Dragonfly Tattoos

Was it the popular movie ‘Dragonfly’ (starring Kevin Costner) that made dragonfly tattoos all the rage? We can’t say for sure, but it may have had a hand in the recent popularity of whimsical dragonfly tattoo designs. In the movie, Kevin Costner’s wife had a small birth mark shaped like a dragon fly, and this was an entry point into a mystical, supernatural consciousness. Dragonfly tattoos have something mystical about them, too – a fairy tale quality that can be quite beautiful, but in a more offbeat way than a fairy or butterfly image. If the dragonfly tattoo image appeals to you, look on the internet for tattoo ideas. See what others have done with this simple yet intricate motif – it’s quite inspiring!

Tribal Dragonfly Tattoo

Even in real life, a dragonfly has a sort of fairy tale quality to it. It’s about the size that we would imagine a fairy to be, with beautiful, gossamer wings. At the same time, unlike a fairy or butterfly, dragonfly tattoos are not categorically feminine. They have a universal appeal. Dragonfly tattoo designs can easily be given a bold tribal look, for example, that’s quite masculine. On the other hand, they can also be subtle and sketchy, or elaborate and colorful. Many dragonfly images are both beautiful and ugly at the same time – for example, the delicate wings of the dragonfly are juxtaposed with its insect eyes and segmented body – just as they are in nature. From far away, it looks like a fairy tale creature, but close up, it’s definitely of this earth. Like the creature that inspired it, a dragonfly tattoo is indicative of a person who cannot be easily categorized.

If the dragonfly image appeals to you, do some work on your tattoo design. Even if you’re not an artist, try sketching how you would like your tattoo to look. Dragonfly tattoos are often simple images with a lot of visual impact. If you go to your tattoo artist to discuss dragonfly tattoos, chances are that he or she will also have ample ideas for tattoo designs. Among other things, be sure to discuss size. A tiny dragonfly tattoo can be quite a bold statement, but for that matter, so is a massive colored dragonfly with wings spread wide, tattooed across your shoulder blades! The dragonfly image is not a single image – it’s a whole range of images. Almost all possess the same offbeat, slightly magical quality, however.

Dragonfly Tattoos Introduction

The dragonfly became an internationally popular tattoo design, mostly chosen by women, starting fro the later half of the 1990’s. It has not yet lost on popularity and there are many reasons for that. Dragonfly tattoos are often very artistically portrayed, but behind this appealing look there is a stronger underlying meaning.

Dragonfly tattoos are mostly seen on women, probably because they have a feminine appearance, being fragile looking and having beautiful, colorful wings. Many artists have created wonderful tattoo designs based on the dragonfly and due to their reflecting of the light and showing all kinds of colors, there is no certain color that has to be used. Dragonfly tattoos come in all colors and they all are equally suitable and attractive. The dragonfly is also a tattoo that is suitable for many body parts such as ankles, lower backs, shoulders, thighs, and wrists. There are thousands of designs available and they can even be downloaded or at least researched over the internet. All you need to do to find dragonfly tattoos is to do an internet search. The results will be overwhelming.

There is more to the dragonfly tattoos than just the beauty and creative possibilities opened by them. There are also deeper meanings, and also deeper meanings that have their roots in many cultures and in ideas that are hundreds of years old.

One example of the dragonfly being embedded into a culture is in the case of the Native American astrology teachings.  According to these teachings, the dragonfly is a totem animal spirit guide for people of all ages and for both men and women. The dragonfly spirit represents change and wisdom, the need to tell of dreams or wishes yourself. It can supposedly guide you and help you make your wishes reality.

Other meanings behind dragonfly tattoos are based on the real dragonfly that we know of. It is actually a very interesting creature that goes through many changes and has some distinct characteristics. The dragonfly is a very old species that was even around when the dinosaurs were still roaming the earth, and although the modern day dragonfly is quit a bit smaller in size, it can still boast an approx. 7 inch wingspan. Since dragonflies have survived so long, it can be assumed that they are good at surviving, are strong and adaptable. They are in fact show all of these features, and they are especially known for their strength which is used to hunt flies and mosquitos and the dragonfly has a very strong jaw for catching such insects. The dragonfly also, similar to butterflies, has to go through a ritual metamorphosis. This fact is the basis for many fantasy designs dragonfly tattoos that are created to show the changeover, although this is often done in the form of a fairy or some other mythological creature. Before the dragonfly becomes the beautiful creature we know and recognize, it goes through a fairly long middle stage where it can be called ugly, however, once its wings open its beauty also opens.