Koi Fish Tattoo

Koi is a symbol of the Japanese culture. It is also known in Japan as "Nishiki" which translates to "colorful cloth". Koi means carp in Japanese and koi are part of the carp family. Although the koi tends to be associated with Japanese culture, it originated in China and parts of Eastern Asia. They originally were black and lacked color but over hundreds of years as the species evolved it started showing color variations. These colorful variations were then separated and bred selectively to create a wide variety of color.

The koi are know for the ability to completely lift themselves out of the water which is a typical pose of the ink work seen today. Koi is a beautiful color fish that is a perfect candidate for tattoo work.

The beautiful bright colors of the Koi make it a great choice for vibrant tattoo work. They are usually chosen for larger sizes - a shoulder blade, a rib cage but they can also be reduced to a calf size that looks quite striking with the shape of the calf.

Koi fish represent strength and honor. It is no wonder it is a popular choice for tattoo lovers. The color and variation choices and the honorable symbolism behind the Koi, the Koi tattoo is a great choice for tattoo designs. Water and cherry blossoms are typical additions to the Koi art.

Lotus Flower Tattoos

Lotus flowers are thought of as a symbol of awakening and emergence to a better state. The basis is believed to be starts out at the bottom of a pond in the mud. As it grows towards the light to the surface of the water. Once it surfaces, it turns into a beautiful blossom. ,

Both Hinduism and Buddhism place importance on this symbol for awakening to the spiritual reality of life.

Lotus flower tattoos are also popular for people who have risen beyond a tough time they have gone through and are better for the wear and tear. The flower starting out in the mud only to rise to the top and overcome the obstacles.

The most popular Japanese flowers is the lotus and peonies and are often used in Japanese art to compliment to Koi compositions. The Koi is a symbol of strength. A positive compliment to an emerging time.

The Best Female Tattoo Designs

Some women lean towards a more feminine tattoo design while some of the younger female ink lovers are making more trendy choices that were at one time thought of "guys" skin art. Choices are expanding to bolder styles, larger pieces and in more publicly visible locations.

Even though tattoos are more accepted than ever, that rule does not apply across the board. So if you are a young girl just starting in the work force you may be smart to choose locations that can be concealed if required. Until you are absolutely certain of your career, I would recommend making choices of your body that can be covered up if necessary for your work life.

If you are absolutely determined to have a more visible tattoo, I would then suggest an acceptable choice - mainstream acceptable - for instance, a potential employer may be more likely to hire someone with a pretty flower tattoo but may be socially shocked if you had a skull with a knife protruding through the top. Use some discretion and smarts when it comes to the choices you make.

Here are the Top 6 Tattoo Designs Popular with Females

• Traditional Japanese tattoos
  This is a popular style for girls, the geisha, the blossoms, koi fish,dragon designs
  


• Traditional American tattoos
  Old school 'Sailor Jerry' tattoos and images such as classic American cars, pin-ups, swallows and nautical star design are becoming more popular on girls chests, abdomen, back and legs.


• Floral tattoos
  So many girls are getting flower tattoos as full sleeve tattoos or covering their entire back or legs with floral designs. Artists can render beautiful styles and colors including a beautiful, soft water color effect with no outline. Flowers can be realistic or abstract.


• Butterflies
  Butterfile design are a timeless standard with it's huge options of shapes, and colors. Butterflies are often combined with floral tattoos or easily stand on their own. This design can be attractive in the endless choices of color as well as black and gray and even tribal design


• Wings and Angels
  From the life-sized wings from shoulder blades to lower back or small wing pairs along with the popularity of angels and the symbolism to loved ones have made this design a popular one. Some back pieces have life sized wings with a look of protruding from the wearers back. These can cover the back area from top to bottom and are very striking and attractive.


• Fairies
  The popularity of this fantasy creature and the art created by the likes of Amy Brown, have made the variations and choices of the fairy a popular selection with women. Fantasy art is all over the internet and if you are choosing this as a tattoo subject you will have a vast assortment of styles to choose from.

Butterfly Tattoos

Butterfly tattoo designs are one of the most popular tattoo choices for women. This is due to the universal attraction, beauty, and versatile design options. Not only are these designs being added to women's bodies, they are now finding a popularity among males. Butterfly tattoo designs have a huge style range from it's natural, realistic versions to highly stylized fantasy or abstract designs such as tribal style butterflies. The vast amount of choices and options makes finding a design that appeals to your senses a daunting task just do the huge amount of artwork that focuses on this subject.

The butterfly itself has perfect symmetry in it's design and gorgeous vibrant colors. Capturing the natural beauty of a butterfly design in a tattoo can result in a beautiful piece of realistic tattoo artwork. Some fans of the butterfly have chosen realistic butterfly's - multiple - flying up the torso or up the back adding to the beauty using different patterns and sizes. Varying sizes can add to the effect of realism with larger butterfly's looking closer, smaller butterfly's in the distance.

The symbolic meaning of the butterfly means different things in various cultures, but the meaning to all always take a positive one. The butterfly is a symbol of change or transformation. The origins of this is the beautiful butterfly emerging from a plain and bland caterpillar form. Butterflies are often a choice by people undertaking a new and positive phase that they believe will be a "transformation" or the beginning of a new experience in their life. People change or personal transformation that they feel is a turning point and they want to have a constant reminder and symbol of this phase of their life.

The other side of the coin - some people choose butterfly tattoo designs strictly for the sheer beauty of them. Sometimes the beauty of the design itself is enough.

Hoots With The Fur

Megan sent in this awesome submission, done Briana Sargent of Black Rose Tattoo in Pacific Beach, San Diego, CA. Nice to see the progress of the piece too!

The Gr-Hootest Show On Earth

Whoah, Cecil Porter

Hoot Springs

Another submission from tattooist Gina Casaleggio...


...followed by a completely anonymous reader submission!