Tattoo Gallery - Tattoo Designs: August 2006

Maori Tattoo Designs

Maori tattooing would usually start at adolescence, and was used to celebrate important events throughout life. The first tattoo marks the transition from childhood to adulthood and was done during a series of rites and rituals. Tattoo art was an important part of the Maori culture – in fact, people without tattoos were considered to be without status or worth.

Needless to say, tattooing by making incisions with a chisel was a painful process, but traditional Maori tattoos were meant to be more than decorative – they were a show of strength, courage and status. Both men and women were tattooed, though women substantially less (maybe because there was less of a need for them to show courage) and on other places (usually the lips and chin).

The process of Maori tattooing was a ritual, with music, chant and fasting – in fact, fasting was more or less a necessity, because the face would swell up from the wounds caused by the tattooing process!

The tattoo specialists in the Maori culture were usually men, although there are some women who also were tohunga ta moko (moko specialists).

Maori tattoos

How to Make A Tattoo

The technique with which the pigments are brought underneath the skin has not undergone any significant change during the course of history. There are, however, depending on the state of development and degree of inventiveness, great variations in the quality. And then there are the craft aspects: the application of the correct amount of pigment; correct penetration, not too deep, without leaving scars, damaging muscles, rupturing arteries or chipping the bones. Even primitive cultures whose practices involve the piercing of the cheeks - a technique used sometimes with Maori facial tattooing - have developed astonishing tattooing techniques.

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Tattoos Techniques
In the case of other techniques, the skin is divided up into areas by a series of preliminary cuts. These areas are then filled with figures such as lizards or simple forms such as diamonds, circles and stars. Another, less precise technique involves the drawing of lines and curves with a sharp stone. This technique, which permits complex tattoos with long rows of dots, spirals or other forms, was used by the peoples of Europe in ancient times and is still employed today by the North American Indians. The technique does not, however, employ black or shaded areas of a larger size. It is, of course, a very good technique the tattooing of writing, with which we are familiar all over Indochina. There people use the so-called chisel with one hand and hammers on its handle in quick succession with a type of mallet held in the other hand. The points are thereby driven through the skin, which is drawn tight by assistants.

Another sophisticated manual technique is the Japanese method. In the case of the so-called bokashi technique, twenty-seven needles are capable of creating the most beautiful shades of grey in the world, going from black to 9 colorless in one smooth transition. Since the invention of the electric tattooing machine, however, the Japanese manual technique is now used only by experienced prison tattoo artists.

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Sexy Girl Tattoos

While most tattoos are still applied to men, girls and women are also getting into the act. The popularity of tattoos among girls and ladies has increased and so has their acceptance. This is due largely to an increase in celebrities happily sporting them.

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Girl Tattoos

Tattoos for girls are typically more feminine in nature. They are generally smaller and more delicate with thinner lines and are usually isolated to one or two parts of the body. Almost like accessories or accent pieces. Where men like to have their tattoos on the upper arm, or chest, or shoulder, most girls are aware that what they’re doing has to work with the somewhat more revealing fashions. Thus, a girl needs to think about whether or not a tattoo will look good with a bikini, or a prom dress, or an evening gown. Likewise, girls tend to be a bit more careful about making sure that a tattoo is concealable with professional or casual attire.

So, when looking for a cute girl tattoo, the first thing to think of is “where to put it” – on the back, between the shoulder blades is a common place, as is a circle around the upper arm, or a circle around a wrist or ankle. Another popular place is at the small of the back, right over the crease of the buttocks, because it can be hidden with a modest swim suit – or shown off with a low cut one.

The positioning of girl tattoos can also give away their characteristics. For instance, a girl who is a romantic at heart will often chose the shoulder for her tattoo, especially if she isn’t ashamed to own up to being a romantic and a bit of a day dreamer.