The Dahlia is a beautiful, mysterious flower that makes a great subject for floral tattoo designs featuring themes of elegance, love, and wealth. Dahlias are native to Mexico and South America, with large tuberous blooms as one (or two) brightly colored flowers. The Black Dahlia was popularized in the James Elroy novel of the same name, however, its popularity with...
Dragonfly tattoos have long been known to signify changes in a person’s life. Change is not always death, but also growth and development. It could be a new direction you decided to pursue, a job, a change of heart, or just letting go of old pain. While predominantly associated with female tattoo lovers, dragonfly designs are becoming more popular with...
The work of Japanese horror mangaka Junji Ito makes for compelling contemporary tattoo ideas. A mangaka describes a manga creator and illustrator, with Junji Ito being one of the greats that have shaped horror-style manga and anime into a force worldwide. He’s known for works such as Tomi, Uzumaki, and Gyo, a wide array of short stories and collections, and...
A moon tattoo idea is most often linked to motherhood, femininity, and fertility as a predominantly female symbolic tattoo contrasting the masculine sun. Sailors, hunters, and seekers have been guided by the light of a new, crescent, or full moon, while the sea and women’s fertility cycles alike move with the waxing and waning moon phases. A moon design can...
Survivor tattoos are visible, permanent reminders of growth, perseverance, and resilience against the toughest moments in life. The battle against serious mental health issues, killer diseases such as cancer and heart issues, or even domestic abuse and addiction, make a good base for self-reflective body art. Survivor tattoos aren’t meant to signify that the battle is over but act as...
Symbolizing mortality, immortality, and the dramatic interplay between life and death, skull tattoos embody the shadow side beloved by tattoo enthusiasts worldwide. Others opt for their skull tattoo idea to symbolize cultural ideals, triumph over death or adversity, rebellion in the face of life’s rules, or as a purely aesthetic contemporary style choice. The skull is one of the few...
The Mad Hatter and his strangely cyclical tea party provide great inspiration for Alice in Wonderland tattoo art. Perpetually stuck at tea time (6:00 PM) and reciting nonsense poetry, the Hatter and friend, the March Hare, are considered mad even by the other characters in this fantastic and absurd world. There is a variety of Mad Hatter tattoo inspiration you...
Monkey tattoo ideas are popular for collectors wanting an animal ink design motif emphasizing fun and mischief. Monkeys, and in particular the chimpanzee, are popular choices for old-school and cartoon tattooing styles for their fun-loving, hilarious temperament that often spills over into mischief and chaos. For the more serious-minded tattoo enthusiast, a gorilla or orangutan may be the choice you...
The cherry blossom, also known as sakura, is one of Japan’s most enduring cultural icons and an important tattoo design associated with beauty, fresh beginnings, and impermanence. While a cherry blossom tattoo design is influential in traditional Japanese style body art, the cherry flower is often most effective when incorporated into larger pieces as a secondary image to add a...
A plain dagger tattoo can show sacrifice, bravery, and loyalty, or be used to symbolize fighting, danger, fear, and ferocity. When paired with a heart, rose, or skull, dagger tattoo designs often symbolize a range of meanings, from the duality of good and evil, the inevitability of death, lost love, or a romantic betrayal. A dagger is the world’s oldest...
