Inspiration For Polynesian Tattoos – Polynesian Tattoo Design

The Polynesian tattoo design comes with the most history around it. Before modern times, if you looked through history you would notice the influence of the Polynesian tattoos. Back then they would use colored clays and other ink type substances to color their bodies with tattoos.

Before the modern time tattoo, history shows that tattoo ink was placed on top of the skin, or markings were created to burn the tattoo onto the skin. This would create a scarring of the skin which would evolve into a tattoo back then. Tattoos back then where used to show what tribe of people you can from and was not just an art form. As tattoos evolved from their original creation, the meanings of these tattoos changed drastically. Popular Polynesian tattoo patterns that were used in the past remain and can be seen in a wide variety of Polynesian inspired tattoos today.

The inspiration of Polynesian tattoo designs come from the culture of the Polynesian Islands, which are just south of the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Some tattoo artists are familiar with the Polynesian culture and will be able to create the Polynesian tattoo design. Here are some pictures of the Polynesian tattoo design to give you an idea of what was created from this culture. You might notice this tattoo design in other tattoos or even on people you never noticed before.

An Introduction to Hawaiian Tattoos

There are literally millions of tattoos to choose from, and many people are choosing to go with Hawaiian designs and themes these days.  Indeed, Hawaiian tattoo designs are something you should consider if you want to stand out.  Hawaiian, or Polynesian, culture goes back thousands of years, and the art is currently being renewed in the 21^st century in the form of bright, colorful, tattoo designs.

There is a lot more to Hawaiian art than flowers and leis.  There is plenty of tribal art that comes from the Maori and the Samoan tribes.  The Polynesian islands as a whole have been the home of many creative and artistic cultures.  Much of what we know to be tribal tattoo art today is based on the designs of the Polynesian islands and cultures.

Perhaps it is not very surprising that Hawaiian tattoos are popular.  After all, other aspects of the Hawaiian culture, such as leis and shirts have made their imprint on pop culture over the last few decades.  Today, it seems as if the “Tiki” culture that was popular in the 1950s is experiencing a renewal, right alongside Hawaiian tattoo designs!

Some of the most popular Hawaiian tattoo designs include animals, flowers, armbands and representations of the tattoo gods. (Yes, some Hawaiian cultures had tattoo gods!)  The flower tattoos are the perfect choice for those seeking something pretty and colorful.  Men can even get Hawaiian tattoo designs featuring flowers as they are drawn in a way that is not overly feminine.

The hibiscus is the most common flower found in Hawaiian tattoo art.  This flower can be a number of different colors including yellow, pink, red, white and purple.  The yellow hibiscus is in fact the Hawaiian state flower.  It can be drawn as a single tattoo element or combined with other flowers and symbols.  The orchid tattoo is another popular design.  Because orchids are an endangered plant, their symbolic meaning is something along the lines of “rare beauty.”

Other popular symbols found in Hawaiian tattoo designs include arrows, lizards, dolphins and sea turtles.  In fact, some ancient Polynesian cultures had a great respect for lizards!  They are frequently featured in Hawaiian art, usually accompanied by flowers.  It should also be noted that Hawaiian tattoos were bigger than those of most other Polynesian cultures, which means that there is more room for creativity.

If you want to go with a Hawaiian tattoo design, keep in mind that men and women traditionally got tattoos on different parts of the body.  This might not matter to you, but if you want to go with this kind of art because you feel a deep connection with the culture, then placement is something you may want to take into consideration.   Traditionally, men got tattoos on the torso, legs, face, and arms.  For women, the most popular tattooed spots include the tongue, wrist and hands.