Sunday, November 8, 2009

Tribal Tattoo Designs - Oldest Tattoos

 

Tribal tattoo designs have been the first tattoo designs to be used. Tattoos originated in various tribes across the world, where members of each tribe would paint or scar certain marks on them. Tattooing is done today by inserting ink in the pores of the skin so as to make a permanent mark on the skin but this originated in various primitive tribes as an extremely crude and painful procedure.
It is known that several tribes such as Celtic, Irish, Chinese, Indian, African, Native American, Maori, etc. all over the world used tattoos. The design themes that these tribes used have collectively come to be known as tribal tattoo designs. Tribal tattoos are generally done in black color.
The tribes generally used tattoos to honor God or to identify members of their tribe. They might have also been used as symbol of bravery and courage, as during those times it was extremely tormenting to get a tattoo. Tattoos were also used to commemorate certain occasions in the life of tribesmen such birth of new born or entering into adulthood, etc. or to mark certain events in the history of the tribe such as victory in a war or end of famine, etc.
Both men and women in the tribe usually get tattoos but men generally get more tattoos than women. Also it is common in certain tribes for men to get tattoos all over their face but women would usually only get tattoos on checks or other parts of their body.
Even though most tribes used extremely primitive techniques to draw their tattoos, their designs are very exotic and articulate. These tattoo designs are extremely detailed and are very difficult to reproduce. So if you are planning to get a tribal tattoo it is exceptionally important that you visit an artist who specializes in tribal art. Not every tattoo artist will be able to ink a good tribal tattoo for this kind of tattoo requires a lot of precision.
Also before getting a tribal tattoo, it is important that you try to find out what it symbolizes. Tribal tattoos have a lot of in-depth meaning attached to their designs. Though the designs might look simple but they are very mystical in nature and you will be able to really appreciate a tribal tattoo only if you know the hidden meaning behind it.
Tribal tattoos can also be combined with other designs such as animals, floral, weapons, etc. But it is important for tribal art to be unique; it doesn't look good if you have cookie cutter designs. For this reason it is extremely important as to how you get the tribal design. If you just pick up your design by doing a search on the internet, you might end up with a fake tribal tattoo or something that has been used by thousands of people. In some tribe it is actually considered an insult to copy that tattoo.
It is best to get your tribal tattoo designs from a paid tattoo website. These websites hire tattoo artists to create these designs and they are very different than what you find on the free websites. Moreover upon request on some of these websites, you can even request the artist to customize your tattoo to make it unique for you.

Tribal Tattoo Designs - Popular Look and Popular Style

 

For hundreds and hundreds of years, cultures across the globe have used special tribal tattoo designs for individual decoration and communal identification. In recent years, the use of tribal designs by modern skin artists has grown exponentially to meet the demand from people of all ages seeking tattoos of this very nature.
Historically, traditional tribal tattoos have been utilized by cultures all over the world for everything from signifying rites of passage and defining social status to augmenting personal beauty and identifying persons of importance. And in fact, the designs of tribal tattoos vary as greatly as the cultures from which they come.
Some tribal art has been traced back to as early as 2000 B.C., and it continues to be used for cultural and social purposes today. Nearly every continent has contributed some form of recognizable tribal tattoo art to the modern-day repertoire.
Tribal tattoo artists may draw from elements originally created by the ancient Egyptians, the North American Indians, West African tribal elders, and many, many more. Although most tattoo seekers today request tribal tattoos based on their visual appeal rather than their social affiliation, the significance of such art cannot be underrated.
Tribal art has become one of the most requested types of tattoo designs by men and women alike. Many men get these tattoos as armbands or as large images on the shoulder; most women request them as an ankle band or as artwork on their lower backs.
Although most modern-day tribal designs do not have a particular significance to a tribe or clan, the amalgamations that have emerged from the many influences belong more to the person creating the art or the individual wearing it. Many people find their tribal art tattoos to be a statement of their individuality.
Many tribal art designs are comprised of strong, bold images that are appealing to the eye. They are usually characterized by intertwining, thick lines and are often symmetrical in shape. They are frequently filled in black and feature distinctive, repetitive patterns that are often unique to the artist who has developed the design.
As more and more men and women seek tribal tattoo designs, the popularity and significance of this art will continue to grow. Some people get tribal art tattoos to pay homage to their ancestors or family roots; others choose a tribal design based on what it represents to them. Still others select a tribal design based only on the way it looks. But regardless of the reason why it is selected, tribal art offers the wearer the opportunity to be part of something larger than themselves.