Tattoo Design Ideas

Do you feel a sense of unease or trepidation when confronted by people who sport skull tattoos? If so, you are not alone as this is a common reaction to the ominous appearance of vacant eye sockets and an overbearing forehead.

This dark, menacing portrayal of the ultimate destiny of all living creatures was once the domain of dangerous prison gang members, hard living bikers and tough guys generally. The skull depicted their fearlessness in the face of death, and no doubt the fact that they themselves were not afraid to hurry the death of their enemies.

Is it a sign of the times that these symbols have been embraced by young trendsetters who like the image of a bad boy? Or is it because many young people wish to declare their willingness to face their own mortality? For youngsters in the modern world, life is easy and they do not face physical challenges on a day to day basis. Does a tattoo of the symbol of death become a substitute for a real challenge in which to prove their bravery or toughness?

Film stars and pop singers who are attracted to the dark, sinister and rebellious side of life frequently choose to have a symbol of their rebellion emblazoned on their bodies. They are attracted to tattoos that re-create visions of hard living and of dangerous outlaws who visited smoky old tattoo parlors in defiance of a more refined way of living. These celebrities grab a brief moment of notoriety as pictures of their inking appear in magazines and on You Tube. Their followers imitate their actions and soon they have a small army of followers who proclaim their allegiance by wearing similar body art.

The frequent appearance of skull tattoos on the neck, the upper arm, the back or even in the ear does not take away the slight shiver that runs through your body on seeing the image. Skull tattoos will always be reminders that our time on this earth is a brief one and that sooner or later, we all face death as a stark reality.