Why have tattoos become as popular as they have? From having a repute of being the sign of a rebel or worse, a gang member, today tattoos have become more personalized and a way of proclaiming to the world, your likes and dislikes. For women and men both, there are a variety of designs to choose from. Many people opt to picking or creating their own designs in order to get themselves inked, and still others go with tried and tested designs. One of the more popular tattoo designs are tribal tattoo designs which use influence from the Maori, Polynesian, and Hawaiian tribes.
The placement of a tattoo is an extremely personal choice. You would always want to get yourself inked in a place that you like but in some cases professional etiquette and also the size of the tattoo can be determining factors. If you have chosen to get a tribal tattoo, then an area where you may want to consider is your shoulder. Tribal shoulder tattoos are extremely popular amongst men. There are many different designs that you can get yourself inked with if you are opting for such a tattoo and this particular placement. This article helps you narrow down your choice and give you a few ideas.
Designs for Shoulder Tribal Tattoos
Traditionally some of the most popular designs amongst tribal tattoos were symbols like the sun, dragon, tigers, wolves, etc. The sheer expanse of these tattoos dictated their placement and the shoulder was often considered an appropriate area to get such a tattoo. The shoulder area is such that it allows for a wide enough canvas to get yourself tattooed with a comparatively huge tattoo. Even today shoulder tattoos remain extremely popular. This has a lot to do with the fact that this is one area of the body that can be covered up or exposed as you wish. There is also a certain amount of appeal that is associated with the shoulder blade area. Also if you are getting a sleeve tattoo, then the shoulder allows you enough space for an extension of the design. Now let us take a look at the popular designs that you can opt for.
Wolf
If you want to tread a fine line between being the bad boy and the nice guy, then a wolf tattoo may be something that you would like to considered. A symbol of evil in some cultures and associated with the afterlife and wisdom in others, the wolf is an excellent symbol to get yourself tattooed with.
Sun
This is a pretty popular and common design for tribal shoulder tattoo that many guys opt for. The sun can mean different things but they generally represent a sense of leadership, vitality, hope, and soul. If you are planning to get a sun tribal tattoo, then you could choose to get it tattooed at the edge of the shoulder.
Phoenix
The phoenix is a symbol that everyone is familiar with. It symbolizes resurrection from something that has died and gone. A tribal tattoo design in the shape of phoenix in black with rising embers in colors representing the flame can be quite an eye-catching design and perfectly placed for the shoulder.
Freehand
One of the most commonly seen designs of the tribal tattoo variety are freehand, symmetrical designs. These designs can make for a perfect tattoo on the shoulder. Choose to get either a plain black tattoo or one that is highlighted with elements of red.
These are just some of the designs for tribal shoulder tattoos that you can choose from. Other popular designs include tigers, thorns, sharks, Native American designs, etc. When you get a shoulder tattoo there is a lot of care involved as there is a lot of movement that this area undertakes which can cause soreness in the spot. Be sure that you undertake all the care instructions as specified by the tattoo artist. Tribal tattoos were traditionally not only symbols that tied a person to their tribe but were also considered to be power enhancing magical marks. When you choose to get a tribal tattoo, ensure that you understand the symbology behind the tattoo and that you do not offend anyone.
