

Though it is true that there are depictions of male counterparts, most stories tell of mermaids, with the upper bodies of beautiful women and the lower half of fish. Mermaids are powerful symbols of femininity, the ocean, and transformation and change. Mermaid Tattoo FAQs What do mermaid tattoos symbolize? While it’s not what most people think of when they hear of a mermaid and beauty, there is no denying the appeal of these spooky amazing tattoos.
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More and more people love to get tattoos that hark back to this earlier, more macabre interpretation of mermaids. Some people give their woman hollow eyes, a rotting half fish half body corpse, and mouths full of razor sharp teeth, while others use the skeleton of these aquatic chimeras as the subject for their tattoos.

While many people are only aware of the fairy tale depictions of mermaids-see The Little Mermaid-that we are familiar with from childhood, there is a much darker interpretation of these mythical creatures that has a much older history. In fact, some of the earliest stories told of beautiful mermaids that would lure fishermen to their deaths as a way to pay atonement for the souls of their kindred fish that these anglers had caught over the years.

Turtles, fish and coral reefs can all be applied using vivid colors to create a more exciting and beautiful mermaid tattoo. Mermaids are especially well suited for color tattoo design thanks to the opportunity they provide to incorporate other ocean and creature scenes into designs. Some people choose to use colors to enhance hyper-realistic portrait, while others draw inspiration from Disney Tattoo - Little Mermaid tattoo is a particularly popular approach for this idea. Another trend is to create a sea effect reminiscent of watercolor paintings, such as the variation in the blue mermaid and mermaid scales in the examples above. Color ink provides artists with an added level of expression that can be utilized in a number of ways. Mermaids are a great choice for this kaleidoscopic approach, or a more subtle but equally vivid watercolor tattoo. Vibrant Color and Watercolor Mermaid tattooįor some people there is simply nothing that speaks to their bright and vibrant personality like color. Typified by precise line work and an expert use of shading, many a tattoo enthusiast prefers the understated elegance of black and gray over the vibrant colors of other styles. In fact, more and more people are choosing to skip color entirely and dedicate their entire bodies to the idea of black and gray art.įrom photorealistic interpretations to designs that are more illustrative or abstract, black and gray – particularly in a finely detailed forearm tattoo like most of these examples – is a great choice for those that enjoy a more subtle tattoo design. Black and Gray Traditional Mermaid TattooĪnother tattooing application that arose out of a rudimentary approach and eventually grew into a full-fledged artistic style is the black and gray tattoo idea. While black and gray-and single needle work in particular-grew out of a lack of equipment, the level of detail and expertise that is on display in these mermaid and creature tattoos demonstrates just how far it is has come – they’re even being developed into amazing temporary tattoos.
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It was fitting to permanently apply these sultry variations on a half fish, half woman on their bodies.ĭrawing on the bold lines and vibrant colors of the older school, neo-traditional tattoos expand on this illustrative approach to create a more creative and free tattoo design. These tattoos provide the tattoo artist an excellent cross section of both the new school and old school approach to everything from mermaid scales through to glitter, and wicked placement options such as the foot or neck. In many ways, a beautiful mermaid served as the physical embodiment of the oceans that carried sailors around the world. Many sailors chose the beauty of these mythical creatures to represent their passion and devotion to the sea. Arguably, American traditional is where it all started for Western tattooing, and for many people it is still the go to for big, bold designs. A traditional mermaid tattoo has long been a part of the flash sheets that adorn the walls of tattoo parlors around the world.
