Monday, November 30, 2009

Chinese Letters Tattoos - Good Points to Consider

The art of making tattoos on a body is in no way recent. It has a history almost as old as man itself. This art has been kept alive since ancient times, and has gained popularity and widespread use in the modern age. Tattoo is made using a needle and ink. Needle is used to place the colored ink into the skin to make a design chosen by the person, to stay on the skin forever. This is a somewhat painful method, and the intensity of which depends on the sensitivity of the area where the tattoo is being made. This pain can stay with you for a few days. But if it's done right, the tattoos heal quickly leaving no pain behind.

Today, more and more people are opting for Chinese letters tattoos. The beautiful designs being the most common reason for the choice, even though most of the people who get Chinese letters tattoos don't really know what their tattoo means.

The Chinese letters tattoos have a charm and mystique that is all their own. No word or letter written in English can ever be comparable to the beauty Chinese letters have. It is due to this unique nature of Chinese letters that has made it one of the most popular choices in tattoo art.

However, choosing the right Chinese letters tattoo is the tricky part. As the tattoo is going to stay with you all your life, it is imperative that you find the perfect one for yourself. If you want your name written in Chinese letters, you will have to find someone to help who has a complete knowledge of the Chinese language. Since there are no alphabets in Chinese, you can not simply put your word into a converter and get the right Chinese translation. Chinese language is unique in the sense that a single letter of the language can mean many words, and convey a complete meaning, for example love, peace, and power can be said using a single Chinese letter.

To avoid the dissatisfaction of getting a tattoo in a hurry and then later finding a design that you liked better and wished you have gotten instead of the one you went ahead with, take your time and research carefully, exploring all the options and designs before selecting the one that you will like forever. It is in most cases like finding the perfect wedding dress, but in this case you are going to wear a tattoo forever.

There are over a hundred thousand Chinese symbols, each with a significant meaning to it, though most of them have become redundant in the present times. The most common Chinese signs are the signs for love, strength, power, luck, water, horse, cat, harmony, dragon, fire, fate, wind, heart, snake, eternity, life, music, hero and so many more. There are Chinese symbols for all the twelve zodiac signs as well.

Whatever you choose to get inked on you, make sure that it goes with your personality, and will remain the same for years to come. Get Chinese letters tattoos that you can cherish all life long.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Tattoos Of The Chinese Red Dragon - Looking For Chinese Red Dragon Tattoo Designs?

The Chinese red dragon has long been a symbol of power and supremacy in Chinese mythology. These dragons are usually depicted as long, snake-like creatures with four claws. Chinese dragons with five claws were imperial dragons typically reserved for emperors. Any person carrying the symbol of the five clawed dragon was treated with the utmost hospitality, kindness, and respect. However, anyone who wrongfully displayed the five clawed dragon would receive swift punishment. Chinese dragons are distinct from their western counterpart in that western dragons were usually represented as being evil.

Many people are attracted to the design and allure of these majestic creatures, yet few truly know what they symbolize. These designs can symbolize empowerment, beauty, wisdom, freedom, or a fire within oneself. The fire within could represent a passion or desire for something or someone, unique to the individual. In this way, tattoos of Chinese dragons have different, personal meanings for different people.

Chinese Dragon tattoos are well suited for entire body, full back, arm, and leg designs. These tattoos are commonly wrapped around the body, flattering the curves and contours. The most common place for a this tattoo however is the upper half of the arm. Here the body of the dragon wraps around the arm, with the head extending onto the chest or back region. Don't let these suggestions limit your ideas. Tattoos are as individual as the people they are imprinted on, and are meant as a form of art & expression. Express yourself in which ever manner you feel best suits you!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Chinese Tattoo Designs Are More Accepted Today Than Ever Before

Back in the day, it was thought that you were connected with the mob or in criminal activity if you had a Chinese tattoo design. Thanks to the popularity of tattoos by professional athletes, rap artists, celebrities and everyday people, tattoos and especially Chinese tattoos are becoming more accepted and even admired in this day and age. Needless to say, these tattoos have become very fascinating and are some of the most searched for tattoo designs on the internet today. As the different cultures continue to blend in this melting pot of people, more and more people are searching for information on authentic Chinese tattoo designs.

The great interest with Chinese tattoos is the artistic value along with the mystery of people not knowing exactly what your tattoo represents. Every time I see someone with a Chinese tattoo, I wonder what their tattoo means. It can very well be an ice breaker in any situation, your job or even social events as people will start to have conversation with you about your amazing tattoo.

Most people will decide to get a tattoo that represents something important to them such as their values, beliefs, goals in life, happiness, peace and even losing a loved one. That's why Chinese tattoos are such a popular choice because you can accomplish this with such a small artistic display compared to writing out what you're trying to say or having several pictures to get your point across.

You must do your homework and do your due research if this is something you think you might like to have. You definitely don't want to be misled or get the wrong information about what your Chinese tattoo translates into. You want a source that you can trust so that you won't get a tattoo that you think means peace and love, then you find out later on it means something totally different. How embarrassing and upsetting would that be. Be very careful and very diligent with your research. There are several tattoo websites that will give you an accurate definition of your Chinese tattoo.

Remember that there are many slightly different meanings and the smallest change can result in your Chinese tattoo meaning something totally different than what you want to display. You don't want your lack of research on something like this to last you a whole life time. You'll end up regretting and second guessing your decision to even get a tattoo.

If at all possible try to speak with someone that actually speaks Chinese so that you can have the correct interpretation and you can know exactly what each symbol means before you get your tattoo.

Get unlimited access to thousands of the latest and hottest tattoo designs including Chinese tattoos, tribal, skulls, flowers, celtic, hearts and much more. You'll also discover a discussion forum, video vault area for members only and much more.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Dragon Tattoo Art - Finding Printable Designs For Your Dragon Tattoos

Dragon tattoo art has been one of the most sought after designs especially among male tat enthusiasts. The creature, although mythical and non-existent has strong symbolism attached to it, not to mention the artistic appeal it has when inked on one's body.

Dragon tattoos can represent two different meanings depending on how they are portrayed. In the West, they are regarded as an evil and mean winged creature who breathes fire and guards caves with golds and jewels. Those who want to get these treasures have to slay the dragon first. In this case, dragon tattoos can mean fearless, power, courage and strong will.

The other symbolism of dragon tattoo art is good luck, fortune and wisdom as how they are look upon in the East. In China, they are the main symbol during the celebration of Chinese New Year as they are believed to bring prosperity, benevolence and good will. As a tattoo design, they can mean intelligence, protection, balance and harmony.

Dragon tattoo designs are very adaptable and flexible body art and looks great on large areas of the body such as the arm, rib cage, chest, back and shoulder blade. They can be seen inked in colors such as red and green while others opt for the plain black ink with some tribal touch. They can be portrayed as terrifying or monster-like, charming and kind and even small and innocent. It all depends on what kind of message the person sporting the tattoo wants to portray.

When it comes to resources for design of dragon tattoo art, its always best to do your research first before purchasing one. Read reviews online of the tattoo gallery membership being promoted and see which one best suit your need.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Get Your Ultimate Buddha Tattoo Designs

Want to know why Buddha tattoos are popular tattoo designs?

Buddhism is one of the foremost religions in Asian countries including China, Thailand, and India. Since I'll be discussing about Buddha tattoos, let me tell you about the foundation of Buddhism and how it came about.

Buddha

Would you believe that Buddha was a prince? His name was Siddhartha Gautama. He was born a prince and even then one of the philosophers who witnessed the prince's birth already saw greatness in him. He was believed to go beyond any noble power, a 'supreme knowledge.'

The prince was referred to as Buddha, thus, Buddhism was named after him. Buddha introduced the noble truths which he based from on he saw - the truth behind human subsistence and why people have little control of their fates.

Buddha Tattoos

When one thinks of a tattoo with Buddha design, one would instantly think of the Buddha image. It is the most popular among Buddha designs, which connotes faith and loyalty to Buddha.

You can also find colorful cartoon versions, or the dancing and laughing Buddha. You can also look for designs depicting a lion, a begging bowl, Buddha footprints, an empty throne, or the Bodhi Tree (a significant symbol where Buddha accomplished enlightenment).

The traditional Thai Buddha design represents luck, wealth, and blessings.

Although there are various other Buddha tattoos that can be used for the design, still the Buddha image remains as the first choice. No matter how Buddha is represented in a tattoo design including his mood depictions or the colors of his clothes, those who follow the prince will always look at theaw tattoos as symbols of enlightenment, strength of character, and greatness.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Daring to Have Tribal Dragon Tattoos

No one would ever dare to explain why a Dragon, a legendary creature, has created a huge impact in the lives of people today. Is it because people have heard a lot of stories about it, which makes it real? Or is it because the stories that were told since long time ago have been embodied by the people, made these affect their lives and daily living?

The answer may be vague, but the again, dragons, although mythical creatures, have existed in the minds of every person, and will continue to play in the imagination of the future generations.

A legendary creature made into symbols

Since no one would ever dare to prove the existence of dragons, people since the ancient times have created an image to portray how the legendary creature looks like. Based on stories passed from one generation to the other that would often describe the physical attributes of the creature, people saw the real image of a dragon.

They made sketches, and formed sculptures of a huge animal. The size would often be described similarly, but other attributes are different. Chinese dragons are longer, swims on air, and would often symbolize kindness and goodwill. On the other hand, Japanese dragons do not have wings, love the water, and have three claws.

Dragons from Europe are usually depicted of having three heads, aggressive, and burns villages. There are other illustrations of dragons, depending on a certain culture. In general, there are cultures that would portray their dragon as virtuous, but there are also cultures that would label dragons as ghastly elements.

Dragon symbols made into body art

After several pictures of dragons sprouted out, people used the symbolism for themselves. In the form of tribal dragon tattoos, people from different cultures have radiated their might to their enemies. In fact, several tribes would often paint their bodies with a dragon design before going to war. This is to show to their enemies that they are tough and fearless.

But tribal dragon tattoos do not usually mean the same thing. There are also cultures that would place these on their bodies as a sign of good luck, good health, and good fortune. These are commonly seen on Chinese cultures. Aside from body art, Chinese dragons are also a usual subject on paintings, pottery and embroidery.

However, there are cultures that used creature as a symbol of their deviancy to their religion. For instance, those who are against the Christian religion, would place dragon symbols around themselves and worship this mythical creature. They would often attack the church of Christ with this symbol, since it was mentioned in the bible that dragons are creatures from the underworld.

Dragon Tattoos today

A lot of people love tribal dragon tattoos, not only because of the unique design, but because of their legendary significance and symbolism. Tattoo artists have also crafted the design to make it more modern and attractive. Some would combine colors of red, yellow, and green to make the tattoo radiant and eye-catching.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Chinese Tattoo Designs - Three Sure-Fire Sources That Guarantee a Stunning Chinese Tattoo


While the Chinese tattoo wave is on the way, Chinese characters are becoming increasingly popular among Chinese tattoo lovers. Yet, rather than accept the same old "popular" Chinese tattoo ideas such as "love", "power", "family", more people start to seek more unique Chinese tattoo designs that better demonstrate one's personality and style. Honestly speaking, those popular Chinese tattoo ideas are genuinely favorable, they are just not as attractive as when a lot fewer people chose them as tattoos. Needless to say, people hate repetition and love to enjoy new stuff.

The good news is, however, that there are thousands upon thousands of nice Chinese tattoo ideas out there, the majority of which have yet to be discovered by tattoo lovers. So long as you are willing to do some basic research, chances are you can always find an excellent Chinese character, phrase, or saying that would make a stunning tattoo that no one has ever inked before.

Fortunately, the long history of China has witnessed a large number of classic literature works, many of which are as enduring as brilliant. For Chinese tattoo lovers, that means we have a goldmine before us. From the following three sources, your chances of discovering an amazing tattoo idea are just off to the roof.

1. The Analects, or Lun Yu

The Analects, or Lun Yu, which literally means "discussion over (Confucius') words" in Chinese, is the comprehensive record of Confucius' words, acts, as well as the discussions held among Confucius and his disciples. Written more than 2000 years ago (during the Spring and Autumn Period through the Warring States Period in Chinese history), the Analects is considered the very root of Chinese moral values and has been an all-time classic for both scholars and ordinary people.

Based on the fundamental thought of Confucius---Humanity, or yen, the Analects deals with every aspect that was considered by Confucius to be the manifestations of humanity, including such virtues as wisdom, filial piety, reverence, courtesy, love, sincerity, righteousness, loyalty, etc.

While the sayings from Tao Te Ching may seem obscure and abstract for most people, The Analects provides the most direct and clear quotes, which I believe is the most suitable source for an excellent tattoo idea to emerge. Here is the reason for this: Until you are really confident about your understanding of the word, you may not want to rush into inking it, just in case troubles arise.

What's worth noting, though, is that you can always find a great tattoo word that suits you in some way from certain part of the Analects, which consists of 20 themes altogether, a genuine huge pool of smart and meaningful quotes. If you want to get a unique and smart Chinese tattoo design, do some research about the Analects before anything else, you would definitely be glad that you did.

Examples:

Ji Suo Bu Yu, Wu Shi Yu Ren (What you don't want done to yourself, don't do to others)

Guo You Bu Ji (Going too far is the same as not going far enough)

Xiao Bu Ren Luan Da Mou (Impatience with trivial matters spoils great plans)

2. Tao Te Ching, or Dao De Jing

Among the most wisdom-flowing books throughout Chinese history (and human history), Tao Te Ching is arguably the best source to learn the "Tao" of life, probably the most complicated subject for us to figure out at all time. Literally speaking, Tao Te Ching refers to "book about ethic", as Tao Te means "ethic" in Chinese, and Ching means "book", or "scripture".

Lao Tsu, the author of Tao Te Ching, wrote the book with considerable conciseness and simplicity. As a result, the entire book is just a little over 5,000 words in length. Yet, it covers literally everything about life, and from a whole new perspective. People always find it extremely difficult to comprehend the words in the book, and when they do, they would then find out that the entire book is actually written with the very intent of being as simple as possible for people to understand, as long as one can read with a different view of how life "should" be, which they are actually not.

Boldly speaking, Tao Te Ching can equip one's mind with the highest level of wisdom for a human to acquire. In the mean time, it can easily provide loads and loads of smart Chinese tattoos beyond one's imagination. If you take just a little time diving into this magic book, I guarantee you that you will soon discover a tattoo word that brings not only "Aha" to others, but also to yourself, as you are then to be congruent with a whole new attitude toward life, which will completely transform you into a human being with true wisdom and clarity about life.

Examples:

Shang Shan Ruo Shui (the highest level of moral is that of water)

Wu Wei (non-action)

Zi Zhi Zhe Ming (to know oneself is to be illuminated)

Shao Ze De, Duo Ze Huo (little means "to get", much means confused)

3. Book of Odes, or Shi Jing

Shi Jing, which comprised of 305 poems, is the earliest existing collection of Chinese poems, some of which were written as early as 3,000 years ago.

If Tao can represent Tao Te Ching, humanity can represent The Analects, then the word to represent Shi Jing would definitely be romance. Actually, Shi Jing is considered to be the most beautiful and romantic collection of poems in Chinese literature, with tons and tons of sweet verses about men and women loving another, or one missing another, etc.

In addition to the beautiful poems, what's interesting about Book of Odes would be the characters. There are a great number of existing Chinese characters that were first created in that book. These characters are genuinely work of art, quite different from the common Chinese characters. They usually come in a two-character form, or Ci Yu. Besides, the characters are similar to each other in both shape and pronunciation. What's more, they often have a romantic meaning. For example, Xie Hou means "an unexpected meet", Chang Yang means "to wander about unhurriedly", etc.

Without a doubt, with its beautiful and delicate verses, Book of Odes can provide romantic folks with the best Chinese tattoo designs ever. Even for those who are not ready to ink multiple characters now, there are still loads and loads of characters in Book of Odes, which are amazing in both shape and meaning.

Examples:

Yao Tiao Shu Nv, Jun Zi Hao Qiu.

The modest, retiring, virtuous, young lady, For our prince a good mate she...