Skull tattoo stencils

** Check out more Skull Tattoo Designs HERE

Meaning and origin

• Skull romance and transience

Skulls and other bone parts have a long cultic tradition in human history. But a meaning of the skull developed especially in western culture. In the age of the pirates, its symbolism suddenly played a completely different role. The Jolly Roger stepped on the scene. The human skull was also used later as a military symbol, for example by the skull hussars of the German Empire or the SS skull associations in the Third Reich. When tattoos became more and more popular around the beginning of the 20th century, the typical tattoo motifs developed there, as they are still popular today. Including the skull. That was and is often worn on the hand, upper and lower arm and other parts of the body. In the 21st century it has long since arrived in pop culture and is often only viewed from an aesthetic point of view.

• Origin

The origin of this motif can be traced back to ancient times. The skull already appeared on Roman wall mosaics as a still life element. Certainly in the function of a vanitas motif. From the Western Middle Ages onwards, it has retained its significance as a symbol of transience and death. At the time of the Baroque era, the warning about transience took on new meaning. The 30th Years' War had devastated Central Europe and people lived from day to day knowing that they could die very soon. In other cultures, such as Mexican, the development was different. Christian cults were mixed with pagan cults and death there still has a rather positive meaning. Recognizable by the La Catrina or Sugar Skull motifs. These have their origin on the day of the dead, which is honored at this time with a great festival.

Awesome Skull Finger Tattoos

Skull Finger Tattoos

Tattoos and tattoo related imagery have seen a huge rise in popularity over the past few years. Animal skull tattoos are quite popular among tattoo enthusiasts. Mankind has been fascinated with the animals since prehistoric times. Animal skull tattoo can represent life and death. Some believe it represents the spiritual transformation from the physical body into the spiritual body and soul. This kind of tattoo can be designed in many different ways. It can also hold symbolic value to the wearer.

Lovely small skull, finger tattoo.

Finger ring tattoos: 

Finger tattoos have a very long tradition of being worn by people especially women on their ring finger that bore the name of their husband. However, today, the finger embellishments have become a part of male fantasy too and their position is not restricted to a single finger only among the fairer sex. Now they are being worn on as many fingers as the person likes and the number of images on a single finger can also be more than one or two.

Unique 3D skull tattoo.

• Skull Tattoo Meaning

Skull tattoos have always been one of my personal favorite designs, and they have been a favorite pick of many others since the time of sailors and exploration. Today, skull tattoos are often associated with death and decay. They are symbols of mortality and the end of life or vitality. It can be difficult for people to accept the popularity of skull tattoos when they have the reputation for meaning such dark and depressing things. But, the truth of the matter is, skull tattoos often have a very positive or motivating meaning, as well.

                  

Although skull tattoos do represent death, they typically represent the fleetingness of life, as well. "Memento mori" (in Latin) is a common phrase seen with many skull tattoos. It means "remember your mortality". It's an important reminder to keep our inevitable death in mind, so that one may live life to the fullest. Death is not what should, ultimately, depress us, but rather a life not truly lived!
Skull tattoos remind people to experience obstacles and hardships, to take chances and be their best. "All is vanity" is another common motto seen with skull tattoo designs. This design shows that death eventually comes to everyone, and anything achieved in life will pass or fade away.
Oftentimes, this combination of meaning and imagery represents a belief in an afterlife. People who choose these tattoos want to remember that their mortal life is meaningless in comparison to the wonders and glory that await them after death.

Insect on chest, tattoo. An image that not easily forgotten!

Insect tattoo.

Elegant performance tattoo on beautiful girls chest. An image that not easily forgotten. The skull is the center of the target.

Awesome gray black skull tattoo, playing with the light by Cally-Jo.

Gray black skull tattoo.

The alternation of black ink with gray highlight this skull tattoo in real jewel.

Cally-Jo is a full time fine artist, soon to be relocating to Manhattan, New York City, working as a full time tattooer and fine artist.

Cally-Jo began her artistic pursuits studying Fine Art at college, experimenting with sculpture and mixed media, where she then received her diploma in Fine Art. She continued her education for a further three years at Winchester School of art, where she began to experiment with the basics of pencil drawing.

Superb work, Skull & human eye tattoo by Daniel Meyer.

 

Daniel Meyer Tattoos – Symbols of the Soul:

Daniel Meyer, aka Leitbild, is a black ink tattoo artist from Kassel, Germany who specializes in dark symbolism and occult imagery. Working only in black ink, Meyer creates both texture and shading in his tattoo designs by utilizing a technique known as dot work, in which the artist uses varying sizes of dots and places the pinpoints of ink at greater or smaller distances apart to create light or dark shades.

Skull & pomegranate, great composition, arm tattoo.

 

 

Skull Tattoos:

 

In the search for unique tattoos, skull tattoos have come into prominence, especially with girls. There is a wide variety of symbolic meanings attached to these. The meaning changes according to the skull, which is used. There are a myriad ways of depicting the skulls, such that the wearer of the tattoo will be able to make a statement with it. The skull tattoo is a universal symbol, which can easily be adapted to mean different things, from political to simply an artistic design with aesthetic merit. Hence, these tattoos are not meant for boys only, even girls can carry it off with aplomb.

Red heart & Skull Tattoo.

Heart Tattoo 

The heart tattoo is very symbolic and it can have many meanings for the people who wear them. Here are some common meanings.
The red heart symbolizes love. It is common for people to have a banner stretch across the heart with a loved ones name in the banner. What a great way to show eternal love.

Representation life and death, amazing skull tattoo!

Skull Tattoo Ideas.

These days women also like experimenting and how can skull tattoos be left behind? One simple advice would be to smooth out the rough edges, with which the feminine side will be exposed. Let's see some skull tattoo designs.

Skull banner tattoos.

One of the hot favorites is a banner wrapped around a skull, along with a name printed on the banner.
Women who like experimenting to the last level, opt for skull tattoos, which have skulls engulfed with flames.

Skull with flowers tattoo.

The soft and feminine women who want a skull tattoo, opt for skull tattoos which are combined with flowers. The flowers can range from rose to hibiscus to lilies, etc.