Tattoos are becoming extremely popular among a much more diverse population than what wore them say even fifteen years ago. And while any single individual can get a tattoo, they are still frequently associated with particular social populations and communities. Many years ago they used to be the exclusive property of bikers, rock stars and outlaws, and while these populations still wear them, everyday people from mainstream society are also seeking their designs.

Meanwhile some of the tattoo designs and symbols mean specific things to certain populations. While this is well and good, it should also be acknowledged that certain tattoos can mean different things to different groups of people. A great example of this is the tear that is frequently seen tattooed below someone’s eye. Depending on the culture or social group in which the person wearing it belongs, the tattoo can mean a great number of things. In addition, the exact style of the tear can also mean different things within a given community. This has created a much more complicated tattoo social language and there are cultural scientists whose work is based on keeping up with the changing symbolic meanings of certain tattoos and what they mean to different populations of people.

A tear with an empty top and a filled in bottom indicates that the person wearing it has avenged the death of a loved one. An empty tear under the eye can mean that a loved one has died or that the barer has unsuccessfully attempted murder. A filled in tattoo is usually representative of a loved one who has committed suicide or has been killed in a tragic accident. The majority of tear tattoos that are seen in the United States today are indicative of gang membership and the fact that the wearer has murdered someone. An interesting cultural difference is seen in Australia’s prisons where inmates forcibly etch the tear tattoo into the face of convicted child molesters.

Tattoos are just one of those physical interests that continues to gain popularity. In addition, a larger spectrum of people are interesting in wearing them. People from all demographic backgrounds are becoming interested in displaying aspects of their personalities, from hobbies to loves, on their arms and other body parts. With this in mind it is not surprising to learn that many people are also beginning to attempt to create tattoos themselves. This is actually a slightly disturbing trend as etching a permanent tattoo is not as easy as it might seem and it can actually be dangerous if not done properly and by a professional. For this reason, it should not be recommended that people attempt to apply their own permanent tattoo, particularly if you are a minor.

However, there is an alternative, that for many people is equally and sometimes more enticing. This is the realm of washable tattoos, which the creation and application of is much easier and even more fun than you might expect. And there is usually no danger of injury or toxic poisoning and you can also easily change your mind once it is applied.

You can also be extremely creative with the washable tattoos, which often look as permanent as the ones that are etched in by professionals. And you can experiment easily and apply new designs frequently, which also makes them more appealing than the permanent version to many people. So, how do you tattoo the washable version? The most important thing is to create your design. Since you are doing it yourself and they are much easier than the permanent ones you can do extremely elaborate and creative designs. You are limited only by your own imagination and skills. You will use temporary tattoo paper to create your design. You can find this at craft and sometimes office supply stores and online. You will also need non-toxic washable henna ink, nail polish or body paints to color in your designs. And if you’re feeling particularly daring, you can even freelance a design without the use of the tattoo paper.

The Internet is the best source for finding designs of strawberry tattoos, especially if you do a search on Google for ‘Images of Strawberry tattoos’. Google images show approximately over 182,000 pictures of tattoo strawberry designs. It’s amazing that all the images show different strawberry designs, there is even a Kanji symbol that means ‘Strawberry’. Google images also will help you see just how a strawberry tattoo will look on a particular part of the body; there’s literally a strawberry tattoo image posted that covers almost all parts of the body. There are images of strawberry tattoos on the neck, the wrist, the forearm, the ankle, the lower back, the upper back, on the shoulder and there’s even on image that shows a strawberry tattoo covering the entire backside, starting at the lower back going all the way down both legs!

Another source is to go to your local tattoo parlor. They will have, usually posted up on the walls, all their artwork or they have a portfolio for you to browse through. You’ll be able to see if you like the way the tattoo artist draws a strawberry, compared to an image you found on line. But, don’t just check out one tattoo parlor, go to as many reputable tattoo parlors that you can fit into your schedule. If you don’t have time to drive to all the tattoo parlors, go to their websites and do a word search for ’strawberry’ tattoos, hopefully they will offer more than one strawberry drawing.

If you still don’t see a strawberry tattoo that you like, go to your local library and check out books with illustration studies of strawberries or books with tattoo drawings. If none of the library books show a strawberry that you are interested in, commission an artist to draw you the strawberry of your dreams. You may also ask the tattoo artist to draw you a strawberry, if there isn’t one you like in their portfolio.

Tattooing is just a different way to draw art on a different canvas. You have to first pre-think how the tattoo is going to flow, as in muscle structure, which you need to incorporate in your drawing on paper. Sometimes, you will take your outline from the paper and draw that on the body and draw a few guidelines where there is muscle movement. When you draw the outline on the body, you will have a better sense of the flow of the muscle structure itself and the natural flow of the body, movements of the body. But, once the outline is drawn on paper, and then placed on the body to make sure it fits right, then a stencil needs to be made, applied to the specified body area, and then this is when the tattooing starts.

Becoming an apprentice to a professional tattoo artist is highly recommended over using practice surfaces such as oranges, grapefruit or what’s called ‘practice skin’ that can be ordered online. Becoming an apprentice requires months if not years of watching and practising drawing on paper, or on canvass, how ever you do your art. There are also actual tattoo schools, if being someone’s apprentice doesn’t suit you, just be prepared to pay more to hone in on this craft.

You’ll also need to become familiar with the tools of the trade. For instance, the Arm Rest, which is used to rest your arms. There is a full-spectrum lamp, which breaks down the prismatic colors, just like the sun, basically, the full-spectrum lamp helps the tattoo artist see how the color will look in the sunlight. The inks and the different qualities in inks, ink caps, sharpies, skin preparation materials as in Vaseline, which lubricates the skin and helps with stopping the blood flow. You’ll need to have a good working understanding of the electric tattoo gun, which rapidly moves the needle up and down as it dips into the attached ink cartridge and all the various speeds of the gun, which is regulated with a foot paddle. The most important tool for a quality tattoo artist is in all the sterilization equipment; a sterile environment is utmost important when it comes time to tattoo a person.

The first tattoo I got was on the outside of my ankle.  At the time I wanted it to be in a discrete enough place, so that I could easily cover it up, but that I too, would be able to leave it visible from time to time.  What I did not consider at all, was the pain of having getting a tattoo, and even though it was just a small flower that did not take much time at all, the fact that it was on my ankle bone had me sweating and a bit sick to my stomach as soon as the artist got to work.

Now, I have a pretty high tolerance for pain due to years of ballet dancing and sore muscles, sprains, ligaments being torn and ankles getting broken, however for me…this was a sharp and burning pain that just became almost too much to bear.  I am amazed now, when I see people with tattoos on their skulls.  For many people the first thing that they consider is what I had considered, which is finding a place on your body that you can easily cover up the tattoo when it may be necessary to do so.  While tattoos are becoming more commonplace and accepted, there are still instances, such as in the work place, that you may need to cover your tattoo.

Tattooing your hands and feet many not be a good idea for a couple of reasons.  For one, you may find that you will need to have them touched up quite a bit, as tattoos on these two spots will tend to fade more rapidly than in other areas.  For another thing, just as there is not a whole lot of fat surrounding the ankle bone, the tops of the hands and feet are relatively fat free in many people.  The tattoos will hurt more in these areas than on the areas of the body that have a bit more padding.  Taking this into consideration, you may want to consider getting a tattoo on those areas such as the thigh, the bicep or the calf.  My second tattoo I had put on my shoulder, and it far less painful than the first one!

When you look around today, you will find many decorated arms and legs.  Tattoos were once seen in the United States, as a counter culture movement.  Those with office jobs, or jobs in the business and other professional worlds, would find it necessary to make sure their tattoos were covered up.  That is still the case in some situations, but these days tattoos are becoming the norm.

For some people it is a means of expression, for other people the tattoos are a symbol of protection.  So where then, did this begin, the art of permanently painting on one’s skin?  It is a widely held belief that the professional practice of tattooing began about six thousand years ago in Egypt.  Sailors throughout history, the merchant seamen and explorers had been giving themselves tattoo for ages.

In Egypt, the tattoos were not originally for decoration.  Women were tattooed on their legs as a protective measure against the dangers of giving birth.  From their the traditions spread throughout Asia, the Pacific Islands and Africa, again through the sailors and the world travelers.  Archaeologists have found evidence of tattoos on a mummy, called the Iceman, which date back to 3300 BC.  Tattoos have also been found on Nubian mummies and those from Egypt dating back to those times as well.

It has been happening throughout the history of the human race, and takes place in every culture.  In some cultures it was only proper for the men to be tattooed, while in many others both men and women were allowed this form of protection, of expressing spirituality and of the recording of history on one’s own body.  Tattooing has been popular in the Japanese society for thousands of years, for ornamental and spiritual purposes.  But just as the “A” was used in the novel “The Scarlet Letter”, the Japanese also tattooed criminals.

The first electric tattoo gun was invented in 1876, by of course…Thomas Edison.  His original use for the machine was not for tattooing the skin, but for use in engraving.  Years later, Samuel O’Reilly took Edison’s design and modified it, changing the process of tattooing for ever.

Getting a tattoo is a big decision, because it’s a permanent marking on your skin. One of the biggest deterrents to getting a tattoo is the pain involved. Everyone who’s looked into it has probably asked around, at some point, and discovered that the pain is variable, but there is always pain involved. How much pain, then, does a tattoo cause? This is a difficult question to answer, and the reason for the difficulty might be more interesting than any attempt to provide a neat and clear response.

Pain is always in the mind, interestingly enough, because the physiology of pain is connected to centers that are in the brain. This has lead some to believe that we have control over the pain our bodies experience, and there are stories of yogis who can endure rather extreme amounts of pain, or shamans who can perform radical feats of endurance that would break most macho men. But chances are, you’re not one of these, and most people who get tattoos don’t fall in these categories, either. So it might be helpful to admit that it’s going to hurt, but again, the amount of pain involved is variable.

There are some areas that are much more responsive to both pleasure and pain, and those areas are probably obvious. The other big pain spots are anywhere the bone and the skin are close, without much fat or muscle, such as the shin, sternum, and spine. The ankle seems to be particularly vulnerable to tattoo pain. Getting a large tribal work on your spine, then, will take several hours, and probably won’t feel very good. Along these lines, getting a small butterfly on the fleshy part of the bottom will be one of the least painful marks for a tattooed person. But even experienced tattooed people have more trouble with some than others, and it often has more to do with their mood and state of mind. A clear head, one that’s relaxed, and an openness to the experience, is going to have an easier time of it than someone who’s sure this is going to be their last moment on earth, and a relaxed client is one that the artist will appreciate as well.

There are many positive and intriguing aspects of washable, also known as temporary, tattoos. For one thing they are legal for people under the age of eighteen to acquire without the permission of parents. Of course this is a legal consideration and everyone is bound by his or her own household rules and parents always have the last say. So, while they are legal to apply for those under eighteen, it is never recommended to go beyond the permission of your parents or defy them and their rules.

With that in mind, it can be extremely fun and rewarding to design, create and wear your own tattoos. This is also relevant to another aspect of the washable variety and that is that they are not permanent. You do not have to make a life long commitment to whatever particular design you feel like wearing on your arm, ankle or other appropriate anatomical location. And you can chose your designs based on a particular day’s mood. Meanwhile, with the permanent variety you are definitely making a major commitment, though technically it doesn’t have to last a lifetime it frequently does. And removing the permanent ones are not nearly as easy as the washable and sometimes they are not able to be completely removed without a trace.

So, how do you make your own washable tattoo? It’s probably easier than you might think. First you will need to make the basic decisions regarding where you want to put it and the size of the tattoo versus the amount of available skin area. You can purchase the tattoo paper at various locations, including online. And you can also find design templates online as well. You will transfer the design to the tattoo paper and then stencil it to your skin. The washable tattoo is created using henna ink, nail polish or even body paints which is used to color in the tattoo once it has been traced to your skin. It is actually very simple to make these washable varieties and you can do so with a minimal amount of tools and accessories.