The ornamental style of the tattoo mimics wood carvings on the body. these images consist of lines, spirals, waves, and crosses, often linked in patterns. These drawings look especially beautiful on a large scale, but small ornamental tattoos can also be successfully done.
style features:
- clear and thin lines
- symmetry
- using mainly black inks (rarely with the addition of red)
- the tattoo is filled with various interlacing and nodes
- geometric shapes such as circles, squares, and triangles
- images of the sun or moon, flowers or ocean themes are popularly depicted
- lines: characterized by very fine and neat lines
- blackwork: the patterns have thick lines, following tribolic patterns
- dotwork: application of ornaments in the dotwork technique, that is, points.
- Celtic patterns. These patterns have a lot of interlacing, which are similar to braids and basket weaving.
- Polynesian patterns. consist of geometric figures, stylized images of sea creatures (turtles, octopuses, sharks, etc.), the sun, and masks that represent different spirits of the island. the polynesian pattern is characterized by a full black painting of lines.
- Indian patterns. These are the typical patterns of the peoples of North and South America: Mayan, Aztec, Maori. For example, in Mesoamerica (the Mayans and Aztecs) tattoos involved patterns and images of mythological beings typical of the indigenous people of South America. in Haida, totem images of animals and deities of the Haida tribes are depicted.
- geometric
- vegetative
- zoomorphic
In general, ornamental tattoos are easy to distinguish due to their main characteristic: the presence of ornaments. Furthermore, this style of tattoo has different subtypes, as indicated below.
sketches of ornamental tattoos for men
ornamental tattoo ideas for women
Ornamental tattoo style classifications
depending on the tattoo technique used:
depending on the origin of the rendered drawing style:
according to the motif of the drawing, the patterns are classified into
In addition to the above, there is a wide variety of ornamental style tattoos that are not included in a specific classification.
sleeves
foot tattoos
bracelets
back
symbolism
Besides the fact that an ornament is a charming decoration, it often has a hidden meaning. ornamental tattoos, first of all, symbolize special protection. many have amulets tattooed on their skin which they believe offer protection and help in difficult situations.
These symbolisms and meanings are influenced by the appearance of tattoo adornments; as they originated from the time when our ancestors asked different deities for help. Depending on the elements of the image, the ornament could mean fertility, power, beauty, wisdom, sacred knowledge, well-being, and connection with the universe, among others.
since ancient times it was believed that floral and deciduous ornaments symbolized harmony, femininity, protection and family happiness; red was also a very popular color. lotus flower in ornamental style tattoos means solar energy, morality, purity and longevity. As for the color, our ancestors believed that the color red warded off bad energies.
The tattoo was often done as a coming-of-age ritual, signaling a child’s transition to adulthood.
However, nowadays, ornamental tattoos do not need to have a secret meaning or connotation and can simply be a beautiful and captivating image.
