dragon tattoos

dragon tattoos

Asian Dragon Tattoos - Unleash Your Dragon

Asian Dragon Tattoos

What you should know before you get any Asian dragon tattoos:

A brief overview to help you make a better guided decision when it comes to choosing your design.

Dragons have long been important figures in Asian culture. The most commonly known Asian dragons include those from Japan and China, Korea, and Indonesia. Differences among the Asian dragons are minor. For example, Japanese dragons traditionally have five claws, where as in Chinese culture five clawed dragons were reserved for emperors, with four claws being the norm. Personally, my favourite are the Japanese dragons. I like them because of their long "whiskers" and jewel on their chin.

Cool Asian Dragon Tattoos

Asian Dragon Tattoos on shoulder

Asian dragons are distinct from their Western counterparts in that in Western culture they are viewed as pure evil whereas in Asian culture they are connected to the emperors and imperial families and are highly respected creatures.

Back Asian Dragon Tattoos

Asian Dragon Tattoos Picture

Asian Dragon Tattoos Designs

Asian Dragon Tattoos are very popular today due to their rich diversity in design and meaning. These creatures can symbolize guardianship, freedom, wisdom, and empowerment. A unique idea is having a design in which the dragon is breathing out a flame which spells a lovers name or initials, or something similar. In this case, the dragon represents the "fire within", which could symbolize a burning passion for someone or something.

The History of The Dragons and why Dragon Tattoos Are So Popular

According to the Webster-Merriam Dictionary, the word dragon is Middle English, from Anglo-French dragun, from Latin dracon.

The definition of dragon is:

· A mythical animal usually represented as a monstrous winged and scaly serpent with a crested head and enormous claws.

· Or someone who is formidable

The many depictions of dragons are incredibly diverse and complex. No other creature in mythology has appeared in so many cultures from such remote parts of the world!



Many of us think of dragons as a terrifying beast. However, the Eastern dragons are portrayed as good, kind, ancient and intelligent. The Asian Dragons have the most recorded history in the world, especially in China going back thousands of years.

The Difference between the Eastern Dragons:



Chinese dragons have all five toes. The Chinese believe that all dragons began from China. They believed that as the dragons flew south, they began to lose their toes. The farther the dragons flew, the more toes they lost. So, Korean dragons have four toes, and Japanese dragons have three.

Korean dragons have four toes. The Koreans believe that when the dragons leave Korea and go north to China, they begin to gain toes. When the dragons leave Korea and go north to Japan, they begin to lose toes.

Japanese dragons have three toes. The Japanese though all dragons originated from Japan. They also believed that when the dragons leave Japan and head north, they gain toes. The farther the dragons went, the more toes they gained. This is why the other dragons have more toes. The Japanese believed the breath of dragons could turn into clouds, which could produce rain.

But here's the kicker, unlike most types of dragon, most of the Eastern Dragons have no wings!

The Western Dragon

The Western dragons or medieval dragons have a more ferocious and primitive appearance. They often look like giant lizards with long tails and a pair of wings. While the dragons are thought of as calculating and thoughtful monsters, they have also been viewed as mindless beasts. We think of dragons as having talons, fangs, breathing fire, scaly skins, and red eyes in our drawings and paintings. The Western Dragons were also known to have huge hoards of gold and jewels hidden in their lairs.

Early Christianity condemned the ancient, benevolent and malevolent serpent deities. As a matter of fact, in Christian art, the dragon is a symbol of the pagan religion and was often drawn as overpowered by the spirit of the holy figures of Christianity.

The Vikings had figures of dragons on the prow of their boats. The dragons on the ships were believed to bestow sharp eyesight and craftiness to the Viking warriors. The Welsh flag has a red dragon on it and the dragon is their national symbol.

Why are Dragon Tattoos so popular today?

Dragons are a classic choice for a tattoo design and they are one of the more popular mythological creatures picked for inking.

Dragons are depicted as powerful, wise and free. Their legend is always cloaked in magic and mythical realm. They come from the tops of sacred Japanese mountains and the bottom of the deepest seas around Greece.

Dragons have been drawn in a wide variety of forms because of their popular appeal. Today's tattoo designers have taken the art of the dragon to amazing new levels. Whether you want a traditional dragon tattoo or one with a cutting-edge, modern look you will find an incredible gallery of amazing images to choose from.

Tattoo artists have paid extra attention to creating images of dragons because they look great on the skin. They can be in color, or black & white. Dragon tattoos can wrap around the body and flatter the contours of the body. Dragon tattoos can be designed as tribal, Celtic or jade designs. The dragon tattoo may appear with wings or fire breathing or not.

Ancient Dragon lore and illustrations have inspired many of us to select a dragon tattoo because that design represents how we feel about ourselves -- powerful, ferocious, and free...

Dragon Tattoo Designs a Rage Among Tattoos - Asian Tattoos

Mankind has always had a fascination with dragons. These mythological creations have fired up the imagination for generations. Even in ancient caves, archeologists have discovered drawings of dragons. This attraction for the dragon has carried on till the present day making dragon tattoo designs, by far the most requested tattoo design. So if you are planning to get a dragon tattoo, you will have to do more research into getting a design which is not mediocre or common. But dragon tattoos can be easily customized by using different colors, shapes and numbers, so if you go to a good tattoo artist, he can take a regular dragon tattoo and create something unique.



Dragon tattoos have different meanings throughout the world and the way they are drawn is also different in different parts of the world. So before you pick a dragon tattoo design be sure to find out what it represents and if that representation is in line with what you would like it to epitomize in your life. Dragons are most commonly used to exemplify a powerful and commanding beast which has supremacy over all other creatures. But in countries such as China and Japan, dragons represent something benign and friendly but still powerful none the less. The Japanese have used dragons to represent their emperors for several generations. In Chinese culture dragons are considered to bring in good luck and fortune, so they are depicted as happy and cheerful. On the other hand, in the west dragons have always been associated with negative energy; they are portrayed as something fuming and atrocious. Here they are sketched as huge, winged, fire breathing creatures. But most often people getting a dragon tattoo want to depict the powerful, majestic nature of the dragon rather than the evil, blood sucking, beast eating one.



Also while considering the best dragon tattoo art you would also need to think about what part of your body, you are planning to get it inked on and the size of the tattoo. Dragon tattoos look really sexy and hot if done on the entire back. Getting a huge dragon tattooed on your entire back may also increase your self image. Normally dragons look good if they are medium to large sized, if you want to get a small tattoo, then you might not want to consider this design rather you can consider small delicate designs such as butterfly, floral, fairy, fish, etc. Other really nice locations for the dragon tattoo can be the upper arm with the head of the dragon on the chest or the shoulder blade, especially if you have big arms you can beautify them with having large dragon tattoos inked on them.



Keep in mind because of the immense popularity of the dragon tattoo, on the internet you will find a lot of cookie cutter tattoo designs. It is best not to use one of these designs but to get a custom design from a membership based tattoo gallery. Also it is important to use the services of an excellent tattoo artist for the dragon tattoo as it is a very difficult tattoo to ink. A good tattoo artist will be able to get the best out of the design by paying attention to details and colors.

Dragon Tattoos

Dragon Tattoos

best dragon tattoo

best dragon tattoo