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Tattoos have been a major part of biker culture for decades. Ever since rebels started riding the road, popular biker tattoos like Live to Ride, Ride to Live and various gang tattoos that indicated fellowship, brotherhood and sometimes threats of physical violence have been deeply integrated into biker culture and associated with motorcycles and motorcycle aficionados since the dawn of the motorcycle. Due to Harley Davidson's iconic popularity, clever marketing strategies and proudly aggressively American heritage (the company is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin), the Harley Davidson emblem has taken on a life and a meaning of its own outside of the people who buy and ride the bikes. 

Harley Davidson tattoos are somewhat unique as far as biker tattoos go because while they are definitely the realm of Harley Davidson enthusiasts, they are by no means restricted to those who own and ride Harley Davidson bikes. Harley Davidson tattoos often indicate a goal, such as owning a Harley, which can also indicate an individual's desire for a certain degree of security and affluence or the ambition to own one's own business or achieve other goals that will ultimately lead to the purchase of the Harley itself. Harley Davidson tattoos also often express an appreciation for the lifestyle adopted by Harley riders, which tends to be one of freedom and the open road at least on the weekends. To many people, Harley Davidson tattoos have come to symbolize biking itself as well as an affection for the company that makes the bikes or the bikes themselves. However, Harley Davidson's are generally acknowledged to be the ultimate in motorcycle riding and ownership, so there is a general endorsement associated with a Harley Davidson tattoo. 

There are many different types of Harley Davidson tattoos. Generally, the Harley Davidson tattoo integrates the Harley Davidson emblem of a shield with the Harley Davidson logo emblazoned on it. Sometimes, people just get the shield itself, with the trademark white, black and orange color scheme. This is very popular in locations like the back of the neck or the small of the back, where the tattoo will be easily visible if the owner wishes to expose it, but it can be covered up for work during the week. This is likely the most discreet version of the Harley Davidson tattoo. Black and gray Harley Davidson tattoos are also very popular because they look slightly more hardcore and can be made to appear metallic and three-dimensional. These grayscale tattoos are often startlingly realistic! They are popular not only because they are Harley Davidson tattoos, but also because they are more unusual than many other forms of Harley Davidson tattoos, but still express unity with other Harley aficionados and affection for motorcycle riding and the biker lifestyle in general. 

Many people who really love Harley Davidson and biking get much more elaborate Harley Davidson tattoos. These tattoos usually still integrate the Harley Davidson shield, but the accompanying designs are much more elaborate. Patriotic tattoos easily incorporate the Harley logo to become patriotic Harley Davidson tattoos, and classic biker tattoos often do the same. Often Harley riders have friends who have either died in combat overseas or who used to ride with them but either died of illness or even in vehicle crashes. As a result, many Harley Davidson tattoos evolve into memorial tattoos as the tattoo owner ages, and often people with Harley Davidson tattoos incorporate birth and death dates into the Harley Davidson theme along with images like swallow tattoos, pinup tattoos and a variety of roses and skulls to create a beautiful memorial art piece based around the Harley Davidson shield and the people who shared the tattoo owner's affection for the brand and the lifestyle. 

Whether you want a Harley Davidson tattoo because you live to ride and ride to live, or because you have always admired other people's Harley Davidson tattoos and want one of your own, getting a Harley Davidson tattoo will place you in a fellowship with other motorcycle riders and aficionados. Whenever people see your tattoo, they will assume certain things about you, so be aware of the ramifications of your Harley Davidson tattoo and place and design it carefully so that you will enjoy it for the rest of your life.

Show me more Harley Davidson Tattoo Designs

When most people think about bringing in art as a guide for a tattoo artist or as inspiration for a tattoo design, they think it is an uncertain science. As a result, people often do not bring in art to serve as references for their tattoos, or they do not expect the tattoo artist to create a tattoo that actually looks identical or even much similar to the pieces of art that they brought in as a reference for their tattoo designs. However, if your heart is set on a particular tattoo design, you can get exactly what you want very easily. There is a simple set of steps that you should take in order to get exactly the right type of art to bring in for a tattoo. 

Perfect Tattoo Step 1: Pick your perfect tattoo.

There are thousands of pieces of tattoo art and tattoo designs online from artists around the world. Even if you are not able to get that artist to tattoo you themselves, by getting the right tattoo stencil and guide, you will be able to get a perfect replica of your dream tattoo. As you browse through the tattoos, keep track of the ones that you like best. You can come back to them later. 

Perfect Tattoo Step 2: Have a tattoo run-off. 

Once you have narrowed your selection of favorite tattoos down to a few designs, the time has come to determine which one you like best. Order the tattoo test drive kit for each of these designs. This kit will let you print the designs out and apply them to your body like temporary tattoos. You can then examine the effect of the tattoo on each part of your body, and determine which tattoo design fits your body and your personality best while you are actually wearing it. You will notice that one or two of the designs probably make you feel extra confident or sexy. These are the ones that are probably best for you. 

Perfect Tattoo Step 3: Order a stencil and color guide.

The best way to insure that your real, permanent tattoo is identical to the one that you tried on is to actually order a stencil of that tattoo design and get a color guide to go with the tattoo. A tattoo stencil provides a guideline on your skin for the tattoo artists to follow while he or she is tattooing you. The color guide enables the tattoo artist to refer to the original color scheme of the tattoo design and replicate it in ink on your skin. Stencils and color guides are relatively inexpensive and provide insurance for your tattoo designs when it comes to resembling and imitating the original artwork. 

Often, people will try to bring in images of tattoos that have been lifted directly from photographs of tattoos. This is a way to give an artist an idea of what you want your tattoo design to look like, but it is not a good way to get the same tattoo. Everyone's skin absorbs and displays tattoo ink slightly differently, and the way that a tattoo looks on someone's arm can be totally different from the way that it will look on your left shoulder. Furthermore, because tattoo maintenance is vital to the preservation of tattoo beauty and clarity, it can be hard to determine exactly what a tattoo looked like originally if a person has exposed it to sun or other environmental factors. What you think you are getting may look completely different on your skin than it did on someone else's. 

When you are bringing in any type of art for a tattoo artist, it is best to be as specific as possible so that you get the tattoo design that you really want. If you cannot find the perfect tattoo design online, then bring in several examples and ask the artist to draw you a custom tattoo design from the samples. As with any other tattoo artwork, you should make sure that colors and designs are perfectly clear, and you should have already experimented with location and size before you brought the work in. This will help you and the tattoo artist work together to formulate the perfect tattoo design. In the end, you will be happiest with a well thought out, well researched tattoo design that fits all of your artistic requirements and aesthetic needs for a tattoo.

Tattooing was a common practice in Europe long before documented history. Prehistoric tattoos and prehistoric tattoo designs were often tribal tattoos, and they were found on icemen and mummies as old as 7000 B.C. in various sites throughout Europe. Prehistoric tattoos in Europe are believed to have some sort of religious and health significance because they were often drawn in long lines following the lines of the body, and many ancient European tribes used strength tattoos and strength tattoo designs and fertility tattoos and fertility tattoo designs to mark passage from boyhood to manhood and from girlhood to womanhood, respectively. As the European tribes evolved into steadier, less nomadic civilizations and began living in documented, organized structures based on social status and power, tattoos were no less evident, but their significance changed dramatically.

Many cultures, including the Romans and later the English, used tattoos to mark the outsiders of their society. Criminals and slaves were branded or tattooed in obvious places with ownership tattoos or with stigmatizing tattoo designs. Other people who got tattoos or who were similarly marked for other reasons were viewed and treated as outsiders just like the criminals and slaves were. Tattoos often indicated a lack of employment or even a lack of viable job skills because it was assumed that if one had time to get tattooed, one had too much spare time. In the eighteenth century, however, the negative connotations that came with tattoos began to change thanks to European sailors who brought the practice back with them from the Pacific Islands. These sailors usually were from Great Britain, which encompassed a large part of Europe at this time. These sailors and their contemporaries believed that they had discovered the art of tattooing abroad because Pacific Island tattoos and Pacific Island tattoo designs were quite different from the stark, unflattering tattoos that Europeans were used to. The Pacific Islanders used their tattoos to beautify the body rather than to indicate some sort of stigma, and they were far more similar to the prehistoric tattoo designs than the ugly, unpleasant brands and criminal tattoos that most Europeans were familiar with. While tattoos and tattoo designs were still largely marginalized at this time, they were slowly becoming more accepted, if not more mainstream.

As tattoo designs became a more common part of the European visual landscape, other countries outside of Britain began adopting their use. In Denmark, family crest tattoos became extremely popular and are part of the popular tradition today. In Greece, spies used specially designed tattoos to indicate their loyalties and their rank. This enabled them to recognize each other and also enabled them to spot enemies in their midst. In many parts of Europe, large, blocky tattoos were still used to identify criminals, certain types of slaves and even certain classes of people, but these tattoo designs were very different from the beautiful and elaborate Pacific Island tattoo designs that were being brought back to Great Britain. Two distinct forms of tattoo designs had emerged at this time, shortly before 700 A.D. Unfortunately, tattoo designs in Europe were about to disappear. In 787 A.D., Pope Hadrian banned tattooing in its entirety. The Pope believed that tattooing violated Biblical principals that forbade Christians from defiling the temple of their body. As a result, he prohibited it in all forms, and people who got tattoos once again became objects of ridicule and scorn in many areas of Europe. Furthermore, Catholics who got them could actually be excommunicated at that time, which lead to further marginalization of people with tattoo designs. If that did not make things hard enough for tattoo artists and tattoo owners, in 1066 A.D. the Normans invaded England, where previously tattoos had become moderately popular. The Normans had a serious cultural aversion to tattoos, and by 1200 A.D. hardly anyone had them anywhere in Europe. They did not begin to reappear (led by sailors example as before) until nearly 1500 A.D.

Of course, today, tattoo designs are quite common in Europe. Men and women of all ages sport tattoos that tell a personal story or indicate a personal triumph. Many seafarers still sport nautical tattoos as well, and enjoy collecting tattoos from around Europe and around the world. Thanks to the internet, people around the world can share, imitate and enjoy tattoo designs from every place on the globe, creating a global tattoo community. As a result, as the years pass European tattoos have become very similar in many aspects from tattoos in other areas of the world, and are identified more by artist than continent or origin.

Tattoos are more common today than ever before and yet, not many people are familiar with how a tattoo really works. Sure, the basic idea is that ink goes into the skin, but the process of tattoo application is a bit more complicated than that. As tattoo equipment becomes more advanced, so do the tattoo designs. This article explains how modern tattoos are created and why they are permanent.

Tattoo Equipment

Although tattoos were once commonly applied with antiquated tools, such as a painful hammer, most tattoos today are created with an electronic machine. A tattoo machine, or tattoo gun, looks very similar to a dental drill. It is held in one hand and controlled by a foot pedal. The tattoo machine contains a sterilized needle, which penetrates the skin at a rate of 50 to 3,000 times per minute.

Electronic tattoo machines have been around for hundred of years. They were based on Thomas Edison's engraving machine, the autographic printer. While the autographic printer was used to etch hard surfaces, the tattoo machine was designed specifically for human skin. The basic parts of an electronic tattoo machine include:

A needle

A long tube that draws and holds ink

A motor to drive the needle

A foot pedal

How a Tattoo is Created

Before a tattoo design is applied to a person's skin, the artwork must be presented to the artist. Some people choose readymade artwork that is featured in the shop, also known as flash. However, many people prefer custom tattoo designs. This might require some preparation and illustration on the artist's part, which could delay the application for days, weeks or even longer.

Once the artwork is finalized, it will be placed on paper stencil that can be easily transferred to the body. The ink on the stencil can be easily removed if the placement is not to the customer's liking. Placement is very important, so a customer should never hesitate to speak up before the tattoo needle makes first contact.  

A tattoo is applied via a tattoo machine, which punctures the skin repeatedly. A tattoo artist controls the machine by using a foot pedal, similar to the pedal on a sewing machine. The needle on the machine can speed up and slow down with a simple shift of the tattoo artist's foot. With a rate of 50 to 3,000 punctures a minute, a tattoo machine can be very efficient.

Each time a tattoo needle penetrates a person's body, ink is deposited under the skin. A tattoo artist must be careful about how deep the needle goes into the skin. If the needle goes in too deep, excessive bleeding and scarring can occur. This results in the build up of scar tissue, which is not a desirable thing. Ideally, the tattoo should be smooth to the touch upon healing. On the other hand, a shallow penetration with the needle can result in an unruly tattoo design. A professional must practice many times before perfecting tattoo application.

The first part of the tattoo design to be applied is the outline. This helps the artist to keep track of where they are at in the process, as the stencil can be rubbed away and the skin can move quite a bit. Once the outline is finished, the artist might change needles and/or colors. Depending on the size of the tattoo, some tattoo designs require more than one session. Once the tattoo artist is finished with the session, the skin will be cleaned once more and bandaged. Although the tattoo may bleed a bit more, it should not be excessive.

The Life of a Tattoo

When you see a tattoo design, what you are viewing is the ink below the surface of the skin. The top layer, or epidermis, heals over the ink. Meanwhile, the ink is stored in the second layer of skin, known as the dermis. While a person's epidermis is constantly shedding and regenerating, the dermis is a very stable and does not change very much throughout a person's life. This is why a tattoo is permanent.

While a tattoo should never completely disappear, some fading can and will occur over the length of a person's life. This fading can be encouraged by certain conditions, such as overexposure to the sun and poor maintenance during the tattoo's healing period. This is why it is important to protect all tattoos with sunscreen and to follow the tattoo artist's aftercare instructions. Over time, a person may wish to undergo touchups to the tattoo. Too many touchups may result in the development of scar tissue, so it is important to always seek a renowned professional, even if the job seems like a small task.