Are you looking for examples of dragon tattoos? In that case, you are on the right website. We have a wide selection of tattoos of this type to inspire you. We recommend that you do not miss the extra information that we have included at the end of the article.
Chinese dragon tattoos
The best-known dragon designs correspond to Chinese dragon tattoos.
Japanese dragon tattoos
Japanese dragon tattoo designs are also very popular, as can be seen here.
Dragon tattoos on the arm
Dragon tattoos appear especially on the arm, but also on the chest and back.
3D dragon tattoos
Tribal dragon tattoos
Small dragon tattoos
Meaning of dragon tattoos
If you are thinking about the idea of getting a dragon tattoo, you may not need more to convince you than the gallery that we have presented to you at the beginning of this post. But, if you keep reading, maybe it’s because you still have doubts about when to get a dragon tattoo.
Don’t worry, because the answer is simple: in principle, whenever you want. Now, when it comes to elements that are important in certain cultures, there are those who believe that if you don’t belong to that culture you shouldn’t wear it on your skin.
This doesn’t make much sense to other people, given that cultures are mixing, and the very fact that dragons are common to cultures Chinese, Japanese and Korean, geographically close, gives clues to a common origin.
So, in reality no one should feel offended if you are respectful of the motifs you use in your tattoos, and for many there is no greater form of respect than having it engraved on your skin for the rest of your days.
Therefore, the short answer is that you can get a dragon tattoo whenever you want, and the long answer is that it is better to do it carefully and delicately, but without allowing others to decide about you. same.
The Asian dragons that appear are of three types: Chinese, Korean and Japanese. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish them, so I am going to first list some common elements and then explain each one to you.
First of all, the three include an elongated body lacking wings, as dragons do in the West. They have open jaws and a tail similar to that of snakes, and have mustaches, horns or a crown of feathers or hair.
Chinese dragons are dragons that, like the Japanese, have a lion’s mane, but have a nose similar to that of canids. On the other hand, in Japanese dragon tattoos you have dragons with the nose of a reptile.
Korean dragon tattoos, for their part, usually represent beards added to the head and very powerful claws.
In these three cultures, dragons symbolize royalty, nobility, kindness and wisdom, although they may have darker parts. In their claws, they always have four fingers, except the Japanese Ryu, the most important, which only has three.
Meaning of this tattoo in Western culture
The most important difference that exists between Eastern and Western dragon tattoos is that they truly reflect the most distinctive characteristic of one versus the other: dragons in the West are winged beings , although in both cultures they can move through the air.
In addition, dragons in the West do not mix parts of many beings in their anatomy, but are generally represented as a lizard of incredible size with longer and more powerful legs. Furthermore, in many stories and legends, dragons in the West breathe fire.
In other legends, although less so, and especially in science fiction, the relationship between men and dragons is recurrent, and there are examples from the Christian story of Saint George, who kills the dragon.
If you are going to get a dragon tattoo, the most interesting thing is that you value the difference in the symbology and the styleof the different types of dragons. Western dragon tattoos also mean power, strength, nobility and loyalty.
Alternative to a dragon tattoo
It may be that you have been thinking about getting a dragon tattoo and you are still not sure about it. In this case, as I have told you, you can evaluate the different types of tattoos of this style that exist and compare them.
But if you’re thinking about reformulating your tattoo design, it’s going to be difficult for you to find a creature, mythological or real, that symbolizes exactly what a dragon symbolizes. In some cultures the question of loyalty, power and royalty are associated with a lion, but the characteristic of being imagined gives dragons extra appeal.
That’s why they are so common. Now, a dragon tattoo is not going to make the same impression if it is tattooed in a realistic style versus being tattooed in a traditional Japanese style.
This is why finding an alternative to a dragon tattoo is complicated, and it is best to compare dragons with each other. But if not, you can always look for other legends and other characters that embody that idea that’s on your mind.
Finally, you must always keep in mind that you must dominate over your body and the decision to permanently modify it, and no one else. If someone thinks that you should not do it, in the end the one who has to decide and assume the consequences is you, and the one who has to live forever with your dragon tattoo or its absence , it’s also you.
As you have seen, you can choose from a large number of dragon tattoos. If this mythological animal has always caught your attention, it is time to have one on your skin. Go to your tattoo artist now with one of these designs!