Surely everyone who chooses to tattoo the image of a lion on his body, does it for a reason, for beauty. The energy of this animal is so strong that many of us, especially men, cannot resist the inimitable grace, boundless power and majesty of a lion.
The meaning of the tattoo lion
In many popular cultures of the East and West, the lion is the king of beasts. This animal symbolizes protection, power, justice and nobility. Therefore, his image as a naked picture most often chooses the strong half of mankind.
But such a tattoo must match. Men with the image of a lion are most likely seeking to show their courage, strength, power. Such people have leadership qualities and are able to lead others.
There are a variety of different types of lion tattoos:
- A calm sitting lion represents strength and confidence;
- attacking predator - the ability to stand up for himself or the desire to learn to do so;
- A growling lion suggests that even a calm and kind personality will not prevent a person from standing up for himself on occasion;
- The parted animal symbolizes a constant readiness to fight for all that the individual holds dear and believes in;
- The image of a lion together with another animal, which is weaker than it, symbolizes the desire for peace and tranquility.
The meaning of such a tattoo for women is different from the male symbolism. The nature of the life of these animals is peculiar. They are known to create prides, which usually include seven lionesses and one leader. While the lion recuperates, the lionesses take care of their offspring. Therefore, the image of a lioness on a woman's body is a symbol of motherhood, women's wisdom and the guardian of the family home. In addition, the lioness is always associated with independence, success, and courage. A woman with a tattoo of a predator will always protect her child and stand up for the people closest to her.
Another explanation of the lion tattoo is associated with the concept of the zodiac sign. In its various transcriptions can be found a lot of descriptions. For example, a man with the sign of a lion is straightforward and reasonable. It is an exemplary family man, a successful leader, a great hunter and miner.
Tattoofresh
Sketch for a tattoo of a lion - a popular design for many men and girls. The king of beasts is the embodiment of aristocratic noble roots, not for nothing that women in high social classes are called "secular lionesses". Also, quite a few people born under the sign of the lion horoscope, they choose the formidable master of the African savannah as their main character on the sketch of the future tattoo.
The lion is rarely depicted in full-length, mostly in the center of the plot of the picture is a huge shaggy head predator. In turn, the head is divided into two versions: a calm "moska" and aggressive grin. The grin is chosen by independent, confident people, making their way to their dreams without help. The calm image is preferred by girls, adorning it with flowers in passing.
The main purpose of the tattoo sketch is the choice of the position of the lion or his head in relation to the location of the tattoo. After the composition is selected, the sketch is scaled, elements are added, filling in empty spaces or removing irrelevant strokes that may be in abundance after the drawing is reduced.
Then select the style in which the tattoo will be performed and the color shades (if a colored tattoo is planned). But mostly the lion on the tattoo sketch has a monochrome character, - simply put, it is depicted in black and white, using only the contours and volume on the basis of graywash technique (gradient from black to light). This style is called graphics.
Any lion you like on a tattoo sketch should be personalized, to make the image only your own individual. If you leave the drawing unchanged, then there is a chance to meet on the street or beach person, with exactly the same tattoo. Which can cause frustration and thoughts of costly tattoo removal surgeries.
To avoid this, the lion on the sketch is subjected to change or supplement the composition of the image with additional elements. Usually these are flowers, but it is possible to add patterns in the ornamental style or dilute the plot with geometric figures. Figures today at the peak of popularity, of the most popular should be noted rhombus and triangle.
But not only figures can dilute the plot, directly the image of a lion, inscribed in a variety of geometric shapes, can also make a tattoo sketch unique and highly personal.
In any case, the image of a lion, in demand in the world of body art, and below we have posted a selection of the most successful in our opinion tattoo sketches that will help find inspiration and determine the direction of the future tattoo.
Tattoo of a lion on the body
Before moving on to the artistic specifics of the lion drawing on the body, consider some mythological images that are also used in the creation of tattoo designs:
- Gryphon - half lion, half eagle;
- Chimera - a peculiar creature with the body of a goat, the tail of a dragon and the head of a lion;
- Sphinx - the image of a lion with a human head;
- The manticore is a creature with the body of a lion, the tail of a scorpion, and the head of a man.
The lion tattoo is most often inscribed on the back or shoulder. The rounded shape of the shoulder allows for the image of a beautiful lion or the head of a scorpion.
The rounded shape of the shoulder allows for a beautiful depiction of the head or the animal's grin.
Tattoos with the head of a predator can represent both humble and calm lions, and furious, snarling, ready to attack. Such nuances show the overall mood and character of the picture, affect the perception of the subject by others.
Interestingly, fans of cinema can associate the lion tattoo with the Venice Film Festival, where the silver and gold awards are presented in the form of this beast. Also, everyone has probably seen the famous movie splash screen with the head of a roaring lion. This is the iconic Metro Goldwyn Mayer emblem.
Distinctive features
- The asymmetry of the image.
- The smoothness of the lines.
- A special range of colors - bright, spectacular combinations.
- The mobility of the tattoo due to the movement of the body muscles.
Tattoo in the form of a lion in the style of Japan is impossible not to notice. This is a bright image that fascinates with the riot of colors and plasticity of the figure. The unusual combinations of aggression and serenity attract.
The master calculates the movement of each muscle to create a moving image. When walking, the tattoo turns into a moving picture.
Tattoo of a lion on the hand: striking examples
Places of application
Drawings are carefully worked out before application. The master takes into account the location, anatomical features of the body, so that the image when walking became alive and spectacular. You can often see sketches of a lion dog crawling on a person's arm or leg.
Sufficient space is required for quality application and to create the desired impression. In men, the forearm, back, chest are popular. Girls apply tattoos to the lower back.
To guarantee a good result, you should turn to professional artists. In the studio Art of Pain work tattoo artists with art education, who create unique tattoo sketches with the image of a Japanese lion. Masters take into account the wishes, the place of the image. Thanks to the effective color shades, bright, eye-catching compositions of the intertwining parts of the animal are created on the body. The right combination of colors gives the image a special sound.
Sketches of a lion tattoo: ideas on the photo
The lion cub .
For such an image, we need an eraser, simple and colored pencils:
- We put a sheet of paper on the table and mark on it two lines, vertical and horizontal, in the form of a cross.
- Draw the head as a circle at the top and the torso as an oval to the right.
- Arcing strips connect the muzzle and torso so that the back appears. Then, with an even outline, form the neck and part of the front paw.
- We add three more lines to show where the other paws will be. Since the lion cub is sitting, the back leg will be bent, semicircular in front and bent in back.
- Small ovals mark where we will have the bottom feet, which will be in front of the torso, slightly covering it. Detail them, draw a more realistic form of feet.
- Carefully with the eraser remove auxiliary strokes on the paper, we will not need them further.
- Use semicircular lines to finish drawing the ears and the inside. Tracing the toes.
- Shade the muzzle, tracing the nose, mouth and chin.
- In the form of ovals mark the eyes, pupils and eyelids. Detail them, filling the pupil with black, leaving a glare of white.
- Arc band draws the tummy.
- On the head and tummy, we detail the hair with sharp silhouettes. Two lines add a tail to the picture and a fluffy tip. Draw a mustache on the face.
- Remove unnecessary strokes with the eraser and paint the image.
- The tip of the tail, the inside of the ears, and the nose will be dark brown, the muzzle is a little pink, the eyes are green, and the body is painted in beige.
And we get a cute lion cub, which any child would be happy to have.
Tattoos with a picture from the cartoon "The Lion King"
For the master tattoo the image of the king of beasts is not an easy and quite painstaking work. As in the creation of drawings of other animals, there is a mass of specific pictorial elements and details. The undoubted attribute is, of course, mane. It alone can be drawn in many ways. Some people think that the most harmonious and beautiful looks lion tattoo, depicted as realistically as possible, and abstract techniques in the style of blackwork absolutely do not pass that grace and majesty of this beast.
What do you think?
From history and culture
It is one of the country's symbols. According to legend, during the reign of Empress Jingo, the king of Korea made a promise to protect the Japanese emperors. To keep his word, he used dogs with lion's mane. The story is believed to be borrowed from the Chinese, who also have a lion-guardian in their mythology.
The dog symbol Fu is known as the Heavenly Lion of Buddha. It is widespread in art, painting and sculpture. In the Japanese religion of Shintoism, it is believed that the Fu dog brings wealth and health. Japan has many statues in the form of lions, which are installed at the entrances to tombs, residences and administrative buildings.
A tattoo in the form of a Japanese lion symbolizes protection from evil forces, power and success. To maintain a balance between power and beauty, it is recommended to apply the image of the animal next to the peony, lotus.
Curly mane
To depict a curly lion, you need a black pencil:
- We start with a sketch drawing, with ovals mark the head and mane with a large circle. Next, with an oval we draw a front paw, then form a bent back leg. Around the circle mark the back of the body, and on it a curved silhouette of the tail.
- Rounded elements mark the lower limbs. Connect lines head and torso, and the torso combine with paws.
- Beginning to detail, so, in the figure appears ear, and the second will not be visible, because the lion stands in profile.
- Wavy lines add a more realistic outline of the mane and the nose of the beast. Smooth contour with sharp angles in the bend area, detailing the legs.
- Light strokes mark the paws, which will be on the right side of the profile of the lion. We finish drawing the fingers, eyes in the form of grains, nose and outline of the mouth.
- At this stage, the animal's facial features are worked out more clearly, he has more sullen eyebrows, facial expressions and a mane on his forehead, which should add character and nobility. More clearly draw the ears, the chest part of the mane, its curly tip, cheeks and a sharp chin.
- Strokes draw the direction of the mane hair and fur all over the body. Appears pupil and mustache on the face.
- In conclusion, it is important to work through the entire image with curly curls, alternating contrast and light. The point outlines of the lion's curls should be worked hardest, and in those places where there is not enough light, you can lightly erase with an eraser. The eraser can give lightness, airiness in the right places, and the contrast will make the animal volumetric and realistic.
Who it Suits
Of course, the lion is a masculine symbol. It is the representatives of the stronger sex often stuffed with similar tattoos depicting the king of beasts. In addition, it is preferred by people born under this noble sign of the zodiac. Often the lion tattoo is decorated with philosophical inscriptions, patterns and other ornamentation. It is interesting that today there are a lot of female tattoo designs depicting a lion. In this way, it is not necessary to have a symbolic image of the noble beast, but it is necessary to remember that not every girl is suitable for such a picture. But it is worth bearing in mind that this kind of body image is not suitable for every member of the fair sex. Tattoo, first of all, must be in harmony with the overall style of its owner.
The meaning of .
To understand all the richness of the symbolism, concluded in the lion, you need to learn how to perceive this animal of different cultures. Let's see the most interesting and popular interpretations of this symbol:
- Buddhism views the lion as the personification of nobility, manliness, and wisdom. The king of beasts, according to the followers of Eastern culture, is a symbol of good luck. In addition, the lion is the protector of noble ideals. Undoubtedly, it is an aristocratic sign, which not without reason adorns the coats of arms of many nations.
- Islam sees the lion as a protector of good, as a symbol of the struggle against evil. In this culture, the lion has the place of the fearless king of all beasts.
- The Egyptian culture perceived the lion as a solar luminous sign. Some ancient sources interpret this animal as a guardian of order, a fearless protector and a symbol of just retribution.
- Chinese culture looks at the lion from the angle of courage. This predator is the embodiment of the vital energy of creation. At the same time, the lion, depicted in an aggressive posture, symbolizes impregnability, power, pride and resilience.
- European tradition sees the lion as a symbol of independent power. Bravery and pride are the main qualities attributed to this animal.
