For women, small flower tattoo designs and small butterfly tattoos are very popular. These tattoos are usually placed on the ankle. In fact, areas like the ankle are ideally suited to small tattoo designs, because the design ends up proportionate to the body part you place it on.

If you’re looking to shrink a large tattoo down, go with a simple design. Otherwise, the fine details that can fit in a large tattoo will be lost or muddled when it is shrunk. Portraits, and other tattoos with a lots of composition and shading are best left large, while simple shapes and images work well with a small design.

Many people, especially when they’re considering their first tattoo, are nervous about seeing large designs, because they’re not ready to jump in the deep end yet. If you feel this way, a small tattoo design is right decision. A great deal of tattoo styles and designs can be done nicely at a small scale, though picking the exact design that will work best for you can take some experience, so be willing to ask your artist’s advice in this matter.

You can have practically any tattoo design done in a small format, and this includes popular tattoos such as

Small angel tattoo designs
Small asian tattoo designs
Small butterfly tattoo designs
Small celtic tattoo designs
Small cross tattoo designs
Small dolphin tattoo designs
Small dragon tattoo designs
Small fairy tattoo designs
Small heart tattoo designs
Small religious tattoo designs
Small rose tattoo designs
Small star tattoo designs
Small star tattoo designs
Small sun tattoo designs
Small tribal tattoo designs
Small zodiac tattoo designs

As you can see, if you don’t try to add extensive detail, there is plenty of selection to choose from in small tattoo designs.

Most cultures attach special significance to the heart: for instance the ancient Egyptians believed the heart to be the center of emotional and rational thought. Christians believe it to be origin of emotions (particularly love), while Islam sees the heart as the center of spirituality.

Consider carefully if you are thinking of getting a heart tattoo to express your romantic love. Relationships don’t always last forever, while a tattoo does. You don’t want to snap to a decision and end up with a permanent reminder of someone you can’t stand anymore.

Dolphin tattoo designs can be done in a variety of styles and colors, with there really being no ’standard’ way to design a dolphin tattoo. Most dolphin tattoo designs depict the dolphin surfing a wave or smiling on the surface. Dolphin designs can be done as a single dolphin, a mother and baby dolphin, or a whole family of dolphins. Dolphin tattoos can be placed almost anywhere, but a popular choice is to encircle a limb such as an arm of calf with a band of dolphins.

A popular dolphin tattoo design for women is a circle formed by two dolphins touching nose to tale. These can be used as a circular focal point for several other designs such as a tribal or Celtic armband design. Additional detail can be added to a dolphin tattoo using water, a sunset, clouds, fish, turtles, or other elements of nature. Dolphins are also a natural complement to mermaid tattoos, or other nautical tattoos, as sailors consider dolphins to be a sign of good luck.

The cross, or crucifix is one of the worlds oldest and most widely used symbols. In fact, cross designs even predate Christianity, and at that time symbolized elements of nature. For these reasons, it’s easy to see why cross tattoo designs are so popular.

The cross is a very simple symbol, and it lends itself to a huge variety of potential tattoo designs. For example the four arms of the cross can represent the four elements (earth, air, fire, and water) each pointing to the central point of life’s synthesis.

There are also celtic cross tattoo designs characterized by traditional Celtic knotwork. Medieval designs such as St. Andrew’s Cross tattoos, the Knight’s Templar cross tattoos, and St Peter’s cross tattoos are also quite popular.

When considering a cross tattoo, an important consideration is the fact that it is composed of long straight lines. This means it needs to be placed in a spot that won’t undergo a lot of skin or muscle movement, as this will distort and wobble the straight lines of the cross.

For as long as man has been looking at the sun and the stars, they have studied astrology and the zodiac. Different cultures have developed their own zodiac symbols over time, with Chinese zodiac, Native American zodiac and Aztec zodiacs being popular subjects for tattoos as well as the traditional Greek zodiac symbols.

Zodiac tattoos are popular for many people who study astrology. Zodiac tattoos and they can take the form of the simple symbols of the zodiac, or more intricate designs that integrate the shape of the actual zodiac constellations as well. Zodiac symbols can also take the center of an armband tattoo.

The 12 Signs of the Zodiac

Capricorn Tattoo Designs (December 23 thru January 20) represented by the goat.

Aquarius Tattoo Designs (January 21 thru February 19) Aquarius, depicted as the water carrier.

Pisces Tattoo Designs (February 20 thru March 20) Pisces, “the fish” is actually represented by two fish, eachone swimming in the opposite direction from the other.

Aries Tattoo Designs (March 21 thru April 20) Aries, “the ram”, is also more widely known as the god of war to the Greeks and Romans.

Taurus Tattoo Designs (April 21 thru May 21) Taurus, “The Bull”.

Gemini Tattoo Designs (May 22 thru June 21) The Gemini sign is represented by a set of twins.

Cancer Tattoo Designs (June 22 thru July 22) Cancers “Crabs”.

Leo Tattoo Designs (July 23 thru August 22) Leo, the lion.

Virgo Tattoo Designs (August 23 thru September 23) Virgo, the Virgin, the only signs of the zodiac that is represented by a woman.

Libra Tattoo Designs (September 24 thru October 23) A picture of scales in balance.

Scorpio Tattoo Designs (October 24 thru November 22) Scorpio the scorpion.

Sagittarius Tattoo Designs (November 23 to December 22) Sagittarians are symbolized by a centaur archer.

The Top 3 Places To Find Tattoos Online

There are three main options when it comes to finding tattoo designs online. The three best places to search are: Tattoo design sites, Google, and Youtube.

#3) YouTube- This is a good place to start finding tattoo design ideas because there are a good number of videos posted with a large variety of different tattoo designs. The only problem is that there is also a lot of crap and if you happen to find a good design you can’t really print it out.

#2) Google - Searching Google to find tattoos is another excellent way to get that tattoo design you’ve always wanted. However if you have spent any time looking, you will find that most of the free sites don’t have much selection, and the designs aren’t even always unique across the various sites.

#1) Tattoo Design Websites - By far the best way to find tattoos online is to use tattoo gallery websites. The benefit of these sites is that they have thousands of tattoo designs that are easy to search and download. Simply search their tattoo database until you find the tattoo you like, print it out, and take it to your tattoo artist. You can browse these sites whenever you want and print as many different tattoo designs as you want. Most of these sites offer lifetime memberships for as little as $34, so they are well worth the small initial investment.

Click Here For a Review of the Best Tattoo Design Sites

Remember that choosing a tattoo design is the most important step when it comes to getting a tattoo, so take your time! Your tattoo will likely be on your body for your entire life, so it’s important that you are very happy with the design before it is applied.

Sun tattoos designs can be executed in a wide variety of styles and colors, and in almost any size, from full back piece to a small tribal design. With their simple circular design, sun tattoos place well on most parts of the body.

Shoulders, shoulder blades, chest, legs, and the back are popular places for men to get sun tattoos. Women often choose the lower back, nape of the neck, or around the navel or hip for a sun tattoo.

Because of the flexibility of sun tattoo designs, you can pick a design you like, but give it your own personal style by selecting a non traditional color, or leaving it black and gray. Personified suns are also popular, using the image of Father Sun and/or Mother Moon.  Sun tattoo designs are also sometimes combined with a moon or star to make a  set of heavenly bodies.

Many ancient drew life from the sun, and you can find tribal style sun tattoo designs in almost any culture. Evidence is in the ancient Egyptian texts, Pueblo Indian art, Aztec astrological charts, or ancient sailing maps.

Sun tattoo designs are truly one of the most diverse, flexible and enduring tattoo designs.

The details may vary slightly, but there are a handful of standard procedures like proper cleansing, moisturizing, and protection. Following your tattooists instructions will ensure your tattoo stays looking good, and that you won’t face any unnecessary complications during healing.

Failure to follow the aftercare instructions can result in faded ink, excessive scabbing, rejection of the ink by your immune system, a spotty or broken design, and even severe infection. Aftercare is essential, and there are products specifically designed to help your tattoo heal properly. Your tattoo shop will fill you in with all the details.

Related to proper after care is the importance of sun protection for your tattoos (and long term health).

These days, most people know that exposure to the sun can wrinkle your skin and even cause cancer. And so, we cover up our skin and protect it from the sun using SPF lotion. But, did you know that along with your health, you risk destroying your tattoos with repeated exposure to the sun?

Wearing sunscreen and protecting your tattoos from the sun is especially important in the months after getting a tattoo, but it should really become a lifelong habit. Sun protection will protect your health, as well as you body art investment. Protect your skin and you will look beautiful for years to come!

There are a few main factors you should take into consideration: social, aesthetic, and professional. Depending on your career and social life, you may want to consider tattoos that won’t be seen by casual acquaintances: this rules out the forearms arms, calves and feet as tattoo locations. However, for some people, anything covered by a business suit is OK.

Remember, how your body looks is in part of how you express yourself to others, and thus how you are judged.

Things that are OK with your friends may not fly during a job interview or when you need something from someone with a negative attitude toward tattoos.
This is why most people, and especially people new to tattoos, should avoid getting tattoos,  on their hands, neck, or head and face. In fact, most shops will refuse to do the work unless it is obvious you are already ‘in the tattoo game’. The reason is that these are areas you cannot easily hide behind clothes, and no matter who you are, there will be situations where you don’t want to show that ink to the world.
When Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling, he didn’t just copy artwork that he had drawn earlier on paper, he went one step further and estimated the curvature in the domed ceiling, and was able to slightly distort the images he was painting so that it would look proportionate to someone on the ground.

In the same way, when considering your own body art, you have to take into account your body’s natural shape. This is something you can work on with your tattoo artist, but keep it in mind as you consider a design.

For example, if you have thin arms, a full on vertical portrait is not going to look right. The edges will curve around your arm and distort the image.

If you are thinking about a tattoo on your leg, know that the shape of your calf will have the same effect; long, straight vertical or horizontal lines will distort. It’s best to match the type of lines in a design to the curves on the body part being tattooed.

Designs with a lot of straight lines, or images that cannot be distorted are best on simple, flat areas like the back or shoulder blade. Similarly, designs with many flowing curves are best paired with a body part that’s natural curves will complement the design, like a shoulder, arm, or leg.

You can use tattoos to break up blank space, this is why wide, short tattoos are popular on the lower back.

Getting a tattoo isn’t like having your house painted, where just anyone with a brush and some paint can do a passable job.

First and foremost, tattooists are artists, and like any profession some are better than others. There are several criteria you should consider when choosing a tattoo parlor. First, it is vital to pick a tattoo shop that follows all the legal health regulations in your area.

Saving an extra $20 dollars isn’t worth contracting hepatitis, a blood infection, or AIDS. Any reputable tattoo parlor is clean, sterilizes all equipment, covers your skin to avoid contamination, and always uses latex gloves while working.

If a parlor refuses to sterilize or remove equipment from sealed packaging in front of you, leave and find another shop.

Second, pick a shop that takes a personal interest in providing you with the best tattoo. These parlors will support you with proper aftercare suggestions, free or cheap touch-ups if needed, and will work with you to make sure your design fits your lifestyle, your wallet and your body.

Finally, make sure that you pick a parlor that has experience in the type of work you want done. For example, a shop that specializes in tribal designs isn’t the right place to go for a portrait of your child, nor is a run-of-the-mill studio where you want to go for a traditional Japanese black and gray shading tattoo.

Ask to see portfolios of the artist’s previous work if you have an concerns, and discuss your design with the artist. Often, being a professional tattoo artist, they can make suggestions that will improve your tattoo’s design and your enjoyment.

Just as picking the right tattoo studio is important, avoiding amateur artists is equally vital. Your friend with the homemade kit consisting of a sewing needle and Bic pen is not doing you any favors by saving you money on a professional tat, no matter how many tats he’s done.

In this case, what your friend is doing is ensuring you get a poor design, with potentially dangerous inks, greatly increased risks of infection, and a tattoo that looks like you spent a bad night in a Tijuana prison. It surely isn’t the piece of individual expression you wanted permanently on your body.

In summary, if you go to an amateur, you will later regret it. No matter how much money is saved at the beginingt, you will end up spending two or three times that in hospital bills, cover-up jobs, or removal.