For many people, the image of a skull makes them think of death.  Perhaps it’s the skull and crossbones that for so many have been used as a warning on bottles containing life-threatening poison.  Or perhaps it’s the images for Halloween or the Day of Dead celebrations carried out the next day in which pictures, drawings and sometimes even real skulls are displayed.  In many cultures, the grinning visage of a skull is used either to frighten or to remind the living of the inevitability of death.  The skull tattoo can be seen in the Kabalistic tree of life, and to show her in an angry state, the Hindu god Kali is pictured with human skulls.  That’s not to say everyone wanting a skull tattoo has death on the mind. Some religions see the skull as being related to knowledge and immortality. A skull tattoo can be a good reminder to celebrate life every day you have the opportunity.  Skulls are also linked with the idea of rebellion and rebirth, and some gamblers think of skulls as lucky.

While not so long ago only bikers thought of the tough-looking skull tattoo as something they’d want on their body for life, as the popularity of tattoos has surged so has the number of people getting this tattoo. Anyone from any walk of life can be seen sporting a grinning head nude of flesh as they play guitar or quietly complete a day’s office work.  The skull tattoo isn’t as popular with women as it is with men, but a younger generation may change that bias.

The skull tattoo works well as part of a larger tattoo, with a complex background, or as part of a background.  Because of the symbolism attached to it along with its natural dramatic appearance, the eyes of anyone seeing such a tattoo are automatically drawn to the skull.  Depending on the artist’s skill, the skull can be made to look menacing or merry, frightening or flirtatious, and even scary or sexy.  A very good artist can give something like a skull tattoo many different meanings that you only notice after viewing the art several times.

Skull tattoos can look great rendered very small on a wrist, ankle, inside the arm or even at the nape of the neck.  Larger versions can look amazing on the chest, back, bicep, thigh, lower arm or stomach.  Placement might depend only on your preference, but you also need to consider that if you want an extra background or if anything is to be drawn with the skull such as a snake, moon, crossbones or flag, you’ll need a placement with lots of room for all the detail.  When you visit the tattoo shop, remember to look at other similar art first to see if the artist can accomplish what you want.

Where to go from here:

• Skull Tattoos Are About Life
• All About Dagger Tattoo Designs