos that have been correctly applied, correctly healed, and protected from the rays of the sun can remain their best for years and years.

Love is the strongest of emotions that man has often expressed within the designs of love tattoos. There are many different ways to express your love to your significant other. Today, many couples still believe the symbols in love tattoos to be a very dramatic expression of love. It may sound odd to some but those in love are ready to bear any sort of pain for their loved ones.

Everything is fair in love after all. Many celebrities have been paving the way for new forms of love tattoos by idealizing this particular aspect of expression. There are a wide assortment of heart tattoos available for showing your love for someone else and a good tattoo parlor will usually be happy to design something unique for you.

The heart these days is still the most recognized symbol of love. Other symbols often found in love tattoos include the sacred heart, a pierced heart, a locked heart or a Celtic heart amongst many others. Many people interested in love tattoos will sometimes include their names or other symbols to add a personal touch to the tattoo.

Whatever you decide upon, the design of love tattoos should be instantly recognizable. True love blooms all the time no matter what and should be ageless like the designs of love tattoos. Whether you wish to send out a loud message or just a subtle tribute to your love, there are all kinds of love tattoos that might appeal to you.

Quite often, a couple will decide to get matching tattoos to show their love for one another. Love tattoos often incorporate such things as song lyrics or children's names. David and Victoria Beckham have matching tattoos that read 'I am my beloved's, my beloved is mine' written in Hebrew characters. The only problem with love tattoos is that the couple may not last but the tattoo is permanent.

Styles of Tattoos


There are many different styles of tattoos:

Tattoos have managed to pull itself up from its suspect and seedy past with a bad reputation to become an art form that is the subject of human exhibition and self-expression today. Today tattoos have become an art form with new and better tattoo artists coming up with a huge number of styles of tattoos.

When you visit a tattoo parlor or look at an online tattoo gallery, you find that there is a wide range of tattoo styles available and a massive range of styles to choose from. The usual criteria used for choosing tattoos is usually its size, the love for someone, depicting a certain culture or sect or as a status symbol.

Men prefer strong and powerful styles of tattoos:

Men prefer to use identity symbols more than decorative devices that have traditional images like snakes, black panthers and eagles. The most popular option in men are skulls, daggers dripping blood, dragons and basically any image that depicts male strength and valor. Heart tattoos are best used to depict love for both men and women. This is a tattoo that has endured the test of time and is still growing in popular. Tribal styles are becoming more and more popular.

The symbol depicting mystery, power, wisdom and good will is the dragon tattoo. This is because dragons are considered to be good luck and have qualities including strength and courage.

Animal tattoos are the most popular of all. This is because animal tattoos relate to animals that we use to demonstrate the inner connections we have with fine beasts and the similarities we exhibit with these animals. Snake tattoos and reptiles are becoming more and fashionable.

Similarly, bird tattoos have lots of reverence in the tattoo world. Some of the most popular bird tattoos are the eagle, dove, swallow and birds of prey tattoos. Once again, the nature and attitude of the birds are taken into consideration when choosing the bird tattoo.

Women prefer floral styles of tattoos:

Women prefer having floral tattoos and styles of tattoos that are a lot subtler in nature. Other options are of cherry blossom, lotus flower tattoos, blossom, lily and tree tattoos.

Sea creatures are very popular that people like wearing. Sea creature tattoos connect us with our past and the mythical creatures of the deep have a wide appeal. Those who are very spirituality prefer angel tattoos, as they are important in many religions like Christianity, Jewish and Islamic faiths. These angels are considered to be the messengers of god who are protective to us, like guardian angels looking over us.

There are some tattoos that have specific meanings and are meant to cater to specific people while there are generalized tattoos. In Japan, households are represented by the chrysanthemum to depict determination and steadfastness while the peony is used to depict wealth and good fortune.

Tattoos, And The Psychology Behind Them

In today's twenty-first century society many people actually tend to misjudge tattoos, and the wearers of tattoos. These people who see someone bearing many tattoos will automatically think negative, pre-conceived, even stereotypical thoughts. Those who have tattoos are the same as you or i, except for the fact that they wish to visually stand out and broadcast who they are. They do this because the majority of them have a strong sense of who they are. Those with tattoos aren't afraid to show them, as they put them on their body to let others know who they are and what they are about. They wear their "tatts" with pride!

Most who decide to look into the psychology of those with tattoos seem to associate them as criminals and study them with this blinkered, society-conceived view. Contrary to the opinion shared by many so-called experts, those who have tattoos aren't stereotypical type of people, but are often times actually quite independent. They are out there expressing their freedom of expression. Whether they are expressing what they believe, showing that they belong to a group or clan, or paying homage to the dearly-departed - there are always meanings behind the choices of and displaying of tattoos.

The psychologists who attempt to study those with tattoos normally try to get into their frame of mind to answer why they choose to have tattoos - which in itself is hard to do. For hundreds of years tattoos have been debated from a psychological standpoint; with most people associating tattoos, and the wearers of those as bad people, or criminals. Even though criminals may have tattoos, there are just as many if not more people out there who are some of the friendliest people in the world who have them as well.

To look at tattoos from a psychological standpoint can sometimes be hypocritical. Although those who don't have tattoos will try and figure out why someone would want them, it can still be considered a psychological point of view. Those who have tattoos almost always have a reason for getting them, rarely are they got for no reason.

No matter where you look these days it's a common thing to see someone with at least one tattoo. This doesn't mean that society is less moral in any way, nor does it mean that mankind is becoming branded with a herd-like mentality. Tattoos have built there own reputation over the years, and are in fact gaining in popularity. Over the years more and more people have decided to get them - which only goes to show the age-less phenomenon that are tattoos.

When you decide to look at the psychology of tattoos, you must first try and understand some of the meanings behind them. A tattoo can tell you a lot about the individual who is wearing it, and his past. Although some tattoos may be a somewhat offensive, that individual may have got the tattoos in the past when they were a different person maybe going through a 'stage'. They may not be anything like that now. As with others out there - the tattoos that were obtained in the past may be left as a reminder for the future.

Promotional Marketing - Effective Marketing With Waterless Tattoos

Before waterless tattoos came to market, the only type of temporary tattoo available required water to apply. The concern among parents and marketers is that children were, and still do, use their saliva to apply the water-type temporary tattoos when a clean water supply is unavailable. Waterless tattoos are a great marketing tool because they eliminate the mess associated with water and the need for kids to use their germ and bacteria-infested saliva to apply temporary tattoos to themselves … and their friends.

By eliminating the basic health concern, marketers are finding that waterless tattoos are fast-becoming a top marketing tool of choice. In general, waterless tattoos are great for walk-a-thons, open houses, school pride events, school fairs, church special events and more. But because effective promotional marketing is about specifics, let's take a look at specific ways you can use waterless tattoos to your strategic advantage.

Drive Trade Show Traffic to Retail Location Waterless tattoos can be used to effectively drive local trade show traffic to a retail location. Again, because they require no water to apply, they can be applied immediately with no mess. Lets say your company will exhibit at a local trade show. You hand out waterless tattoos to attendees telling them that if they wear the tattoo when they visit the retail location in the next 3 days they’ll receive (fill in the blank). For instance you can offer an in-store trade show special or allow the person to enter a promotional drawing. Getting people to register for drawings is a fantastic way to establish or build a database. Remember, they can't register to the trade show, they can only register at the retail location and only if they are wearing the waterless tattoo.

Smarter retailers use in-store signs before the trade show to let customers know the benefit of getting their free waterless tattoo at the trade show and of the benefit of a post-show return visit. To get maximum leverage, plan to launch a new product, offering or service at the trade show and hype it with your in-store signs. This tactic helps improve booth traffic at the trade show. Once people attend the booth they are introduced to the new product or service, given the waterless tattoos and told of the incentive to wear the tattoo into the retail store within the next three days.

Taken a step further, encourage trade show attendees to apply the tattoo (usually to the back of their hand) right away. Tell them that company representatives are wandering the trade show floor randomly awarding, special prizes to those who are sporting the tattoo. These special prizes can range from store gift certificates to store-related promotional items. One good approach is to award people with a large trade show bag. The bag is big enough that attendees put all their other stuff into your imprinted bag, giving you even more exposure.

The combination of the waterless tattoo and the bag exposes your company logo to everyone in attendance. When others see people being rewarded for having the waterless tattoo, it can further increase booth traffic giving your company/business exposure to possible new customers. What you reward people with depends on your promotional budget, but can range from bags and t-shirts (that the recipient is encouraged to don right away) to flashing lapel pins, flashing pendants, hats and bandannas. Promote Entertainment/Special Events In this scenario, you have a booth at the local county fair and you want to promote an event that will take place in a couple months to which you'll charge admission. As you hand out the waterless tattoos, imprinted with the event name, date and ticket order #, let people know that your representatives are walking the fairground. Those sporting the tattoo will be registered to win free tickets to the event. Again, this is an effective way to establish or build a database.

Another approach is to simply allow them to register at the booth once they apply the waterless tattoo. In either case, you'll want to ensure that your waterless tattoo design is bright and colorful and that your booth sign matches the tattoo. This will let people who see the tattoo on others, make an immediate connection when they approach your booth. I know of one case where a community art center is using this tactic to promote … a Tattoo Exhibit. You can use this tactic whenever you get a booth at a public event such as art fairs, festivals and mall kiosks.

Event Contests This concept carries with it an inherent public relations component that is absolutely powerful. Because waterless tattoos are an inexpensive adverting/promotion medium, they are perfect for design contests. Let’s say a school wants to launch a school pride or school spirit program. A design contest is a great way to add excitement and interest.

Students are encouraged to enter their drawings for a "School Spirit" tattoo. The winning design or designs are produced as a tattoo to be worn during “Spirit Week”. This type of program is great because of the earned media component. It’s worth several press releases and can be a great vehicle for a local business or several to gain sponsorship exposure. And of course the winning students will be thrilled to have their name in the local media.

Cities, towns and villages can use this idea to create hype for such events as Down Home Days, Summer Fest, Do-Da Days and other local festivals and events. County and state health departments can hold design contests addressing such topics as abstinence, anti-drug messages and other health issues. Corporation HR departments can use this idea as part of Founders Day or other corporate events. Inserting Into Publications Waterless tattoos are custom manufactured to your specifications. That means they can be produced for insertion into magazines, periodicals and newsletters no matter if your publication is saddle stitched or case, perfect, spiral or comb bound. Because they are light, they're perfect for direct mail campaigns giving you the ability to target your audience.

Retail Babysitters Retail sales is hard enough without having to fight your customer's or prospect's kids for the parents attention. As retail babysitters, waterless tattoos are perfect. This tactic works well for everyone from real estate professionals to car dealers.

First, produce a number of different custom designs. Next, when the parents show up, give the kids a few waterless tattoos to play with after getting the parents permission. If after a while they get bored, give them a few of your alternative designs.

In most cases, this will keep the kids busy long enough for you to make some headway with the parents. And because waterless tattoos don't require water to apply, you have no mess. Perfect when showing a new home a new car or in a carpet showroom. This is also a great tactic for the bank drive though. With the kids content in the back seat with a couple waterless tattoos, mom or dad can concentrate on the transaction.

Design Considerations We've covered just a few of the many promotional and marketing applications of waterless tattoos. Because children love them, it's not difficult to gain major exposure at local events by handing out waterless tattoos to the children. In no time, you'll have hundreds of little billboards running around promoting your logo, brand or message.

The key is simple, colorful design and the ability to have an effective distribution system, whether they are handed out, mailed or inserted into publications.

When designing a waterless tattoo, be mindful of how your logo or design will show up on dark skin. In most cases, the problem is solved by laying down a white base, then overprinting the other colors. In other cases, a simple white outline will do the trick.

With a little creative thought and a good idea of what you want to accomplish, waterless tattoos can be an extremely effective promotional tool. Sure, I'll admit many of the ideas I've outlined can be utilized with regular temporary tattoos and stickers. However, kids sometimes put stickers where parents don't want them and regular tattoos still have that water/saliva dogma to deal with. From a promotional marketing standpoint, on comparison, you can't beat the good, clean fun of waterless tattoos.