Online Tattoo Designs 24/7

Check out the artwork on these tattoos. Incredible!

If you want to design your own tattoo (3D style), then hit play on this video for some inspiration.

Here’s an interview with a Tattoo Artist who gives some good points to think about when you are trying to design your own tattoo. 

It is wise to put some thought into your tattoo design before you get it. As the tattoo artist in the video says, “A tattoo is forever”.

If you’re looking for a tattoo that is either all lettering or the tattoo lettering is a big feature in the tattoo, then there are places online that can help you to design your own tattoo. 

Some of the keywords you could search for online are: “Tattoo Fonts” or “Tattoo Lettering”.

If you don’t feel like searching, here are a couple sites that have several fonts to choose from for free. You could put in your text and see what it would look like in different fonts. Then print it out and take it to your local tattoo artist. 

• TattooFonts.net
• TattooLettering.net

That should help you with designing the lettering of your tattoo. But if you still need some ideas for the rest of your tattoo design, this site is your best bet: TattooMeNow.

This video gives some tips for how to behave when you get your new tattoo design inked on your bod. Some of the tips might be “new info” - other tips are common sense (which isn’t so common anymore).

OK, you’re set…you’ve designed your own tattoo and you’ve found your tattoo artist. The day is set but do you know what supplies you will need afterwards to care for your new tattoo?

Well don’t worry, just watch this video. This guy will get you dialed in.

By Sarah Jayne Gasu

The Samoan word for tattoo is tatau (tu-tow-u) and as you might assume is where the English word ‘tattoo’ derives from, and translates as to hit or strike (ta) with the au (tattoo tool).

Should you ever see one of these beautiful tribal tattoo’s, know in Samoa as Pe’a (peh-ah) you will understand completely how such a mistake could be made. Much of the traditional monochrome tattoo design covers large solid ares of skin, representing the ocean making it difficult to believe at first that a person could even endure such physical trauma.

The tufuga (tuh-foong-ah), or tattoo artist uses special tools to create the traditional tatau and they are much the same today as they have always been.

The first is the Au (ow) which is quite befitting considering the sound one might make when struck by it. It is made from a short piece of bamboo or light wood and a small piece of turtle shell bound at right angles at one end. Attached to this is the comb, usually made from sharpened bone, boar’s teeth or even sharks teeth, which are dipped in ink to colour the skin. The tattoo artist will usually have quite a variety of Au to suit the different designs that make up the completed tatau.

The second tool is another stick which acts as a small mallet and is used to endlessly tap tap tap the ink soaked Au causing it to pierce the surface of the skin.

The ink that covers the sharp teeth of the Au is made from the soot of burnt candlenut shells. The candlenut is a very versatile nut and even in our modern world is often used to create charcoal briquettes. Once the nut is burned down to soot it is then mixed into a smooth paste using coconut oil. This ancient form of ink is still used today in traditionally applied tattoo.

Due to the intricate designs, a traditionally applied tatau can take many hours to complete. The pe’a however can take many days and weeks, the process often beginning at dawn and continuing till dusk, though 4 or 5 hour sessions are more common. Each evening this is followed by long bathes in saltwater to assist the healing process. Overall, the entire pe’a, which amazingly covers 65% of the male body, can take up to 3 months to finish and up to a year to completely heal.

Sarah Jayne Gasu is an Australian author who regularly visits the Pacific and loves everthing to do with its people and culture. For extensive information on Traditional Samoan Tattoo Design and the islands of Samoa you can visit her site at http://www.dreamholidaysamoa.com and discover this beautiful and somewhat hidden destination in the South Pacific.

Being married to a Samoan High Chief gives Sarah real insight on the culture from the perspectives of both locals and tourists so you are guaranteed to discover everything you need to know to plan your dream vacation.

Sign up for her newsletter while visiting her site and recieve a FREE article to teach you the basics of the Samoan language so you can be talking like a local before you even arrive!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Jayne_Gasu
http://EzineArticles.com/?Tattoo-in-Samoa—The-Tools-and-Methods-of-the-Traditional-Samoan-Tattoo&id=1692475

Here’s a short video of some girl tattoos. This will give you some examples of girl tattoos and what they actually look like on the girl. If you want to see more designs, check out this site that can help you design your own tattoo.

Here’s a video that will show you a whole bunch of actual Celtic design tattoos. If you are looking to design your own tattoo or just like looking at cool tats, you’ll want to hit the “play” button - pronto.

Where do Tattoo Designs come from?

Do you know the history of your tattoo design? Every tattoo design has meaning and history. The tattoo design that you either have or are looking for, has particular meaning to you but it also has a history that you might not be aware of. 

Have you ever wondered how tattoo designs started in America? If so, take a ride with me in the way-back machine…

A long time ago, tattooed Polynesian natives were taken to Europe and later brought to the United States and put on display at world’s fairs. This took place in the late 1800’s. 

In the U.S. we took the tattoo design and changed its theme from exotic designs to patriotism. Tattoos were very popular with our military men. 

At the time tattoos were still being done by hand, (ouch!) which made them costly and time consuming. But all that changed in 1891 when “Professor” Samuel O’Reilly patented the first electric tattoo machine. (Hurray for Sam!)

The electric tattoo machine allowed the tattoo artist to use a number of tattoo needles at the same time for outlining and shading. This is when strong black lines and heavy shading were introduced to tattoo designs. 

With the invention of the electric tattoo machine, the true Americana style of tattoo design was born. Now tattoo designs were less painful, cheaper and faster. As you can imagine, this one invention drastically changed the tattoo design world and increased its spread tremendously, and making it easier than ever to design your own tattoo.

Without these men and women that paved the tattoo design road for you, you wouldn’t be able to go to your local tattoo artist and walk out sporting an awesome tattoo design shortly after that. Plus, you’ve got to admit that Samuel O’Reilly must now be your new hero. Without his tattoo machine, your tattoo design would cost more, take more time and (believe it or not) hurt more, too. Thank you, Sam. You’ve really changed the tattoo design world.

Here’s a word of caution when you design your own tattoo: Be very careful about what your final decision is to put on your body. I’m sure by now, you know that a tattoo is a permanent design on your skin.

Most people choose a tattoo design based on something that has meaning to them. As you design your own tattoo, make sure (to the best of your ability) that what has meaning to you now, will still have the same meaning (or at least a somewhat positive meaning) twenty years from now. 

Some people design their tattoos based on family or their children. These are pretty safe bets. I would think that you would still have positive feelings about Mom, Dad and Junior, even twenty years from now. 

The danger zone comes when you design your own tattoo to include your love life. I know it’s hard to believe, but you might feel differently twenty years from now. If you’re really determined to include your love life in your tattoo design - I would recommend using a symbol that reminds you of your “special someone” instead of their name. 

However, even at that, you might still have an issue. I have a female friend who got a tattoo of a rosebud on her shoulder; mainly because her husband (excuse me, … “ex”-husband) was nick-named “Rosebud”. (I know, it’s an uncommon nick-name, to say the least) Well, you can see where this is going, can’t you?

After they went through their dramatic divorce, she regretted having the “reminder” of him on her body. Even though it wasn’t his name, it reminded her of him every time she saw it. 

As you design your own tattoo, take care in remembering that tattoo removal and tattoo cover ups are expensive and a royal pain. So, design your own tattoo around something that you are sure to feel the same way about twenty years from now.  If you’re at all uncertain, then wait or look around at more tattoo designs until you find “the one”.