Getting your body tatted with beautiful illustrations, delicate and intricate images, and deep meaning quotes is gradually becoming a norm. The tattoo has transformed into body art and is no more considered a taboo. There are hundreds of thousands of tattoo buffs around the world. While there are people who love to have only one body tag, there are fanatics with multiple areas tatted.
A tattoo is not just a tag on the body or an accessory to flaunt; it has some depth. A tattoo wrapped around your arm, or traveling from shoulder to back or onto the chest, speaks about you. The tattoo you wear is an insight into your personality. It not only depicts your aesthetic sense but who you are as a person. Your tattoo gives a hint about your perception and approach towards life.
Some of you may like to keep your tattoo secretive; others may love to flaunt. You may get an image tatted to demonstrate your hidden traits or may opt for something inspirational. You may be thinking to get your first image inked on the body or looking for a new spot. One place that best fits small and big tattoos alike is the “Shoulder.” Hide your tag or glorify it, you have the liberty. If you are interested in covering this area of your body with some amazing designs, give this article a read.
Shoulder –The Best Place to Get a Tattoo
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Your body is your possession; it’s up to you how you want to adorn it. But, not all parts of your body are ideal for getting an image inked. A tricky question that often pops up before tattoo lovers is about the placement of the tattoo. Will my tattoo look amazing on the wrist, or coiled around the knuckle? Should I wear my next tag on the back or carry it on the rib cage? Or get a tattoo pierced on the ear?
A prime location that tattoo buffs often seek is the Shoulder. It covers a relatively large area from the shoulder blade on the back to the spot just beneath the collar bone.
You may have come across the thought about the longevity of the tattoo. The area around the shoulders usually not change with age or pregnancy. Hence, shoulder tattoos have a long life. The tattoo traveling from your shoulder to the back won’t easily fade or stretch with time.
Since shoulders comprise an extensive area, it gives you the liberty to get big pieces engraved. However, you may settle with a small delicate design too.
Shoulder tattoos allow you to experiment and be more creative. If your tag is close to your heart and you want to hide it, a t-shirt is all you need to cover. But, if you love admiration and want people to appreciate the brilliant shoulder piece, go for a tank top. Hide your tag or glorify it, the choice is yours.
Are Shoulder Tattoos Gender Specific?
Your body is a canvas, to make it look beautiful you can paint it with different colors. Adorn it with scarifications, piercings, or tattoos. You can do wonders with your body with the help of tattoos. Both men and women love to décor their bodies with tattoos.
The placement of tattoos is likely to have a traditional masculine or feminine connotation. For instance, women don’t prefer facial tattoos as much as men. Similarly, it’s rare to see a tattoo on the lower back of a man. But remember, it’s your body, your rules. Despite the gender specification, shoulders are considered to be a universal location for a body tag in either gender.
Some symbols are also gender-specific. Women tend to wear tattoos associated with healthiness or fertility. “Feminine” tattoo symbols popular among women include flowers, butterflies, or cherry blossoms, etc.
Masculine tattoos mostly portray strength, stamina, and virility. Men like to adorn the body with the symbol of victories, a successful hunting adventure, or ranking in the social order. One of those who love to show how tough you are, a shoulder tattoo is the best spot.
Gorgeous Shoulder Tattoos To Flaunt
There is a plethora of designs, colors, and sizes to choose from for your shoulder piece. There are striking illustrations big and small, for both men and women. You may assimilate quotes, lions, dragons, flora, or angels on your shoulder –get the eyeballs rolling.
Are you looking for some cool, trendy, and funky ideas for your shoulder pieces? We dedicate this part of the article to you.
Ink your Shoulder with a Startling Mandala
A mandala never goes out of fashion when it comes to getting a body part tatted. Mandala is a circular figure used to represent the universe in Hinduism and Buddhism. This circular piece resides well on the shoulder cap and earns praise for you. A mandala helps to build a deep relation with man, nature, and spirit.
You can experiment with the design and colors within the mandala. A half-circled mandala on the back with the center placed around the armpit, or one wrapped around the shoulder blade.How about a floral mandala in black or gray? Or a mandala enclosed by a sun?
Engrave an Inspiring Text with Fun Fonts
Since the shoulder covers an extensive area, it gives room for creative layout texts. You may like to adorn the flat pane at the top of your shoulder with a meaningful quote. You may engrave an inspiring text trailing up around your collar bone and ending at the shoulder top.
Again, you can even experiment with the font style, color, and size. Not a fan of big of Gothic scripts? You can opt for a cool cursive font or a typewriter feel with all lowercase letters. Blank inked quotes with no shadings in the letters stand out.
Sport a Badass Eagle
Who says that you can only lend a rounded design on the shoulder cap? A badass eagle beneath a rolled up sleeve is a cool option. Eagle is a symbol of liberty, courage, and strength over adversity. It demonstrates that the wearer can strive beyond the horizon. He is ready to tackle every situation with grace and edge.
An eagle tatted on the shoulder indicates that for you, the sky is the limit. The depth and detail in the wings, feathers, and claws can make your piece stand out. Shading of black with a slight touch of red gives it a realistic look.
Let A Bird Sit On The Shoulder
Birds embody nature. They are a symbol of love, elegance, beauty, and freedom. Each bird has a distinct trait. You may aspire to adopt one or the other quality of a bird. Having a bird tatted on the body is common in both men and women. The choice of bird may differ based on one gender.
If you are a woman who likes delicate designs, you can opt for a flock to feature on the shoulder. Small birds flying in a linear direction from shoulder to the neck nape will look ethereal. Use of blank ink will enhance beauty. You may even picture a silhouette of a birds’ flock on the left side of chest around your collar bone.
Men also adorn their skins with bird tattoos. Besides eagle, rooster and crow tattoos are also popular among men. A rooster is symbolic of luck, fortitude, protection, and fidelity. Roosters are said to be bossy creatures, not always in a negative light. A demonic black and gray rooster on the shoulder will look iconic. Dark-outlined feathers with detailing stark out the image.
Embrace a Loving Memory
Your tattoo may be more than a decorative material for the body. Your tattoo may mean the world to you. It may be a reminder of a beautiful time spent with a loved one. A memory that retained even when the person is gone.
You may paint a small image of your puppy who passed away on your shoulder. Or may get your spouse’s name engraved on the flat pane of your shoulder. A line from the lullaby your mother used to sing for you, or a quote your father often repeated. A heart outlined with black ink, with your granny’s death date engraved in the center.
Adorn your Skin with a Stunning Flower Design
Floral designs are a popular choice for shoulder pieces. There are thousands of species of flowers in nature with mesmerizing colors and fragrances. The plethora of flowers provide thousands of ideas for tattoo lovers. From rose to daisies, sunflowers to tulips, and large hibiscus.
Rose is one of the most beautiful flowers in the world. You may opt for a bud, or a full bloomed rose. Wear a simple rose outline on the bicep, or go for a vibrant bunch covering the shoulder. A dark rose firmly sitting on the shoulder can also look stunning. Pink roses look elegant if skillfully painted on the skin.
Sunflower tattoos are also “in.” You will love to have a sunflower with its head on the shoulder cap and leaves floating below the collar bone. The image will come alive with skillful coloring and shading techniques.
Daisies depicted in black and gray or a tulip painted on the shoulder’s socket may be pleasing to eyes. Experimenting with different colors and combining different flowers in a bouquet will also have a vibrant feel.
How about adorning your shoulder with a scintillating full-bloom fuchsia hibiscus? The popping color, the inky tendrils, and mini flowers, all together make an incredible tattoo.
Feature a Beast
Animals are also a popular pick for shoulder pieces. A shoulder blade is an ideal place for large pieces such as a full-fledged image of an elephant. You may choose a realistic photo or go for an outlined image. Elephants enjoy great importance from a religious point of view in some cultures. Hence, getting an elephant tatted is common to many. With minute details on the skin and precise finishing, the elephant sitting on your shoulder may look incredible.
The lion is the king of all beasts, and it would be no surprise if you wear one as a tattoo on the bicep. With superimposed black ink, the beast will depict a remarkably realistic look. Concise line work and immaculate shading will make your tattoo an exceptional piece.
Paint your shoulder with a Celestial Bodies
You can’t carry the whole world on your shoulder, but what about a galaxy? Practically speaking the answer to this question is also no. But, there is no limit to imagination and creativity. You may have all the stars in the universe on your shoulder cap, or an extended image covering up the shoulder area. If done neatly, it will look magical. You may only go with black ink, or couple it with white for this cosmic tattoo.
Stop the Time
Time is money. It slips through our hands before we even know. You can not stop time, or maybe you can? The only way I can think of is to get a timepiece tatted on the skin. Don’t you think it is an amazing idea? Combine the shoulder and sleeve tattoo and get an old world clock painted. The detailing will add to the beauty of the design. If you love to have larger tags, this may be the best choice.
Go for A Breathtaking Marine Creature
If you are a tattoo buff who is also a Thalassophile –a sea lover, then this option is for you. Let some fish swim across your shoulder in harmony. Or let an octopus sit on your shoulder with all its eight legs
descending to the arms. You may get a striking octopus sitting firmly as a shoulder and back tattoo. This unique design is sure to get some eyeballs rolling.
Choose a Distinctive Tattoo
Why go for a regular shoulder tattoo when you have a creative mind. Choose a design that reflects what you are and what you like? If you have a wonderful and you love to explore places, a globe on the bicep is enough to depict.
Get a globe and compass feature on the shoulder with passport stamp designs. Isn’t this an innovative yet interesting way to express your love for tattoos and traveling at the same time? Probably one of the coolest ways to preserve your traveling memories.
Sport a Simple Lined Tattoo
You don’t always have to go for complicated large designs to adorn your skin. You may opt for a big and bold, or a small and delicate design for your shoulder. A simple line inked out with black color will look equally amazing. And sometimes, the less is better. A small feather, a little cloud, a cluster of stars shining on the shoulder cap, may be enough. Simplicity has its attraction. You won’t have to put much effort into a cute tattoo with minimal lines.
Get an Astonishing Japenese Dragon
Dragons always look cool on the shoulders. Dragons have great significance in Japanese culture. A dragon symbolizes compassion; it is a creature that helps humanity. If you are interested in the Japenese culture, you may get a dragon wrap across your bicep traveling onto your chest.
Make sure that your artist use precision in detailing the scales, it’s belly and line work.
Go for a Round About
Our shoulder joint is shaped like a ball and serves as the best for rounded designs. For instance, you may choose to have a tribal crab inked around the muscle there. The natural body lines will give it a nice look. A mandala, a clock, an ouroboros, will look amazing on the shoulder joint.
Spread the Wing
One of the widely inked shoulder pieces is spreading the wings from the shoulder on to the chest or back. Wings demonstrate a person’s desire to soar higher. It indicates that the wearer may fly away from the adversities of life. Having the liberty to fly high above gives you confidence and makes you feel lighter at the same time.
You may choose to have a bird’s wings, bat wings, angel wings, or even some incredibly looking skeletal wings engraved on the shoulder. The skilled artist will make the tattoo look real giving it a 3D look. Using black and gray ink will enhance its striking features.
A pair of wings is sure to attract the people around you.
FAQs
How much does it cost to get a shoulder tattoo?
Tattoo artists will often charge you on the basis of how much time it takes to complete the tattoo. Usually, it can be $100 or above for a shoulder tattoo.
What placement is best for the shoulder tattoo?
Placement depends on your likeness and how big or small your shoulder is. You can go for a tattoo that start from the shoulder and extends to your arm. Some tattoos can extend from shoulder to the back as well. If you are ripped, you can go for a shoulder-chest tattoo as well.
How long does it take to get a shoulder tattoo?
The time it takes to get a shoulder tattoo depends on its size and complexity. The bigger and more complex the tattoo is, the more time it will take to draw it.
The Bottom Line
You govern your body, and only your rules should apply to it. Which part of the body you want to adorn must be your decision. Though not all parts are perfect for a long lasting tattoo, your shoulder is the prime spot. Let a small butterfly frolic on your shoulder, or opt for an incredible elephant. Shoulder tattoos give you the liberty to show off your creativity. Choose the best design and then let the art do the job –grabbing the onlookers’ attention.