For untold millennia, human beings around the world have engraved tattoos upon their bodies. Whether it has been simple tribal marking or more complicated artistic schemes, tattoos have left their indelible - pun intended - mark upon the history of mankind. In today's world, tattoos have become a common means for any man or woman to showcase aspects of personality. Tattoos are used to proclaim spirituality, core beliefs, and sometimes artistic preferences. If you have decided to get a tattoo, one sure way to guarantee that your tattoo is a unique piece of artwork is to design your own tattoo.

When you choose to design your own tattoo, there are a number of important considerations that you need to make. Obviously, the most important consideration has to do with the design itself. Tattoos are permanent body markings, and not easily (or cheaply!) removed. The tattoo you get today is going to be with you for life, so the design should not be left to momentary impulses that you may later regret. For this reason, tattooing your body with the name of your current boyfriend or girlfriend, while attractive and exciting at his point in your life, will prove to be a poor decision indeed if you are not with that person for the rest of your life!

Once you decide how not to design your own tattoo, you can get down to the process of selecting what type of design you do want. For both men and women, drawing inspiration from nature can help you to narrow your selection. From animals to plants, you can hardly go wrong with a tattoo that illustrates some natural scene. For instance, dolphins were the most popular design for women just a few short years ago. Bears, wolves, eagles, and various flowers have all maintained their popularity over the years.

For a truly stellar tattoo, look skyward. The stars, moon, and other celestial objects provide plenty of inspirational material from which to draw and design your own tattoo. The star is one of the most popular of objects for tattoo design, whether it is the Star of David or the beauty of the shooting star. By using a variety of different objects in your overall design, you can easily create a one-of-a-kind piece of body art that will be admired by others. One example would be that of a wolf howling beneath a full moon as the night sky is ruptured by a shooting star.

And before you think your job is done, don't forget how important the color scheme of your tattoo will be. As you design your own tattoo, be sure that the colors the tattoo artist uses are ones that you will feel comfortable with on your body. You are, after all, the canvas for your tattoo design. Make certain that the colors you choose will accentuate your canvas rather than detracting from it.

Mark Trodor is a serious tattoo artist who likes providing aid to help design your own tattoo. Mark has traveled the world looking for the most unique tattoos, but he has a love for wrist tattoos. Visit Mark's tattoo design site for free tips, galleries, and articles.