The first association that the image of the skull causes is the fear of death. Something mystical and inexplicable covers people in front of the unknown of the afterlife.
Skulls were worshipped by ancient people and used them for ritual purposes, skulls signalized the approaching danger and scare off enemies. But now these meanings are very much blurred, and for the modern man the image of the skull is not something forbidden or frightening.
Tattoos with skulls - the most popular motif of the last decades, because they emphasize individuality and certain traits of character. Let's find out what meanings these tattoos can have in different interpretations.
Tattoos for men
Men prefer to have skulls because it clearly symbolizes the brutality and fearlessness of the owner.
A skull tattoo always looks harmonious on any part of the body. It can give courage to insecure young men, tell about the character of this or that person and simply illustrate the aesthetic taste.
Men's skulls can also have the opposite character - repulsive images, echoing the grave theme. As a rule, such images are applied to the body by representatives of various subcultures, thereby hinting at their complicity in this or that ideological system.
The meaning of the skull
Let's consider whether the skull tattoo on the shoulder is really the embodiment of evil or a symbol of death. In Eastern countries, the skull was considered a place where the human soul and energy are concentrated. It is a symbol of life and knowledge, accumulated experience. People gave this symbol a deep philosophical meaning.
In the olden days in European countries the skull was laid in the foundations of structures for any major construction. We have found documents with drawings depicting the place of its laying in the building. Animal skulls were used for simple structures.
In Christianity, the skull was often depicted on icons. According to tradition, the blood of Jesus, who was crucified on the cross, spread over Adam's skull, which was interpreted as forgiveness for all the sins of the first people on earth. The skull and crossed bones are often drawn on the crucifixion.
In Buddhism, the skull is used as an amulet to remind mankind of the sanctity of life. The Indians tattoo skull on the shoulder was considered a talisman against death.
In our time it has less sacred meaning. People who decide to get such a tattoo show their courage and reconciliation with the inevitability of death. Some interpret the image of a skull as a big change in life.
Women's tattoo themes
Women more often put a skull on their body, which compositionally seems more gentle and not so frightening. To create such an effect next to the image of the skull itself are placed petals of flowers or plants.
On a woman's body skulls always look favorable and attract a lot of attention from the stronger sex. On a general scale, women's skull tattoos are usually smaller than on the male body. The extravagance of such a tattoo can complement the image of any woman, giving her appearance of confidence.
Dividing the Skull tattoo into styles and standard colors
The skull is most often perceived as a threatening symbol, but you can always choose to design such a tattoo for a specific person and give it a tweaked meaning. For example, the black and gray color scheme makes the skull a symbol of strength. Gentler colors can give the skull an attractive and cute look.
Skull in Abstraction Style
The skull is one of the popular models for body art in the Abstraction genre. The style has no restrictions or rigid frames dictating how it should be depicted and in what color.
The image in the form of empty eye sockets, a bony nose and 1-2 rows of teeth are found in anything - in the intertwining of trees, in spilled paint, the intertwining of two bodies, and even in tobacco smoke, indicating the harm of smoking.
Skull in Watercolor Style.
Give the grim grin of the skull painted with black colors positive and dilute it with a colorful palette will help soft style Watercolor. He is able to transform the picture in a positive way if you use the standard purple-blue-red colors for the background or add aggression, if only red is involved.
The uniqueness of the Skull tattoo in the style of Watercolor is given by the imitation of watercolor spots on the edges of the background, showing the effects of flowing water and drops of water-based soluble paint.
Blackwork Skull
Blackwork has two ways of developing a skull tattoo scenario. The first way is to depict a skull with elements of realism or graphics, in which more than half of the percentage is dominated by an intense dense black color. And tattoos consisting of only one black color poured inside a clearly drawn outline.
Geometric Skull.
Geometry suggests limiting the frame or borders of a skull tattoo to the shapes of geometric shapes. Rhombuses, triangles, rectangles and circles serve as excellent tools for this purpose. The shape of the skull, or half of it, fits perfectly into all the figures listed.
Among other things, in the style it is customary to form the skull itself (or its fragment) of the lines connecting to each other in various forms associated with geometry.
Skull in the style of Graphics
Few people as a child did not draw on a piece of paper with a pencil skull, and it was not always related to the fine arts. At school lessons of studying the structure of man, many depicted it with small marks for themselves.
Tattoo Skull in Graphics is the same drawing, only on the skin and more detailed. The palette color is black and gray and white, imitating the strokes from a simple pencil lead.
Celtic Skull.
Celtic patterns consisting of intertwining bands form both the shape of the skull and the decorations for its intimidating face. The ornaments in turn can constitute the cultural heritage of northern and middle Europe and depict bears, wolves, and significant symbols.
The stripes tend to have their shaded areas, especially in the weave areas, giving the patterns the characteristic volume of the style.
Skull in the Cyberpunk style
Mankind is making progress and this has not gone unnoticed in the world of body art. "Improved" skull absorbed into its design various elements indicating the transition of the race from human to cybernetic (a mixture of microchips with organic tissues and bones).
The skull is wrapped in wires, mounted gadgets or decorated with lines, the kind we might see on ordinary circuit boards in advanced electrical engineering.
Skull in Space Style.
The boundless cosmos literally settled in the skull. The essence of being and death merged into one tattoo composition. The spiraling universe, with planets, stars and the Milky Way, forms a harmonious backdrop for the overall image.
Tattoos look great in black and white as well as in color, with the addition of Watercolor style.
Skull in the style of Linework
The idea of the style is to draw the skull and the overall composition of the tattoo with simple outline lines in black. The important main elements are applied with the widest contours as opposed to secondary details.
Shadows may be absent, but if they are, they are applied either in the technique of dotwork, or in gravurevosh very diluted paint or weak consistency (medium). Very rarely other colors are used in the work.
Mayan Style Skull.
Given the human sacrifices of the Mayan people, it is not surprising that their culture is intertwined with the depiction of the skull in a tattoo. The style decorates the subject of the tattoo with various attributes, such as the symbolism of the sun, that wild time, patterns found in the form of stone carvings and images of Aztec pyramids.
Works done in graphics and realism take on the status of the Mayan style due to these aforementioned nuances.
Skull in the Neotraditional style
All Neotraditional style skull tattoo images are united by strikingly bright and clean colors. No dirt is to be found in the work, everything is done neatly, as if painting over the contours of a child's coloring book.
The skull itself is often depicted close-up, without a few teeth, with cracks in the forehead area, decorated with leaves, flowers or plants.
Skull in the Newsculpture style.
The Newschool style manages to make the unfunny image of a skull in a tattoo funny. Comically flattened shapes, eye sockets have round expressive eyes (girls have eyelashes), no teeth as such. The background of the tattoo is usually tinted in an ultra-modern color.
Oldschool Skull
The gaping empty eye sockets skull is one of the traditional (old-school) tattoos on the American mainland. It is rarely depicted alone, preferring to combine it with various significant elements, dagger, snake, flowers, etc.
The skull is often depicted with an inserted gold tooth, and the top is decorated with cracks resembling a schematic lightning bolt. The eye sockets and nose may be colored, while the skull itself is built on white with black shadows.
Organic Style Skull
The Organic style models the peculiar shape of the skull as if it were from the skin of the tattoo wearer. Using blackouts and natural, pristine skin color, it creates a visualization of an object budding in the human body, seeking to break free from the shackles of the shell. A genre for horror and sci-fi fans.
The images can be either black and gray or colored for a more realistic effect.
Skull in the Oriental style
In Asian tattoo culture, it can be found as part of the decoration, such as the role of the headdress of a Kitsune fox or a demon. But there is also a major role in some large-scale samurai tattoos. The skull is clad in the helmet of an aristocratic Japanese warrior and decorated around the perimeter with flowers. The background according to the classics should be dark, creating a contrast between the white bone and the background.
Ornamental Style Skull
A style that practices ornaments in the form of southeastern ornaments, lotus flowers and mystical mandalas works well with skull bones for women's tattoos. The design in the original is more often composed of contour lines and shadows in black and gray in the technique of dotwork (of dots) or gravosh (gradient from dark to light).
The object of attention is placed in the center of the tattoo composition. The bottom of the jaw and the upper frontal lobe are complemented with ornamentation, making the shape of the tattoo, elongated and suitable for application to narrow parts of the body.
Skull in the Realism style
The purpose of the Realism style in the Skull tattoo plot is to create an illusory volume and the effect of its presence on the human body. The subject is dark, otherworldly and mystical. For authenticity, the teeth that have fallen out of the upper jaw are carefully traced. To spice up the subject, the skull is combined with other symbols and objects, such as a burning candle or a Christian cross.
There is little color in the image, it is only used to visually highlight any important elements, such as a flame of fire, with yellow highlights on the bones.
Skull in the style of Sketch.
Not fully drawn skull (partial, but detailed work), or drawing in rough treatment (strokes, leaving the boundaries of contour lines) are the basis for tattoos in the style of Sketch. The Skull tattoo offers its philosophy of the imperfection of our world as the main idea for the image - one rushes to enjoy life rather than waste it on perfection.
The tattoos can be done in color, despite their similarity to the Graphic style, but the skull is maintained in a classic black and gray tone.
Steampunk Skull
Fans of the Steampunk subculture often choose the image of the skull as the subject for their tattoo, but with slight changes in its structure, characteristic of this style. It is decorated with mechanical parts, gears, glasses, lenses, chains, screws, metal strips, staples, etc.
Tribal Style Skull.
The black pointed patterns of the Treble style are completely in keeping with the characteristic gloomy mood of the skull images. The patterns can be used as decoration on the skull or as a decorated additional background behind the object. Sometimes you can find a Skull tattoo in the "pure" Treble style - the bone face itself is entirely formed from black ray-like lines.
Skull in the style of Thrash Polka
The remains of the human head is an iconic element of the design of the tattoo in the style of Thrash polka. It can make up a composition with other subjects suitable for the theme and play the first leading roles in the plot itself, or it can be depicted individually in close-up. In either case, the tattoo is decorated with an ornament or decoration that characterizes the style. Most often, this is a grid of small black circles and transparent red stripes running through the entire picture.
Chicano style skull
The skull in Chicano is given one of the leading places - it is one of the popular parts of the composition, along with girls, cards, roulette and guns. His image may be adorned with an imperial crown or painted on the face in the manner of clown makeup. The design is often accompanied by inscriptions, with a characteristic Chicano font.
Classic images of the skull in this style are made in black and gray.
Tattoo in the form of a skull with a rose.
This is a symbol familiar to everyone. This image illustrates the fact that love and death always go side by side and are in mutual connection with each other. The owners of such tattoos can invest their personal meaning, endowing the drawing on the body with personal experiences and feelings.
Sketch in the style of ornamental
Beautifully looks on the body patterned skull, the surface of which is completely covered with ornaments. This is a difficult work for the master, so the drawing is ordered in advance or selected on the Internet already ready-made. In the photo below you can consider an excellent sketch of a skull tattoo on the shoulder, which can be done as a man and a girl.
It consists of smooth intertwining lines, the space between which is filled mostly with floral ornamentation. There are large elements, and there are small details. For such a tattoo to look quality and after healing, carefully approach the choice of the master. Look at his work and pay attention to the evenness of the lines and the execution of small elements on the finished work. This is important so that you won't be disappointed later.
Skull and Crown
Also quite a frequent subject, the most common among men. Such a combination indicates that the owner of the tattoo seeks power and reverence. If we interpret this symbol differently, then we can reveal the desire of the man to enter into history and leave a trace after himself, because the crown is a certain cultural heritage, which will throughout the centuries remind the whole world of the deceased.
Men's tattoos with a skull
For men, it is not the aesthetics that are important, but the symbolic meaning of the tattoo. They choose the image of the skull to emphasize their brutal qualities, courage and tenacity. It is usually part of a more complex composition and is combined with one or more secondary elements:
- Skull in a crown. This plot is considered a classic. It is chosen by self-confident, ambitious men to denote their goals. But the crown is not only a symbol of power. It is associated with great knowledge, wisdom and life experience.
- The watch reminds us that life is short, and after it will inevitably come death. But there is another interpretation, which advises to enjoy every moment and not to get upset because of minor problems.
- If there is a snake in the composition, the drawing emphasizes the person's intelligence, vast experience, wisdom and understanding of life.
- The cross does not mean anything in particular, but evokes appropriate associations. The otherworldly theme is used by Goths and members of other subcultures interested in mysticism and the occult.
- If the picture shows a girl, the man lost the woman he loved or was a victim of betrayal or infidelity. Sometimes this tattoo is considered a talisman.
- The presence of wings symbolizes freedom and independence. Sometimes this plot is chosen by rather self-confident and selfish people. Above all, they value their own views, and other people's opinions will always remain secondary to them.
Men often get tattoos depicting animal skulls braided with leaves and flowers. They usually symbolize certain character traits:
- If a man chose the ram's skull, it means he wants to emphasize willpower, tenacity, stubbornness, the ability to stand up for his opinion and achieve his goals.
- The deer skull is borrowed from Slavic, Celtic and Scandinavian mythology. It means that good triumphs over evil, and spiritual values are more important than material goods.
- The goat skull evokes the wrong associations. If you look at the photos of finished works, there are often elements resembling occult signs. But the tattoo has nothing to do with magic. It symbolizes strength, wisdom, energy and good health.
Skull of a ram.
On the body indicates a very rare character traits of the human personality. It is, as you might have guessed, perseverance and boundless resilience. The desire to achieve their goals, by all means, in people with such a tattoo is higher than in others.
Types of tattoos
Perhaps there is no such variety of sketches for any symbol as the skull tattoo. We will consider a few of the most interesting in our opinion ideas:
- A brightly colored, old-school style skull. Such tattoos are not so often found in the medium of body art. So you might consider this option as an opportunity to stand out from the monochrome tattoo monotony.
- A skull with a crown. A very ambiguous sign, symbolizing the idea that the one who yesterday sat on the throne and ruled the living, tomorrow may be in the realm of the dead.
- A skull with a sacred inscription. The choice of inscription depends on the concept of the tattoo and the personal beliefs of the author.
Skull with a clock
The most lyrical and symbolically colored motif in tattoos. Literally, this composition means the Latin saying "memento mori" - remember death. People who place such a tattoo on their bodies, as if reminding themselves of the transience of life. This philosophical truth makes you think about enjoying each passing day.
Who is suitable for a skull tattoo and should it be your choice?
The image with the skull refers to the universal. Such a tattoo is suitable For both men and women.
Most often such images are applied by people who want to show:
Artistic tattoo of a skull in the hand from the master Vova Snoop. Their individuality.- Fatalistic.
- The uniqueness of the worldview.
- Femininity and masculinity.
- Brutality.
- Fearlessness.
- Happy, successful people.
- Risk takers.
- Ready to laugh in the face of death.
- Willing to be reborn or find a "new life".
- Dreaming of hiding from the eye of death.
When you're putting the finishing touches to your sketch, be guided only by your desires and goals invested in this tattoo. And it will bring in your life only desirable "gifts".
And to make your image more harmonious will help professionals tattoo studio "Maruha". Each master has extensive experience, treats each client individually and can make your dreams come true.
Skull of a goat
Many interpreted as a symbol of unclean powers and occult groups. But it's really not all that gloomy. This image reads as a representation of peace, energy and vitality. The skull of this animal was often sacrificed to the gods to give priests and pilgrims eternal strength and health.
The drawing's original meaning
The skull is one of the most ancient magical and occult symbols. The Slavs, Scandinavians, Scythians, Assyrians, and Persians believed the skull contained mighty powers. They used this element to create amulets and talismans because they believed that it:
- protect against death and misfortune;
- it gives vitality, heals the sick;
- attracts good luck, helps to win the victory.
Deer Skull.
This is another ancient wisdom that has found its embodiment in modern realities. The stag always and at all times symbolized the triumph of good over evil, the victory of the state of mind over material difficulties.
Skull framed by flowers
The desire to live and enjoy life. Flowers add sensual tenderness to such a dark and mystical object as the human skull. The tattoo is most common among women.
Peculiarities of performance and types of the skull tattoo - for a long time is a tattoo with a skull?
Here you have already chosen your skull plot - you can consider that half of the job is done. It remains only to decide on the color, size and location. These are the main features to consider before you decide to "stuff" tattoo.
Familiarizing yourself with them, you can easily identify the style and design of tattoo design (St. Petersburg).
Style and colorful design tattoo
Will help you intimidate the skull. Make it more gloomy. In this variant - detail will only enhance the effect. The best in this style are images of a single skull, or a skull with a snake, or a variant of a pirate image with bones, etc. This type is most popular with men, but not uncommon exceptions.
Monochrome image- A colorful, colored image will make your "skull" more feminine, playful and fill it with a lighter meaning. This colorfulness will work well with images of flowers, birds. Detail will help to highlight the foreground, to emphasize important details. Most of all such tattoos like girls.
- You can still combine the black and white image of the skull itself and add quite a bit of color to clarify details. For example, to paint snakeCrawling out of the dark eye sockets or paint a flag in scarlet, against which will look spectacular skull on a pile of bones. In this kind of detail can only play into the hands of an additional decoration of a colored symbol. Such color composition images are gaining in popularity among both men and women.
Places to apply a tattoo with a skull
Many men prefer to put images on their ribs, abdomen, back. There are lovers with drawings on the face and behind the ears. At chest The image of the skull is most often worn by thieves in the law.
Very sexy looking tattoos ...on a woman's leg... Or scapula, no less effect on the arms. If a girl likes to wear decollete or bravely opens the back, the skull with a symmetrical floral pattern or open, ready to fly wings, on the chest The skull on your chest or back will make a stunning effect and add mystery to your image.
Popular places to apply skulls with curly plants are the foot, shin or hand. Looks great on a woman's body with a detailed pattern with multiple curls On the thigh or lower leg..
Scale of the image
The size of the tattoo depends entirely on your desire, how detailed you want to make it and, of course, the location.
If you have decided to create stunning pattern with lots of details.If you want to make a pattern, the back is the best choice. There will be a whole unploughed field for the master, and the pattern will be much easier to apply, which will save time.
Medium is the most universal and frequently used design that looks great on any part of your body.
And they have a lot of advantages:
- They are less costly in money and time.
- They look great in any color layout.
- Regardless of the detailing, they will convey your meaning to those around you.
- They can always be covered with clothing if necessary.
A small image Skulls are very rare. It requires tremendous skill and takes a lot of time to create with great detail, although it will save on colorfulness.
We advise you after the final determination of the composition to apply first temporary tattoo. We will be able to visually see your image and check how it will look in motion.
Skull pierced with a dagger
The most daring and intimidating work. The owners of such tattoos symbolically want to emphasize their own rage and aggressively directed personality traits. Such an image is common in the criminal world and means blood revenge on the enemy. But even earlier such motifs were applied to the body of brave pirates who were not afraid to face death.
Types of skull tattoo designs
- "Candy", Mexican style. El Dia de los Muertos(Spanish, day of the dead) is a popular festival in Mexico in which skulls play a central role. People gather as families to honor their deceased loved ones. During the celebration, skulls are made of candy. From here, the execution of the sketch with flowers and jewels is taken, which is often chosen by girls.
- Men's tattoo. The brutal sketch will show those around him that his master is not afraid of death, or recognizes that the outcome is inevitable.
- Women's tattoo. The skull tattoo is not just for brutal guys. Girls choose the tattoo for the same reasons. The sketch can be made more feminine by the colors, jewels and bright colors.
- Pirate tattoo. Do you consider yourself a pirate? Skull and crossed bones are great for people who live by their own rules, regardless of society's opinion.
- Skull and Roses. Done in honor of a friend or loved one. Looks contrasting, bright and stylish.
- Animal skull tattoo. Means balance of life and death, the transition from the physical to the spiritual. Another meaning - longevity.
Skull with a cross.
Most all others are close to the grave and funerary themes. This image is favored by members of the gothic subculture and people who are interested in the mysterious manifestations of the otherworld.
Skull wrapped in a snake
It is an indication of a person's intellectual potential. The snake is a metaphor for knowledge and experience accumulated throughout life. And the snake with the skull - knowledge that will live even after the death of the owner and forever symbolize the immortality and wisdom.
History of the body drawing "skull".
Skull tattoo sketches
The human headbone has been encountered since in cave paintings.But on the skin she moved a little later. The first admirers of such a tattoo were the Polynesian tribes. The Mayan priests used skulls as ornaments and intimidated the commoners with them. The first skulls were applied to the human body with a stick of split bamboo, which was dipped in cactus juice and fire soot. From the islands to the continents, tattoos were taken over by sailors and pirates.
The skull was also revered in art. In the Baroque period (Italy, XVI-XVII centuries) a genre of painting "vanitas" appeared. The center of this genre was the human skull. This current was popular in France, the Netherlands, and Spain.
