So you've decided that you want a tribal skull tattoo.  It's easy to see why you want a skull tattoo.  The skull as a symbol carries a lot of meaning behind it.  And just think about how menacing it will look.  But there are some things you need to consider before you get such a permanent piece of artwork on your body. 

Let me ask you this.  I bet in researching your new tattoo you have already gone to Google images to find pictures.  Don't you think other people have already done this?  Do you want to end up with the same tattoo as someone else or do you want something unique?  I know the reason that you are getting is tattoo is to stand out and be unique.  So make sure you do your research before getting your new tattoo. 

There are a lot of free galleries online dedicated to tribal tattoos.  But I would highly recommend that you use a pay site because of the features that they offer.  If a site is free everyone else is going to be using it.  Paying for a site gives you access to great tattoo artists as well as a community of dedicated tattoo enthusiasts.  You will also get access to an updated list of quality local tattoo artists.  You want to find a tattoo artist that has experience and runs a clean shop.  You are about to spend a lot of money and time, so do yourself a favor and do plenty of research before you get your new tribal skull tattoo. 

If you're considering getting a skull tattoo, then you're not alone!  Skull tattoos are one of the coolest, most interesting type of tattoo to get.  In this guide, we're going to take a closer look at some of the main design ideas available to you.  So let's begin. 
Firstly, you can get a skull in a wide variety of locations.  However, they are usually places on the arm and shoulder area, either as a full or half sleeve, or a smaller skull-style icon. 

The simpler designs often incorporate tribal styling as well, which tends to flow around the skull shape - often in the style of pointed wings.  If you're looking for something more artistic, then there's a lot of choice.  You can find intimidating hellish designs which usually include lots of bold, striking color to illustrate flames, fire, and other ghoulish design ideas. 

For a more comic effect, you can find designs which include skulls smoking cigarettes, or cartoonish design.  For a more chilling effect, you can go for a demonic design, which often includes horror elements such as blood, grim reaper scythes, and swords or other weapons. 

Some of the artistic designs occasionally use an "almost human" style of face, with parts of the skull creeping through.  This can create a chilling, haunting effect.  But be warned - your tattoo is sure to scare kids! 
Death and demonic themes are hugely prevalent in skull designs, so most of the designs are created to give an intimidating feel.  However, some of them also include flowers - particularly roses - for a bitter-sweet romantic feel. 

If you're looking for something unconventional, a little scary, or funny - then getting a skull tattoo may be for you.  But remember, there's many, many different designs in this category - so it's worth doing some research before you pick one in particular. 

In the past, skull tattoo designs have been associated with biker gangs and other rough members of society; partly due to the motion picture industry and the given reputation surrounding these individuals.  Times have changed, as this style of tattoo has. 

This design and its symbolic meaning have evolved over the years.  Following are some interpretations. 
Grim Reaper
What does the grim reaper convey to you?  It is not associated with Satan as some believe, nor does it represent simple death.  These hooded skull tattoo designs are a reminder from medieval times that life is infinite and it suggests that there is life after death. 
Skull And Crossbones
This design is known universally as the sign for poison and is seen on household cleaners and other substances.  The image is white placed upon a black flag.  This design has other meanings as well, depending on the views of its recipient. 

Men choose it for its representation of masculinity and the stigma surrounding it, while others choose this design to mean change, such as those recovering from addictions who wish to remind themselves of where they have been and the changes they have undergone in life. 
Bull And Dear
These skull tattoo designs are often associated with western areas or tribal art.  An avid hunter may choose a dear and a set of trophy horns to display.  A bull skull is often displayed in a dessert scene along with predatory birds such as the vulture.  Add a few cactus and one is reminded of our beautiful state Arizona. 
Sugar Skull
This type of design is used as a memoriam to honor a loved one who has passed on.  A name is engraved and the colors are richly blended together.  It can also be construed as a symbol of life.  Often you will see flowers in the mix with a sugar skull design. 
Birds, snakes and insects can be integrated to offer a story line to the design.  The phases of life and nature can be seen in some full back tattoos.  The skull is the center piece with other depictions surrounding it. 

Skull design tattoos can be richly ornate or simplistic.  They can be dramatic or cartoon-like, small or large.  There endless possibilities that are only limited by the imagination.  Their true meaning lies with the one who wears them.  The rest of the world is free to offer its own interpretation.. Part of the beauty of body art is the canvas itself. 
By choosing a design that represents a part of yourself, a tattoo becomes more than an image. 

Skull tattoos have a various symbolic interpretations.  It is a universal symbol that can be adapted to literally any meaning, from religious to political to simply a creative design with aesthetic merit. 

Skull tattoo designs come in all shapes and sizes and some are unexpectedly beautiful.  Another reason for its popularity is that its dramatic lines lend themselves well to art, and it includes tattoo art. 

CUSTOM SKULL DESIGN have become so popular that the art behind them has evolved notably.  For women, a popular skull design is a pink skull with a bow pierced on top. 

GRIM REAPER DESIGN have been used a lot in medieval art to remind us that life is infinite and that there is life after death.  It does not affiliate with Satan, as some people believe he is the symbol for death. 

SUGAR SKULL DESIGN- This is often used to honor someone dear who died.  The tattoo can be a symbol of mourning as well as celebration of life.  This tattoo is popular with women because of the skull and color blending. 

BULL AND DEAR SKULL DESIGN- There is a number of animals' skull that also makes interesting tattoo designs.  Bull skull tattoos represent their own style and the area that they love.  The tattoo features the skull and prominently displayed horns, sometimes combined with a feather.  Deer skull tattoos are popular to those who enjoy hunting; this can be antlers, though the antlers are the best way to display the type of animal skull. 

SKULL AND CROSSBONES DESIGN - One of the best known skull design.  On a tattoo, the skulls and crossbones are on its original form, with the image on a black flag.  The said design is also recognized worldwide as a symbol for poison. 

Men chose this design because they correlate it with masculinity.  However, it has other meaning than that concept.  This design represents change, particularly great change in life because skulls are associated with death, a reminder that death happens to everyone. 

There are some common associations with these tattoos, one must think about those meaning before you get your tattoo.  Do not get it because it represents change you must think that many people are going to read it, as you are dangerous.  That however should not stop you from getting a design like skull tattoo.  Tattoos are very personal experience, choice, and one that is also private. 

The real meaning of cross skull tattoos have been misunderstood for a long time.  Depending on how these tattoos are used, they have a wide variety of symbolic meanings.  Skull designs are a universal symbol and can mean anything from a religious, political, or simply just an artistic expression. 

If you want to stand out then a skull tattoo is a design you should go for because it represents a certain degree of individuality.  A skull tattoo which is highly decorated with an original blend of color are popular among women.  These colorful tattoos are meant to honor someone who died and represent a celebration of that person's life.  This is one of the few instances that a skull tattoo is seen as a positive image. 

Frequently skull tattoos are seen as dark and threatening tattoo images.  To many people these images represent fear, death, and danger, but rarely do these people know the true meaning behind these tattoos.  These tattoos were not originally designed to represent these negative things.  Instead they were originally used to represent a symbol of change.  Traditionally the skull tattoo was related to a great change but over time these tattoos were eventually used to express person's dark side. 

Either way, skull tattoos have become increasingly popular and none more popular than the cross skull tattoo design.  These tattoos are also known as crossbones tattoos.  These are one of the best known skull designs and its image usually has a black flag as the background.  These tattoos can be modified to adapt many different characteristics.  Other cross skull tattoos include the flaming skull or the skull with crossbones and a pirate's flag. 

People usually looked at the meaning of skull tattoo flash to be something evil and symbolizes death.  Yes, skull could represent death but this can also be viewed as protection and strength by people who wear this. 

Not all persons chose to have this design tattooed on their body because this signifies something to them, but most have chosen this because the symbol means a lot for them.  To reduce the impression death or Gothic, some people make the design funny or something romantic. 

Some couples opt to have skulls with hearts and make the color a little feminine that is usually the designs for women.  The meaning behind a skull with hearts could be, two people that love each other so much will never be apart until death or their love for each other is eternal.  Most men rather have the simple design and want to remain the true meaning of skull design, although they can change their design but only a bit.  There are too many reasons behind this design, but some are not revealed, it is up to the person wearing the tattoo. 

Skull signifies victory among tribes and this has a strong connotion that every battle won from enemies implies the rebirth of their groups. 

One of the designs that you can find in skull tattoo flash is the skull along with sugar head which denotes infant fatality in Mexican culture because for them, having this tattoo design will make them think of the dead babies.  You can also find designs of skull here that are bejeweled such as skull that are surrounded by flowers which could imply various feelings and thoughts or be free from any problem. 

When you chose to have a skull tattoo design that is not very recent, you can refer to the works of people long ago.  The only disadvantage is you might come across acquaintances that have same tattoo like yours and the advantage of this is the tattooist is already expert in inking the design. 

When you are looking for the best skull tattoo design, take a look at the designs that are in skull tattoo flash, you can print a copy of the design that you selected here and have your tattooist imitate it.  The symbol of the skull is one of the most popular symbols because of its unique design and meaning. 

You can always refer to this site skull tattoo flash when you want to know more about skull tattoo design and tattooing.  When you believe that the symbol of a skull will best signify you, then have a pick on the best designs on skull tattoo flash. 

Tattoos are the icons of many cultures because the tattoo often holds deep meanings for the cultures that practice tattooing.  For the individual, the tattoo design is one of the most carefully chosen things that a person has to think of, because to have a tattoo inscribed on one's body means that the person must be ready to live with the chosen symbol for a very long time, because of the permanence that tattoos entail.  While tattoos are iconic for many, the skull tattoo design is one of the most iconic tattoo symbols that can be chosen.  There are various meanings for the skull tattoo design. 

The skull tattoo design often talks about the value of life and death.  Today, many western people simply associate the skull with death, but in many cultures the skull and bones is a symbol of something much more, life, as well as death.  It is seen as the demarcation between the living and the vestige of those who have moved on to the sphere after death. 
When somebody chooses the skull tattoo, one of the things that the person is symbolizing is 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. 
Wisdom is another of the many meanings behind the symbolism of the skull tattoo.  If you will look back at the art work produced by the ancient and medieval periods, the skull is often portrayed next to an open book because the skull is seen as a representation of the highest form of knowledge and wisdom, one that is achieved only when a person has lived a full life. 

For the wiser people of the past, a full life is naturally not characterized by the excesses of youth, but by the wizened truths of aging as symbolized by skull tattoo designs.  After all, it is only in today's culture that people have suddenly and exaggeratedly idealized the ageless and young.  Before, it was the character-rich elders who held the high posts of society. 
Age and experience is, therefore, one of the strong points in the skull tattoo design.  Naturally, the skull is the result of age, and not only age but one that has reached the point of moving over towards death. 
When a person looks at a skull, it shouldn't be death only that is seen, however, but the experiences that a person has undergone before reaching death.  The skull then becomes a great symbol of everything that has come to pass and which has filled the pages of the book of life of a person. 

A skull tattoo design can be one of the best choices there is, but as you may have noticed, finding quality artwork of skulls or anything online can be a pain.  A lot of the designs on the internet are the same and bland, but there is a way around all of the generic art and I will show you what to watch out for when looking for your tattoos. 

The first thing you need to realize when searching for your ultimate skull tattoo design has to do with how you are finding the websites that have the art.  You shouldn't settle on a Google search, or artwork and designs from some random, cookie-cutter websites that happens to have a lot of tattoos.  This is not very original or quality art.  Most of the designs they have are over five or six years old and are plastered all over the internet, in every nook and cranny.  Who knows how many people have seen that skull tattoo design already and how many people already have it inked on their skin?  That's not what you want to settle for, especially when it comes to choosing skulls as one of your designs. 

One more thing about the generic artwork from the cookie-cutter websites....

It has to do with the artists that are actually making the content that includes any given skull tattoo design at these places.  A lot of the artists who are submitting the art are not very knowledgeable when it comes to making something that will look good once made into real-life tattoos.  Sure, they may be good at what they do best, which his draw, but a lot of them have no clue what it takes to draw designs that will look anywhere close to good once it is inked onto someone's skin.  This is especially crucial when it comes to a skull tattoo design, because they can be very detailed, as you may have noticed. 

There is a way past all of that generic art though, while getting right to the quality skull tattoo design of your choice...

Finding quality art on the internet through the use of forums is an amazing tool, even when searching for something as specific as a skull tattoo design.  You would not believe the amount of great information you will find in them when it comes to tattoos and the places that have original, top notch designs.  I have used forums so many times when it comes to searching for good artwork that I have lost count and I have seen so many other people use them to their advantage also.  What you have to realize is that people love to brag to others when they find a hidden gem, such as a website with original artwork.  In this case it will be places that have a quality skull tattoo design database.  There is not a better place on the web for people to share their findings with other folks than a forum and you can reap the benefits of their search. 

Finding a quality skull tattoo design doesn't have to be hard anymore, and as a matter of fact, it can also be fun, so go ahead and find the original skulls and artwork you have been looking for online. 

A lot of people gaze at tattoos as a way to show off, become rugged, or just make a statement.  Many of them are trying to express their feelings, lifestyle, or past.  Over the years, tattoos have evolved into many unique designs, and they continue to grow and to satisfy the person getting the tattoo.  Before getting a tattoo always do your homework to find the tattoo that you want.  If you like long thick symmetrical designs, tribal tattoos are perfect for you. 

Tribal tattoo designs are very detailed and can look very good on anyone, which makes it a great tattoo to have.  Thousands of years ago, these tattoos were used by members of antediluvian tribes for identifying the members of their clan.  Some of the tribes believed that tribal tattoos had religious or spiritual connotations.  If you have an inclination towards notions such as life and death, you might find many such tattoo designs in the tribal tattoo art.  Well, if you have a dark side, or you are obsessed with the notion of death, you will certainly like tribal skull tattoos.  These tattoos are very appealing.  If you are spell-bound by tribal skull tattoos, it's time to find out more about tribal skull tattoo symbolization. 

Tribal Skull Tattoos: Symbolism

When planning on getting a tribal skull tattoo design, you should first understand what it symbolizes.  The meaning of the tattoo must be in conformity with your way of thinking or your emotions.  Normally skull tattoos mean death or relate to the dead.  But there can be other meanings as well.  The conception of death is very complicated in itself.  It can be related to the spirituality world also.  It can mean the transformation from life to the after world. 

It can also be used to teach individuals not to be afraid of death since it comes naturally.  Death is not the only meaning.  Tribal skull designs can also be associated with dangerous activities, the thrill for adventure, etc.  It can also be inked as a way to show others your wild and crazy side.  Many men use it as a sign of masculinity or to scare others.  One way that women show that they too can be fearless is to get a tattoo of a skull. 

Tribal Skull Tattoo Designs

As is the case with any tattoo, the tribal skull tattoo designs depend upon your imagination and creativity.  The thick line of tribal tattoos helps greatly in producing the style of the tribal skull design.  You can get this tattoo anywhere.  But the most outstanding place is on a person's arm, shoulder, and their back.  The skull and crossbones tattoo is one of the common skull tattoo designs.  You can also tell the tattoo artist to make an evil skull drawing with a banner on the skull that carries your name.  There are literally endless possibilities of skull designs to make. 

You can also include other design elements such as flames.  Flames can be drawn around the skull.  Many tribal skulls are just plain black and white but if you add color to yours that makes it more personal.  Thick, dark-colored strokes around the skull look great.  Most women make a skull tattoo more feminine by adding color even flowers, especially roses.  If you want a scary or evil-looking skull tattoo, you could add horns to the skull or show a snake rolled around the skull.  If you want something detailed, you could get the grim reaper skeleton skull tattoo.  Another interesting suggestion would be to get merely a part of skull tattooed and display flames all around it.  You can also make two swords underneath the skull.  A lot can be done to make the skull look scary.  You can darken the eye sockets.  You can also use skull design as a piece of a larger tattoo.