Chinese Symbols Can Be The Perfect Tattoo
ost people looking for Chinese tattoo designs are trying to find interesting, beautiful and meaningful calligraphy.
Chinese tattoo designs mainly fall into two broad categories. These are Chinese art tattoos and Chinese symbol tattoos, or calligraphy. The most common and popular of these are Chinese symbol tattoos.
Chinese symbols are called ideograms or pictographs and are the written portion of the Chinese language. They differ from western alphabet based writing because they express not a sound as letters do in English, but an idea.
Chinese calligraphy symbols express ideas rather than sounds, making them ideal for tattoo designs. This symbol represents the Flame of Eternal Love.
For thousands of years people who practice the art of calligraphy have been transforming these pictures of ideas into beautiful and graceful works of art. This makes Chinese symbols, when rendered as calligraphy, a near perfect form of tattoo design.
What makes Chinese symbols work so well as a tattoo design is that you can use them to express any idea you wish.
Think of it this way. If you wanted your tattoo to say for instance, “I am strong and free, yet easily hurt” you could have your tattoo artist actually write that phrase on your skin, which would be very unsubtle and look horrible, or you could find a Chinese symbol, rendered as calligraphy, that expresses that exact sentiment as a picture.
If you can’t find the exact Chinese symbol you want then find a calligrapher instead. If you are lucky enough to have a Chinatown in your city you will almost certainly find a calligrapher there. Tell him or her the idea you want to express and watch the magic happen.
If you decide to ink a Chinese symbol be very careful that the calligraphy expresses the idea that you want to express. The Chinese language is very complex and small changes in the symbol can cause it to mean very different things.
Don’t take the word of your tattoo artist, he or she may think they know exactly what the symbol means, but do they really? Once you have chosen a symbol have it checked by at least two native speakers of Chinese before you go to the tattoo artist.
Don’t be afraid to add color to your symbol. A dark colored symbol faintly outlined in yellow or red and can add interest and drama to your chosen Chinese tattoo design.
