Butterfly tattoo: location, size, design and colors

Butterfly tattoo: colours

While getting a butterfly tattooed you can use a wide array of colours with no restrictions, as a butterfly is associated with colours and life. The individual can pick the color combination of their own choice as it will add to the uniqueness of your personality and creativity. One thing to be kept in mind is that you should not use clashing colors. Follow a definite line of choosing a base color first and then the other colors you want to incorporate. You can also take help of the professional tattoo artist to help in choosing colors which compliment each other. Some butterflies look better in black because it accentuates the area in which it is placed, especially if it's on the lower back or the stomach.

Butterfly tattoo-design. If you like this image and want to see it in a larger format (600x500 px) you can find it on my website, seiza.ro

Butterfly tattoo: tips about design

Different methods are involved to make the butterfly tattoo more intricate and beautiful. The main focus is laid on the designing of its wings with intricate patterns that makes each butterfly unique and special. The patterns are changed keeping in mind the personality of the individual and they may also include different signs, words, symbols, flowers, hearts, scripts, letters, crosses - or everything else.

Butterfly tattoo: tips about size and locations on the body

The butterfly is one of the most beautiful metaphors that can be symbolised as a tattoo on the human body. Many individuals like to have colourful butterflies applied to many differing parts of their body. The basic quality of a butterfly tattoo is that even if you place it at any part of the body it always appears to be delicate and attractive. These tattoos also vary in sizes depending upon the body part you want to get it tattooed, like an ankle butterfly tattoo is smaller while the back butterfly is bigger in size. Most of the professional tattoo Artists have the know-how on this one and you have to ask them the best body part on where to put your very own butterfly tattoo if you are not sure about its placement. Lower back butterfly tattoos are usually larger, more stylised butterfly images that stretch across the lower back, one of the most popular places to get a tattoo nowadays (but also known as a tramp stamp). Actually, butterfly tattoos lend themselves very well to this location. The butterfly image is very symmetrical, so the middle can easily be lined up with the spine, the wings extending on either side. This makes the butterfly wings longer and more stretched out than they would be in nature, but the image can be very attractive.

Butterfly tattoo-design. If you like this image and want to see it in a larger format (600x500 px) you can find it on my website, seiza.ro

Related posts:
Butterfly tattoo

Butterfly tattoo

Butterfly tattoos

The butterfly has always been admired for their beauty, as one of the most magnificent creations on Earth. A wide variety of butterfly tattoo designs are available at the professional tattoo parlor which can be altered according to your desire and need. The main reason is the human/butterfly connection that has existed for centuries and recanted in the mythologies of many ancient civilisations. It's a widely held belief that butterflies are the physical symbols of the human soul and just as the night butterfly is attracted by flame, the human soul is attracted by heavenly truths. For many peoples the short life of the butterfly is symbolic of the different stages of life that a human being goes through. It also symbolises the change to a heavenly body from an earthly one. There are more than twenty five thousand different types of butterflies in existence so there are plenty of designs to choose from - certainly enough of them to express your own individual style.

Butterfly tattoo-design for girls and women. If you like this image and want to see it in a larger format (600x500 px) you can find it on my website, seiza.ro

My tattoo-designs: The japanese word for "human emotions"

My tattoo-designs: the japanese word for "human emotions" (喜怒哀楽, hiragana: きどあいらく, reading: kidoairaku).

The original tattoo-design. For more Kanji-tattoo-designs visit my website, seiza.ro.

Kanji meanings (from left to right): 1. 喜 Joy, delight. 2. 怒 Angry. 3. 哀 Sorrow, grief. 4. 楽 Good mood, comfort, pleasure. taken together, these four kanji mean "human emotions".

If you use any of my tattoo-designs as a model / inspiration / starting-point for a tattoo you might consider sending me some photos of the tattoo once it's complete. Thank you in advance.

Grim Reaper Tattoos – Good, evil or neutral?

Grim Reaper Tattoos – Good, Bad or Neutral?

Some people think that Death is saddened by human suffering and reaps the souls of those dying in order to relieve their pain. In this case, an Angel of Death rather than the diabolical Grim Reaper will be the main character of the tattoo. Anyway, this is not a widespread conception and consequently there are only few tattoo-designs on this theme. In these tattoos the Angel of Death is portrayed with an earnest or saddened facial expression.

Other people think that Death is only a psychopomp. Psychopomps - from the Greek word "psuchopompos", literally meaning the "guide of souls" - are creatures, spirits, angels, or deities in many religions whose responsibility is to escort newly deceased souls to the afterlife. Their role is not to judge the deceased, but simply to provide a safe passage. Because Death has no feelings and simply does his job as he has been eternally damned to do, his face appears expressionless or neutral in tone.

However, the most popular grim reaper tattoos are those of evil nature. These tattoos feature Death taking souls for pleasure as he reveals an evil smile, laughs or gloriously stands over his trophies (human skulls and bones).

Related posts:
Various elements which can occur in a Death tattoo: skulls and skeletons (1)
Skulls and skeletons tattoos (2)
Death tattoo - various elements which can occur in a Death tattoo
Death tattoos: the main depictions of the Grim Reaper
Death Tattoos / Grim Reaper Tattoos: themes and meanings
Death tattoo - various elements which can occur in a Death tattoo - animals
Grim Reaper tattoos - coloured or black and white?

Grim Reaper tattoos - coloured or black and white?

Many grim reaper tattoos are created using only black ink and intricate shading to make various shades of grey; however, monotone tattoos are not for everyone. On the other hand, if you decide for a coloured tattoo, you should inform yourself about tattoo colours and tattoo inks, because there is no such thing as "universally-good-tattoo-colours"; in fact, when you decide for a certain colour for your tattoo, in the first place you have to consider your skin tone. Besides that, remember that some tattoo colours are difficult to maintain and they have the tendency to fade faster than others (in this post you might find out some useful information about this subject). Anyway, if you like coloured tattoos and you really want to incorporate some vibrant colours into your Grim Reaper tattoo, here are some suggestions that might help you:

• Blue and cyan are probably the most common colours used in the Grim Reaper tattoos, excepting, of course, black and grey. You can use blue and cyan to fill with color the schyte's / sword's blade, the night sky, the clouds and the moon, the mist (if the Grim Reaper appears surrounded by mist) and even the Death's robe.
• Brown: one could hardly find another colour that suits a Death tattoo. Because brown is the colour of the wood, there are lots of elements which can be filled with this colour: crosses, coffins, dead trees, old books and papyri, etc. Anyway, a brown tattoo isn't appropriate for any type of skin, so you'd better ask the tattooer before choose the brown colour for your tattoo.
• Red: a powerful and violent colour, red is the colour of fire and blood, so it is associated with war and violent death, danger, strength, power, anger, etc. There are many elements which can be coloured in red in a Grim Reaper tattoo: the Death's eyes; the flowers (the red roses, as a symbol of the ephemeral are very common in Death tattoos); the Grim Reaper's robe; the drops of blood dripping down the Death's scythe.
• Green (especially the so-called "poison green" or the pale-green): when Death is depicted as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (as mentioned in the Christian Bible) Death is riding a pale-green horse
• Purple: This color is commonly associated with royalty. Death is sometimes portrayed as the King of the Underworld, so you can use this color for the Death's robe.
• Silver: the blade of the Death's scythe (or the blade of the sword, if the Death is depicted as the Angel of Death).
• Yellow and orange: these two colours are not so popular in the Death tattoos. Anyway, there are some elements which can be filled with orange and yellow: thunders, flames (the Flames of Hell); sometimes Death is riding a fire-horse; the fire in the Reaper’s eyes; the Moon; the light of the Death's lantern.

Related posts:
Various elements which can occur in a Death tattoo: skulls and skeletons (1)
Skulls and skeletons tattoos (2)
Death tattoo - various elements which can occur in a Death tattoo
Death tattoos: the main depictions of the Grim Reaper
Death Tattoos / Grim Reaper Tattoos: themes and meanings
Death tattoo - various elements which can occur in a Death tattoo - animals

Skulls and skeletons tattoos (4)

Click on the links below if you want to read the previous posts:
Various elements which can occur in a Death tattoo: skulls and skeletons (1)
Skulls and skeletons tattoos (2)
Skulls and skeletons tattoos (3)

As it can be seen from the previous posts, a skull / skeleton tattoo could have various meanings:

• A skull tattoo could be seen as a symbol of the fleetingness of life
• Skulls / skeletons tattoos as a symbol of the certainty of death
• A skull with wings means that death is the road to a new form of existence
• Skulls are sometimes depicted as symbols of the transitory nature of life and death
• Jolly Roger, a symbol of the total disregard for the authorities, as well as a symbol of the absolute freedom
• The Totenkopf
• The "Skull and Crossbones" tattoos are a symbol of strength, courage and bravure, as well as a symbol of the disregard for one's life
• Skulls as trophies
• In the Mexican tattoo-culture, skulls and skeletons are linked with the celebration of the Day of the Dead.
• Skulls as a symbol used in Alchemy and Magic
• Skull tattoos is a symbol of wisdom
• Cheating death - these theme is very common among outlaw gangs
• Many people that have a near death experience choose to get a skull tattoo to represent their experience. This is a reminder to appreciate every second that we are given.
• A skull tattoo can be considered a way to show others your wild and crazy side
• Some people consider skull tattoos as talismans (particularly useful in gambling)
• A pair of skulls can be seen as a symbol of eternal love (especially when the tattoo also contains other symbols of love like hearts, wedding rings, roses, etc)
• Sometimes a skull tattoo is made just for art's sake and it has no special meaning

Butterfly tattoo design

A new tattoo design available on my website, www.seiza.ro. For this tattoo design I've combined some swirled elements with a tribal butterfly design. Because the butterfly is both a symbol of the ephemerality and a symbol of the joy of living I've also included a Japanese expression: 今を楽しめ (reading: ima o tanoshime; meaning: enjoy the present / the present moment; this expression is equivalent with the famous Latin maxim "Carpe Diem").

This tattoo design was drawn using Adobe Illustrator. If you like this tattoo design and you want to draw a similar one, you might find some useful informations in the tutorials available on my other blog, http://123-graphic-tutorials.blogspot.com

Butterfly tattoo design. If you like this tattoo design and you want to use it as an inspiration for a future tattoo, you can find it in a larger format on my web site www.seiza.ro

Skulls and skeletons tattoos (3)

Besides those already mentioned, there are some other meanings of the skulls tattoos that have their roots in some ancient beliefs and practices.

Skulls as trophies - it was a common practice to keep the skulls of the killed enemies and to display them as trophies (eg.: to decorate with them the city walls and towers, to keep the skulls on the palisades as a warning sign, to display them on pikes at the Traitor's Gate, etc) or even to use them as wine-cups. Skulls-tattoos as trophies are a very common theme when it comes to the gang tattoos, prison tattoos, etc. For example, if we consider the russian criminal tattoos, a skull tattoo signifies murder (a significant one). When a tattoo design combines skulls with military insignia (especially with the epaulets tattooed on the shoulders), it usually designates a murderer.

The epaulets are distinctive decorations for the inmates who are members of the "Vory V Zakone" (aprox "Thieves in law"). An inmate who has this kind of tattoo is a person with a high position in the prison hierarchy. The presence of the skull designates the wearer as a murderer. Read more about this topic on this blog: russiancriminaltattoo.blogspot.com


A russian criminal tattoo. The presence of the epaulets indicates that the wearer has a high rank in the prison hierarchy. The presence of the skull designates the wearer as a murderer. The spider is a symbol with multiple meanings; it may symbolize racism, doing time in prison, drug addicted, etc. Read more about this topic on this blog: russiancriminaltattoo.blogspot.com

In the Mexican tattoo-culture, skulls and skeletons are linked with the celebration of the Day of the Dead. The most common themes and representations are: the sugar-skull (brightly colored and highly decorated), the partying skeletons (because El Dia de los Muertos is not a time for sadness, but for joy and celebration) and the in-loving-memory-tattoos (these tattoos include attributes of the passed person in the skull's design: her favourite flowers, his / her weaopns, facial features, etc).

In-loving-memory-tattoo. Some of the passed person's features are still present (the moustache and the hair)


Typical Mexican tattoo: a fancy dressed skeleton playing a violin


For the Mexicans, El Dia de los Muertos is not a mournful day, but a day of family gatherings and holiday cheer.

Alchemy and Magic - the skull is an ancient symbol and it has several embodiments of the alchemical “union of opposites”, an ancient doctrine which accepts a syncretism of conflicting views, a harmony as opposed to a never-ending conflict between Good and Evil.

The skull is a one of the alchemical symbols

Wisdom - sometimes, a skull tattoo is a symbol of the mature realization of a continuity of life into death, and the ability to accept death. This is very important because it is only when a person can live with the presence of death that he can fully learn to appreciate life.

A medieval depiction of the skull as a symbol of wisdom.

Related posts:
Various elements which can occur in a Death tattoo: skulls and skeletons (1)
Skulls and skeletons tattoos (2)
Death tattoo - various elements which can occur in a Death tattoo
Death tattoos: the main depictions of the Grim Reaper
Death Tattoos / Grim Reaper Tattoos: themes and meanings
Death tattoo - various elements which can occur in a Death tattoo - animals

Skulls and skeletons tattoos (2)

Many people choose to get a skull tattoo because they want to show their affiliation to a group or to show their beliefs and their devotion to them.

The famous Jolly Roger (the black flag with a white skull and two human bones crossed under the skull) once used by pirates, was both an intimidating signal and a symbol of the total disregard for the authorities, as well as a symbol of the absolute freedom. This symbol (which is still preserving its original meaning) symbol was integrated into various systems of symbols belonging to different subculture or/and counterculture groups (like the outlaw motorcycle clubs whose members often get Jolly Roger tattoos to show their lawlessness). Sometimes, the anarchists use the "Jolly Roger" as a symbol of rebellion against the organized authority.

a Jolly Roger tattoo

The Dead Man's Head consists usually of the human skull with or without the mandible and often includes two crossed long-bones (the femurs). Unlike the Jolly Roger design, the Dead Man's Head design features a skull with the crossbones placed behind the skull, instead of beneath it. The Dead Man's Head is an ancient symbol and has had different meanings over time; in the Elizabethan England, for instance, The Death's-Head Skull (usually a depiction without the lower jawbone), was emblematic of bawds, rakes, sexual adventurers and prostitutes; the term Deaths-Head was actually parlance for these rakes, and most of them wore half-skull rings to advertise their station, either professionally or otherwise. The original rings were wide silver objects, with a half-skull decoration not much wider than the rest of the band; this allowed it to be rotated around the finger to hide the skull in polite company, and to reposition it in the presence of likely conquests.

Dead Man's Head ring

The Totenkopf was used by the german Schutzstaffel (SS) as the unit's insignia. As a consequence of that, this particular design of the Dead Man's Head has become closely associated with various movements like the "white nationalist" movements, the "white power skinhead" movements and the "Neo-Nazi" movement.

a Totenkopf tattoo - a tattoo design closely associated with the Neo-Nazi's ideology


the 3rd SS Division's Totenkopf insignia


Totenkopf design; the draw also contain a variant of so-called "Cross Pattee (English: Cross Patty; German: Tatzenkreuz)"; the Cross Pattee is often mistakenly identified with the gothic crosses, but actually it is an ancient symbol which was largely used by the Teutonic Knights and sometimes by the Templiers. The Cross Pattee design was incorporated in the design of the "Iron Cross", a german decoration for military valor established by the King Frederick William III of Prussia in 1813. The Iron Cross remained in use, in various forms, by Prussia and later Germany until 1945.

Variations on the Skull and Crossbones are used by various military units as a symbol of strength, courage and bravure, as well as a symbol of the disregard for one's life. On wikipedia you can find a list of the Skull and crossbones military insignias.

The BOPE emblem, a skull impaled on a sword, backed by two gold pistols sends out a strong, unambiguous message. The emblem symbolises armed combat, war and death. The BOPE’s emblem, a skull with a crisscross of pistols, is believed to possess mystical powers of protection. BOPE = Special Policial Operations Battalion, a special forces unit of the Military Police of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. If you want to know more about BOPE you can visit their blog or you can watch these two movies: Elite Squad and Elite Squad: The Enemy Within

Related posts:
Various elements which can occur in a Death tattoo: skulls and skeletons (1)
Death tattoo - various elements which can occur in a Death tattoo
Death tattoos: the main depictions of the Grim Reaper
Death Tattoos / Grim Reaper Tattoos: themes and meanings
Death tattoo - various elements which can occur in a Death tattoo - animals

Various elements which can occur in a Death tattoo: skulls and skeletons (1)

Human skulls and skeletons are one of the most common elements in the Grim Reaper tattoos, due to the fact that skeletons and skulls have long been associated with death and decay (sometimes Death himself is portrayed as a skeleton).

the modern society associates skulls with decay, death and evil

Skull tattoos do represent death, but they usually represent the fleetingness of life. Various Latin maxims and aphorisms: Memento Mori (Remember your mortality, Remember you must die or Remember you will die), Sic Transit Gloria Mundi (Thus passes the glory of the world), Carpe Diem (Seize the day), Ubi sunt...? (Where are...?) or Ubi nunc...? (Where now...?) - both of them are shortened variants of the Ubi sunt qui ante nos fuerunt? Where are those who were before us?) are very often included in the skull tattoo designs; their role is to remind us that Death comes to us all, and for this reason is important to enjoy every moment of life.

a very popular tattoo design: a skull and the latin maxim "Memento mori"

Seize the day or die regretting - a tattoo design which contains flowers (which symbolize brevity and the ephemeral nature of life) and a skull

Memento Mori - the skull is a reminder of the mortality

As a symbol of the certainty of death, skulls are one of the most common symbols used in the Vanitas art

vanitas tattoo containing a skull (a symbol of dead and mortality), several roses (symbols of the ephemeral nature of life), a candle (an object closely related with the cult of the dead) and a watch (a symbol of the inexorable flow of time)

Vanitas tattoo: the beauty is ephemeral, Death awaits every man and woman

a tattoo inspired by the illustration 'All is Vanity' by Charles Allan Gilbert

Despite the fact that the skull is often a symbol of mortality, a design which depicts a skull backed by a pair of wings (usually a pair of angelic wings, but this is not mandatory) is rather a positive design with various meanings: resurrection; death is the road to a new form of existence; the death frees one of the burdens of life; the progression of the human soul through the afterlife. Anyway, the winged skull is not always a positive design, having also many negative connotations: danger, death (death which can reach everyone everywhere), lawlessness (very common in the bikers-gang tattoos)

a winged skull tattoo

back tattoo: winged skull

many biker gangs adopt the winged skull as one of their emblems

The skull is also a symbol of the transitory nature of life and death, and for this reason some designers choose to include a skull into more complex designs which represent the infinite cycle of the life and death.

the death (symbolized here by the skull) is a part of the infinite cycle of life

Related posts:
Death tattoo - various elements which can occur in a Death tattoo
Death tattoos: the main depictions of the Grim Reaper
Death Tattoos / Grim Reaper Tattoos: themes and meanings
Death tattoo - various elements which can occur in a Death tattoo - animals

Death tattoos - various elements which can occur in a Grim Reaper tattoo - weapons

The most common elements in the Death tattoos are, without any doubt, the weapons (for the obvious reason that they are used for killing people).
The scythe is, by far, the most popular choice when it comes to a Grim Reaper tattoo. The scythe can symbolize the cutting of negative energies or influences. Also, as a harvesting tool, it can symbolize hope and prosperity. It can represent the moment of death, when a scythe is said to cut a silver thread. The scythe has a long handle, indicating that it can reach anywhere.

Death tattoo: Death is portrayed as a young woman holding a scythe

Death tattoo: a skeleton praying to Death. If you like this tattoo design you can find it in a larger format on my web site, www.seiza.ro

However, when the Death is portrayed as the Death Angel, the scythe is usually (but not necessarily) replaced by a sword. The sword can be a short, simple, sword (similar to the roman Gladius) or a highly-decorated sword.

Angel of Death tattoo: the Angel of Death is holding a highly decorated sword

Without being very popular, many other medieval weapons can be seen in the Death tattoos: spears, lances and javelins (these weapons can be seen in the Angel of Death tattoos or in the tattoos which depict Death as a medieval knight), knives and daggers (very common in the Skulls tattoo designs), bows and arrows, etc.

Grim Reaper portrayed as an archer / bowman

Increasingly popular are the fire-guns: usually handguns - derringers, old-fashioned revolvers (very common in the Mexican Mafia tattoos and in the Skulls tattoos), semi-automatic pistols and machine pistols (very common in the gang / prison tattoos) but also various long guns (like shotguns or sniper rifles).

Gangsta tattoo: Grim Reaper pointing a revolver. This tattoo was drawn by Peter Coinin Jr., a tattoo artist who works at the Beauty Mark Tattoo, 3356 East Main Street Waterbury, Connecticut. If you like this tattoo and you want to buy it you can send an email at this mail-address: beautymarktattoo@yahoo.com or you can visit their web-page

a very popular combination: guns, roses and a skull

skull tattoo covering a man's chest: a skull and two crossing revolvers surrounded by several gunshot wounds

a vision modern of the Angel of Death: Angel of Death portrayed as a sniper

a vision modern of the Grim Reaper: Grim Reaper portrayed as a sniper

a very popular tattoo theme: skulls and guns

gangsta tattoo design: a skeleton holding a modern semi-automatic pistol

Related posts:
Death tattoo - various elements which can occur in a Death tattoo
Death tattoos: the main depictions of the Grim Reaper
Death Tattoos / Grim Reaper Tattoos: themes and meanings
Death tattoo - various elements which can occur in a Death tattoo - animals

Death tattoo - various elements which can occur in a Death tattoo - animals

There are several animals which are often depicted in the Grim Reaper tattoo-designs.

The most common of them is, by far, the Death's black horse. Despite the fact that initially (in the book of the Apocalypse) the Death is described as riding a pale horse, many tattoo artist choose to depict the Reaper riding a black horse (possibly due to the traditional interpretation of the color black representing famine, decay and death.) Another very common tattoo-motif is the Death riding a skeleton horse.

Sometimes, Grim Reaper is depicted accompanied by a dog:
1. The Black Dog from the British folklore. The black dog is essentially a nocturnal apparition, often said to be associated with the Devil or a Hellhound. Its appearance was regarded as a portent of death. It is generally supposed to be larger than a normal dog, and often has large, glowing eyes.
2. Cerberus - the three-headed dog which guards the gates of the Underworld, to prevent those who have crossed the river Styx from ever escaping. Cerberus appears especially when Grim Reaper is depicted as a lord of the Underworld. Usually, in these tattoos Grim Reaper is depicted sitting on a throne decorated with skulls and human bones; Cerberus is sitting near the throne.
3. A new trend in the Grim Reaper tattoos is to replace the old-fashioned mythological dogs with Pit Bulls and Rottweilers.

Cerberus, the guardian of the Underworld

Birds which are usually seen as bad omens that foretell of death like crows and ravens. Crows and ravens have been long time associated with death, sorcery, evil lords, haunted castles, etc.

Venomous snakes - the old symbol of pure evil is sometimes present in Grim reaper tattoos, but more often snakes are present in the skull tattoos (which have a slightly different meaning than the Grim reaper tattoos).

Increasingly popular some butterflies (especially the moths), bugs, spiders, etc. can occur in a Death tattoo.

Lower back tattoo: a Death's Head Hawk Moth

Related posts:
Death tattoo - various elements which can occur in a Death tattoo
Death tattoos: the main depictions of the Grim Reaper
Death Tattoos / Grim Reaper Tattoos: themes and meanings