Tattoo Blog: 2011

tattoo lettering japanese

Japanese Tattoo Lettering

In Japan, tattooing and tattoo lettering began primarily as an expression of spirituality. From approximately 300 BC to 300 AD, a Japanese tattoo always conveyed a certain religious meaning for its bearer, and also served as a decorative status symbol.

During this period, tattooing was meticulously practiced and highly regarded. For the tattoo artists, tattooing was not just an occupation, but a way of life. For instance, aspiring apprentices had to train under masters for many years before becoming credible and acknowledged tattoo artists, which are called “horis” in Japan. Only a horis was allowed to create full body suit tattoos.

All that changed when the government began to etch tattoos on criminals as a means of punishment. During the Meiji era, the Japanese government outlawed tattooing and forced artists to practice underground. It was legalized again in 1945, but until now, Japanese tattoos have never completely shaken off the negative association with common felons and the Yakuza, Japan’s longstanding infamous mafia. Consequently, people sporting tattoos are known to be banned in many public baths and massage parlors by apprehensive business owners. Despite all this, Japanese tattoos continue to gain popularity domestically and worldwide because of the outstanding artistry of the designs and the deep mystical symbolism inherent to them.

Japanese tattoos are formed using words, images, and numbers, or different combinations of each. There are three kinds of scripts in Japanese:

* Kanji – originated from traditional Chinese characters. Intricate and beautiful, these characters are used to convey concepts.
* Hiragana – developed during the Heian period by women. It represents sounds, and looks feminine.
* Katakana – series of characters developed by Buddhist monks. The style is sharp and masculine, and represents sounds.

Kanji, hiragana, and katakana are combined and used for lettering and can be written vertically and horizontally. Katakana is generally used for foreign names, places, and words that are of foreign origin. For Japanese tattoo lettering, people often use Kanji.

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Japanese Yakuza Tattoos

You cannot but be impressed by Japanese tattoos. The intricate detail and stunning colours set Japanese tattoos apart, placing them in a league of their own. They are thought of, by many, to be the pinnacle of tattoo art. Japanese Yakuza Tattoos

Japanese tattoos are complicated and very detailed. Often they extend over large portions of the body, for example the entire back of the wearer. Getting a Japanese tattoo is long and often painful process, but one that is worth the effort for the rich clarity and detail of the scenes. The tattoos are truly works of art, not some horrid piece of ink slapped on in a drunken haze on holiday as are too many tattoos these days. Japanese Yakuza Tattoos

The history of Japanese tattoos as an artform is interesting. In the early 1600s, tattoos were worn proudly by Japanese people. The tattoos would be shown off and were much admired. A stark contrast to today where very often, tattoos are regarded by large portions of society as something to cover up and hide, especially in corporate contexts. There is one “corporation” though, that still encourages tattoos; the Yakuza. Japanese Yakuza Tattoos

The Yakuza are basically the Japanese mafia. A strictly organised criminal society, that has spread its influence throughout Japanese society – politics, media, you name it, the Yakuza will have infiltrated it. And with them, the Yakuza have brought their tattoos more and more into the mainstream. Japanese Yakuza tattoos, also called irezume are often still hand-poked – in other words, they are created without the aid of electric tattoo needles, making the actual tattoos more expensive and more painful to have done, not to mention slower – in fact some of the larger more intricate tattoos have been known to take years to complete

Tribal Tattoo Design

Tribal Tattoos are a now trend. There are quite a number of people, both men and women, who are getting these tattoos. This is because some designs are really cool, creative and very striking. Individuals have varied reasons for getting inked. For men, it is machismo. Women also think it gives a sultry appearance. And tattoos, no matter what reason one has these, really catch attention. These get second glances or even a good stare from others.

Arm Tribal Tattoo

But where did it begin? How did tribal tattoos come to being? Tribal Tattoos serve as an identification of a certain tribe. These are some kind of trademark, identity or signature of an ethnic group. They are rich in symbols and images. This is what makes any Tribal Tattoos mysterious in some way. The symbolism gives not just a literal meaning but also speaks of the culture and belief of the group.

Best Arm Tribal Tattoo

It was said that Tribal Tattoo began before the spread of civilization. Though Tattoo is Polynesian in origin but like love, it is universally practiced by many tribes from different continents all over the world. The custom is practiced based on their way of life. In Polynesia, it is a mark of Puberty when a person has a tattoo on the body. A tribe in Australia used tattoos as an indication that the person had been adopted into the family. Infants in Kabyles, a tribe in Algeria, are tattooed by their mothers as a way of recognizing them.

Eagle Tribal Tattoo

Another significant purpose of a tattoo is bravery. This is aside from the literal pain that you would experience because they used a knife and chisel to carve the symbol. A warrior in a specific tribe has a tattoo that will display his courage. It is like a medal received after the success of a warrior.

Some tattoos served as wedding bands. A man and woman are identified as married because of their tattoos. It could be good in a way because you won’t lose it from your body unlike a wedding ring, which can easily be taken off.

Lower Back Tattoo

Other tattoos speak of royalty and elegance. The head of a tribe has his specific tattoo, including his family. Tattoos for tribe leaders serve like a crown. Their tattoos give them respect and authority over their tribe. It also gives them dignity.

There are still other tribes across the globe that use tattoos as a symbol of their faith. Some put tattoos on the dead bodies of their members. In as much as it signifies grief and respect, it is part of their belief system in the after life.

It is only wise then for anyone to know the meaning or representation of the pattern he is choosing. After all, tattoos are more than just a fad. They reflect the origin and belief of a certain tribe. Remember also that designs can be mysterious because of the images. And wearing a tattoo can either make you stand proud or shrink because you know the meaning of it after you have it inked.

Tribal Tattoo Design

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cross tattoos design

Cross Tattoos Design

There are many different tattoo designs around, and for every design you can think of there are probably many different forms of that particular design. We see this with dragon tattoos, people don’t just have a dragon tattoo, they want the dragon tattooed in a particular way and each way has a different symbolic meaning – it is no different with the cross. The cross is probably one of the most recognized religious symbols in the world because of its association with Christianity. However, there are many different designs in cross tattoos and it helps to be able to tell one from another and to recognize just what the particular significance of each particular cross might be. The cross is actually a very ancient symbol that predates Christianity and was used by the Aztecs and by various pagan traditions.

The cross is one of the most frequently requested tattoo designs it is even more popular than the seemingly ubiquitous swallows and anchors. It can be quite confusing when there are so many different designs to choose from, and if, as we have already said, tattoos have particular personal significance, we want to be sure that the design is saying what we want it to. Nowadays many young Christians choose to have a Christian cross tattoo – these might be with or without the body of Jesus. Some Christian cross tattoos will depict the Sacred Heart along with the Cross, or with a crown of thorns. If the body of Christ is nailed to the cross this is often referred to as the Latin cross.

Cross Tattoos Design

Gothic cross designs may not be specifically Christian as they often include some form of dark imagery. They may have some barbed wire around the middle of the cross or the cross may also be intertwined with a dagger. The Gothic cross is usually heavily ornamental with beveled edges and it symbolizes pain and anger rather than a message of hope.

Cross Tattoos Design

The Egyptian cross or ankh is often known as the key of life it is a cross with a circular shape at the top. Tribal crosses often have flowing lines and very distinctive outlines. Then there is the Celtic cross which is gaining in popularity today and has a long history attached to it. Again the Celtic cross is usually intricately designed with loops and knot work wrapped around the area where the two parts meet. The loops are meant to symbolize the never ending circle of life and the knots symbolize the link between the physical and the spiritual world.

Cross Tattoos Design

cross tattoo designs on foot

cross tattoo designs on foot

best tribal cross tattoo designs

Tattoos can be compared with the means eternal love. If in case you decide to get a tattoo somewhere on your body, always hoping that it will last forever. And no matter how desperate you in removing it, the scar will remain. Among the tattoos, cross tattoo design has been chosen by men and women. That’s because the cross symbolizes many things. No matter whether you are a member of the Christian religion or not, you still have body accessories are called.

There are several types of cross tattoo designs. Some are just simple while others are filled with different designs such as curves and circles. And to make it more realistic, designers are used to mix the cross design with things that are unusual such as thorns, nails and leaves. Christians have faith in a broad and cross are depicted on the grounds that Jesus Christ will return from the dead.

Cross tattoo designs are not only intended for members of the Christian. Every ca one getting a tattoo cross and there are many options to choose from. Only if you want to get a cross tattoo design, here is a crawl of the best ideas that you can choose to have:

Cross (wood cross tattoo)
This is a standard design used by tattoo artists. Usually, people get a tattoo of the cross to commemorate the death of Jesus Christ. Although, this design is simple, wooden cross can also be mixed with different styles and mix colors.

Celtic cross tattoo
Celtic crosses involving a combination of cross and ring. This design is created and surrounded by the intersection. Celtic crosses not only created for Christians to also honor family history associated with Celtic. In most cases, getting a Celtic cross tattoo designs mean you’re a family member exclusively.

Tribal cross tattoos
These designs we are the same as the Celtic cross. However, the dorms are usually made with a strong mix of black and thick. In some cases, tribal cross designs are made with sharp edges or pointed tip. Tribal tattoos cross has nothing to do with religion. This is an awesome design is often used by people who want to remember someone they love.