Men's tattoos can differ not only in styles, application methods, locations, complexity of designs or colors, but also in size. If we consider a small tattoo for men, this option is preferred by quiet, reserved men, conservatives who prefer minimalism and brevity.
Not every man can afford by virtue of the image and circumstances a large bright tattoo. For them, in this article will be collected the best designs and ideas for small tattoo, the rules of their performance, the choice of location, color options and styles. Only with taking into account all points can you get a quality result.
Small tattoos for men
Today small tattoos most often act as a first experience. But this does not mean that small tattoos are in any way inferior to large-scale and beautiful compositions. They have their own charm, mystery and ease of perception. We offer you a top list of the best ideas for small male tattoos:
Anchor - A symbolic drawing that suggests that the man is determined in life, has a clear position and principles, confident and unshakable.
Child's footprint - a popular tattoo among newly minted dads, acts as a symbol of love for your child, devotion, putting family first.
Moth - A symbol of freedom, looseness, enthusiasm, love of life.
Hieroglyph - inscriptions are the most relevant today, most often men choose Asian letters to emphasize their mystery and depth of the inner world.
Compass - A symbol of steadfastness of principle, confidence and balance, as well as a craving for adventure.
Sign of the zodiac - used as an amulet and amulet against weakness, evil, ill-wishers, enhances the best aspects of character.
Cross - a divine symbol that performs a protective function from the dark forces, failure, misfortune.
Eagle - symbolizes the spirit force, freedom, power and wisdom in a man.
Mountains - The philosophical meaning of the tattoo, which speaks of the wisdom, will and invincibility of men, his ability to conquer any peaks.
Triangle with an eye inside - This is an all-seeing eye, saying that inside the man is God himself, supporting and protecting him from hardship and temptation.
Expert Opinion
Viola Madison
Master Tattooist, 8 years experience
To understand how expedient and justified small tattoos for guys, it is worth highlighting their main advantages. This is a minimum of pain, ease of care, rapid healing, the clarity of the figure, the low price, comfort.
Chest
On the chest guys also like to do tattoos.
The most often worn here are:
- anchors;
- birds;
- Portraits of girls.
If you do not touch the nipples, then drawing a permanent tattoo in this area is tolerable. The advantage of a picture in this area is that it is not visible to outsiders all the time.
Why do men choose small tattoos?
Since ancient times it was believed that the smaller the body drawing is in the eyes of others, the deeper is its sacred meaning and the stronger is its influence on destiny. The first male tattoos were not in the form of huge canvases on the arms, back or chest. They were symbols, runes, drawings of mythical creatures, animals and birds in secluded places on a small scale.
Today, mini tattoos are chosen for a number of reasons:
- is a great way to express yourself;
- the drawing procedure is quick and minimally painful;
- a small tattoo can be easily lasered off;
- small body art is less susceptible to wear and tear;
- the procedure does not require complicated preparation and maintenance;
- tattoos are less traumatic for the skin and heal faster;
- it is also a cost-effective not expensive option;
- a huge choice of designs;
- brevity, minimalism, ease of perception.
Yes, and the reaction of the environment on the small body art will not be so expressive and ambiguous, especially this is relevant in a formal and formal setting. It is worth noting that such simple tattoos correspond to men of all ages, different temperament and image.
Stomach
Tattoo with meaning for guys sometimes stuffed on the stomach. It is inconvenient to apply a drawing in this area, because the stomach can not be long in a stationary state.
On the abdomen men wear:
- lions;
- mythical gods;
- buildings;
- numbers.
Pictures in this area come in color or monochrome.
On what places men most often apply small tattoos
How will "work" a tattoo with meaning depends largely on its location on the body. Small tattoos can be placed anywhere, but most harmoniously they will fit on small areas of the male body.
Shoulder
The shoulders are responsible for the reliability and strength of a man, which means that here you can put a tattoo that gives the character courage, masculinity, strength, self-confidence. For example, an anchor, the muzzle of a strong animal or a bird.
Forearm
On the forearm tattoo is more demonstrative, used for self-expression. Here most often inscriptions, different mythical and real animals, which one wants to imitate, are applied.
Tattoo on the wrist
The wrist is the most sensual area, as it traces the pulse and the connection with the human heart. Therefore, on the wrist at the same time perform simple, but the most profound in meaning personal tattoos - inscriptions, symbols.
Tattoos on the palm, on the hand and fingers
The hands are an important energy center, this is what a man earns, develops, affects the world. Here they put different amulets, talismans, amulets to protect themselves from bad decisions and actions. Also here are relevant tattoos that awaken creativity.
Tattoo sleeve
The sleeve is a complex composition, which can not assume the presence of a small tattoo. There can be black and white or colored pictures consisting of different characters and objects.
Neck
The ideal place for cool concise tattoos is the neck. Here they often apply inscriptions like the creed of life and principles of a man, symbols and objects that can affect the mind and worldview, improve the work of the brain.
Chest
Different variants of tattoos will look harmoniously on the chest, be they objects, symbols, animals or birds. Their main purpose is to protect against dangers and risks to life.
Side
On the side of the man most often depicts personal drawings relating to matters of the heart and soul. If they are animals, the man seeks to imitate them, if symbols, they are needed for balance and self-confidence, if inscriptions, they are about family, love.
Thigh
On the thighs, tattoos can affect the intimate component of life, the relationship with the other half, the emotional background. Overly emotional and passionate natures beat sketches that help achieve balance, too uptight and constrained men, on the contrary, choose something that awakens fire and passion.
Back
The back is the most neutral zone, that is, the meaning of a small tattoo will directly depend on the sketch itself. Animals, birds, insects, plants, symbols, as well as different parts of drawings, such as the wings of an angel, paw prints, etc. will look harmoniously here.
Paddle
On the scapula are the focal point of the will, which means that here you can apply the tattoo with therapeutic meaning, religious symbols, objects with meaning that will help to appease the ego and baser desires.
Foot
Tattoos on the legs often work as magnets, attracting to a man's life good luck, success, love, happiness. The ideal choice of a sketch on the legs - the signs of the zodiac and constellations, which are the strongest amulet and amulet.
Neck
Top tattoos on the neck of guys include images of:
- a cross;
- swallow;
- laurel branches.
In most cases, the picture in this area is done on the side. Less often there is a picture on the front of the neck. This is due to the fact that the tattoo is painful to do here. Some fans of permanent drawings make a collar of ornament or tall grass on the neck.
Are there guidelines for applying small tattoos?
Tattooing tips suggest 3 steps. Namely:
- Preparation. Make a sketch of the tattoo, do not use other people's ideas, print the finished version on a photo in order to take to the master. It is forbidden to drink alcohol and take medicines before the procedure. Determine the place for your tattoo, its color and style.
- Procedure. Test your allergy to paints with the master. Designate a time for yourself to work, so you'll be ready to spend time standing still.
- Care. Listen to the master for any tips on how to care for the healing area of the skin. First, the tattoo will be covered with a film, later it is removed, and the skin is treated with different preparations.
Important! Find out in advance the price of the tattoo, because it is not a cheap pleasure. It is better to be prepared for financial expenses in advance. Don't skimp on tattoos by choosing unproven masters.
B sides
Flanks are not a popular area for permanent markings, but they can be found.
This part of the body is covered with:
- ships;
- a clawed paw with a scratch mark on it;
- quotations from the Bible;
- mythical creatures;
- structures;
- birds.
The convenience of such a picture is that it can hide skin imperfections or scars. In addition, the tattoo on the ribs is convenient to hide under clothing.
How to choose a tattoo sketch?
To make choosing a sketch for a small tattoo easier, ask yourself a series of leading questions.
- In what place will the tattoo be tattooed, what size will it be? Given the anatomical shape of the body and the principle of proportionality of the tattoo and the area, you can narrow down the search for a sketch.
- Will it be a picture or an ornament? For ornaments you can pick up different appropriate styles (tribal, Maori, Polynesian, Celtic, etc.). Patterns are usually executed in a primal format. Each style accepts a certain complexity and scale, and they determine the sketch in relation to the place on the body.
- Is this your first tattoo? For the first experience choose simple tattoos with positive energy, such as inscriptions or signs of the zodiac. Later on you will already know what a tattoo is, how receptive you are, what you want from a tattoo.
- How many small tattoos are you planning to get? Remember that a lot of miniature tattoos on the body will not look aesthetically pleasing, if not vulgar.
- What is the purpose of the tattoo? If you're not looking for a change in life, use different neutral designs - animals, birds, nature, inscriptions, characters. If you have weaknesses, the sketch should work to enhance the exact opposite qualities. You need protection and good luck, in which case choose amulets and amulets.
Do you like small, discreet tattoos?
YesNo
Back
Masters like to work with the back, as here it is convenient to apply large colored or monochrome cloths, and the client experiences a minimum of pain.
On the back you can find:
- wings;
- animals;
- biblical scenes;
- dragons.
In this area it is not difficult to implement any idea of the client.
Styles and colors that are popular for small tattoos
It is difficult to clearly narrow down the choice of styles for small tattoos due to the huge selection of designs and ideas. But most often in recent times, masters resort to the following ways of execution:
Tribal, Celtic, Polynesia - Original execution of patterns, abstracts and ornaments;
Minimalism - small concise tattoos without unnecessary details and lines;
Graphics - The predominance of straight and clear lines;
Oriental - Oriental style;
Geometry - Ideal style for symbolism, conveying pictures in geometric shapes.
The main emphasis in the execution of small tattoo is on the black and white scale, especially if it is a symbolism, inscriptions, small objects. If depicting living creatures, nature, the master can use different colors of red, green, blue, brown, yellow and their close shades.
Head
Recently, it has become fashionable to do tattoos on the head.
The most fashionable are:
- A cord coming from behind the ear to the socket;
- a ship's helm;
- Virgin Mary;
- hair.
Tattoos are unpleasant on the head, but some men purposely shave bald in order to decorate this part of the body with a permanent image.
Legs
Men like to decorate legs less than women. Most often guys do a tattoo on the calf.
Here they draw:
- dice;
- machines;
- ships;
- trees.
Stamped on this area are the bodies of animals, skulls or ornaments. The convenience of the pattern is that it can be hidden under pants.
For guys, a tattoo with meaning is not difficult to choose. Going to the tattoo salon, experts recommend weighing well all the pros and cons of the upcoming procedure.
Symbols that can be combined with a tattoo of a girl on the hand
The girl herself on the tattoo sketch acts as the main character, but the meaning and emotional perception largely depends on additional symbols. Most often, masters involve the following elements:
- fire - Passion, temper, emotions and feelings;
- abstraction - manifestation of creativity and imagination;
- predators - courage, danger, aggression;
- angel - protection, purity, faithfulness;
- birds - lightness, height, forward thrust;
- weapons - danger, loneliness, wounds.
The image of a real person.
In the form of a girl tattoo on the forearm for men can mean many events. Most often it is a great love and affection. Every man has a woman who is his only one. A tattoo of a real man is usually made as a sign of love and respect. This image on the skin gives its owner the opportunity to be mentally closer to the object of his feelings.
Someone wears a picture in his purse, and someone makes a tattoo on his forearm. The meaning of this action is about the same. Sometimes a similar tattoo is applied in memory of a lost relative or a beloved dear person. In this case, the tattoo can be accompanied by the date of life of this person. The meaning of such a picture is simple - to pay tribute to the deceased and to express his love.
