Is It A Sparrow Or A Swallow?

photo by Flickr user iwillnotsuccumb

There seems to be some confusion amongst tattoo aficionados in regards to the distinction between swallows and sparrows. Most people, even some tattoo artists, tend to use the terms interchangeably. It is very common for someone to come into a tattoo shop asking for a sparrow tattoo when what they are really wanting is a swallow. Swallow tattoos are making a huge comeback, and they are one of the most popular tattoo designs being requested today. However, many people still mistakenly refer to them as sparrows.

In nature, the two species of birds are very different, and look nothing like each other. A sparrow is a small bird with a gray underbelly and brown and black feathers with accents of white. It has a short grey beak and rather stubby tail feathers. The swallow, however, has delicately forked tail feathers that are long and graceful-looking, and it boasts beautiful blue, bright yellow and rusty red colored feathers. Typically, what people refer to as sparrows are actually swallows.

sparrow photo by Flickr user foxypar4

Historically, sailors would get tattoos as symbols of their accomplishments, in honor of loved ones, or memorializing someone after death. In those days, setting sail on a long sea voyage was very dangerous, as they were literally sailing off into uncharted territories. The sailors did not have the immense technological advantages that today’s sailors posses, and leaving their families behind offered no promise of return. Swallows were a common tattoo for sea bound young men because of the many things that they represented at that time.

Swallows are well known for returning to their original nesting place every year without fail. They always return home. Having a swallow tattooed on one’s body was symbolic of the sailors promise to himself and to his family that he would return home, too. Swallows were also tattooed upon the bodies of sailors as bragging rights for the distances that one had sailed. It is said that for every 5000 nautical miles sailed, a sailor would receive one swallow on his chest. The more swallows, the more experienced and seasoned the sailor. Swallows, as a whole, symbolize good luck, accomplishment and returning home safely from a long and perilous voyage.

barn swallow photo by Flickr user scubapup

Both swallows and sparrows are monogamous birds. They keep the same mate until they or their mate dies. It is fair to say that both species, as tattoos, could symbolize loyalty and true love, and these are some of the main reasons why many people opt for two swallows rather than one, as a gesture of the promise of fidelity. These swallows often have banners clenched in their beaks that reflect personal sentiments or names.

Tattoos, being such an individual art form, can be shaded, colored, customized and personalized to suit the person who wears them. The coloring, design and texture of the piece are completely up to you. Colors can be altered, feathers can be ruffled or flat. Wings can be pointed or more rounded. An obvious distinction to make when discerning a swallow tattoo from a sparrow tattoo is that a long, clearly forked tail feather denotes the swallow. It is helpful to make the distinction, especially if you plan on getting one.

Tattoos Challenges Both Wearer And Observer

We all begin our ‘life with tattoos’ differently. Some of us go all out right from the start, big and bold with no regrets. Others are more conservative, settling on a small tattoo in some inconspicuous place, such as the shoulder blade, ankle, lower back, or below the bikini line. At some point, often immediately after that fateful first tattoo, the decision is made that yes, we would consider doing it again, or no, one tattoo is enough.

Many people are happy with their one and only tattoo. It was a unique experience, and they feel like they are complete with it. On the other hand, some people enjoy the sensation of getting a tattoo and the result of having it so much that they will often begin planning their next tattoo before the scabs heal on the one they just received.

The second tattoo is almost always bigger than the first, and usually in a location that is more noticeable. The back is a good place for a larger tattoo that can either be seen or covered relatively easily. The upper arm begins to be viewed as a good canvas for a large, prominent design. After all, we reason, we can cover it up if we have to. As the attitude that tattoos must be concealable begins to wane, unless we have specific reasons for needing to cover them, the ‘hide-ability’ factor seems to matter less and less with each tattoo that we get.

Even so, moving down to the forearm seems to be a defining moment for many people, because tattoos in this location are visible all of the time in casual clothing. Unless you are wearing long sleeves in the middle of the summer, virtually everywhere you go people will see your ink. That’s not a problem for most people, most of the time, but if your job prohibits visible tattoos, lower down on the arm might not be the best location for one.

For some people, at least, the transition to the forearm pretty much means that there’s no going back. They are who they are, they like what they like, and the rest of the world can just… Well, I’m sure you get the idea.

There is something seductive about being openly tattooed and completely unconcerned about it. You become someone that draws the eyes of just about everyone who passes you, instead of just being a person walking through a store or attending a school play. Peoples eyes automatically look towards your tattoos, without them even realizing that they are staring. You get used to it, after a while. Tattoos challenge the wearer to be more tolerant of the gazes of others just as they challenge the observer to be less judgmental towards the person who has them.

The Symbolism of Wings in Tattoo Designs

Throughout the ages, wings have been symbolic of man’s desire to soar; to rise above earthly limitations and fly free and unencumbered into his own potential. Wing tattoos represent different things to different people, but no matter what form they take or where on the body they reside, they are a soulful testament to freedom and liberation.

photo by Flickr user The Flooz

Angel wings are often included in some way as part of a memorial tattoo for a lost loved one, assisting the spirit on its way to the afterlife. Freedom from the bonds of the body is represented here, as well as the journey to Heaven. The soul is let loose to continue it’s journey, weightless and undaunted by physical laws and obstacles, wherever it is going according to one’s personal beliefs.

Butterflies are known for their complete physical metamorphosis inside of their silky cocoons. Once inside, the caterpillar basically disintegrates, turning into mush and cellular goo, and from that goo a delicate and beautiful butterfly is formed, though no one is quite sure how. Butterfly tattoos and butterfly wings symbolize the profound transformation that we as humans undergo throughout our lives, or more specifically, at certain times in our lives, unique to each persons experience.

photo by Flickr user Leah Makin Photography

A pair of wings tattooed on one’s back has become a fairly common choice for a tattoo in recent years. These wings take various forms. From small to full back sized, the details vary tremendously. The wings are often fluffy, dainty feathers, such as one would anticipate seeing on the back of an angel. Other people choose tattered wings that are losing feathers, or bloody wings that look as if they have been through a hard fight. Skeletal wings and even robotic wings are yet another take on this recurring theme.

Once again, these tattoos have specific, personal meaning to those who have chosen them. The torn, tattered and bloody wings could be representative of a very difficult journey, of overcoming extremely painful situations in ones life and rising up above it, despite the hurt. We can only presume what the true meanings behind each piece are. Tattoos offer us the chance to be inquisitive as we wonder what life experiences, thoughts and emotions entice a particular design.

Wings bridge the gap between the rocky earth and the endless sky, between being human and evolving as spirit, and as such, offer a sense of peace and ultimate freedom from what binds us. Whether they are the wings of angels, eagles, dragons or fairies, wings have been and will continue to be a popular choice for a tattoo because of the depth of meaning and symbolism that they represent and their openness to interpretation for those who have decided to ‘grow’ them.

How to Choose a Tattoo Design that is Right for You

photo by Flickr user Ink Nerd

The process of choosing a tattoo design will be different for everyone. Movies and television have given us scenarios of intoxicated people comically stumbling into a tattoo parlor on a whim or a dare, often ending in some cartoon character being forever colored into their skin. Bear in mind that if you are obviously drunk, no self respecting tattoo artist will tattoo you. They know, as should you, that the decision to get tattooed lasts a lifetime, and they certainly do not want to be blamed for you waking up the next day with a hangover and a scab forming on your new tattoo of tweety bird holding a machine gun.

Put some effort and thought into what you want. Give it a little time. Getting a tattoo on the spur of moment just to have the experience rarely results in anything truly meaningful, unless you are going through tremendous life changes and want to commemorate them forever. Start picking your design by looking at pictures that strike a chord within you.

photo by Flickr user moroccanmary

Flash art is a great way to begin to get ideas for what kind of image you want to have to represent this part of your life. Artists generally provide several notebooks of flash art, including various animals, symbols, fairies, dragons and skulls. Looking at these images, you will begin to get a sense of what it is that excites you, and when beginning with a flash drawing, you can always customize your chosen image with add on’s and color changes. Talk to your tattoo artist about what it is you like about the flash and what you would like to add. This will insure that no one else is walking around with your tattoo.

Perhaps the most meaningful designs are those that the individual comes up with on their own. Tattoo artists usually love the challenge of bringing a clients vision to life, first on paper and then on skin. Many tattoo artists say that, by far, custom work is the most satisfying, and they often put much more focus into the design elements to really make the design pop.

photo by Flickr user phillipe leroyer

Begin creating your design by looking at your life. What has meaning in your life right now? Is it a person, a situation, or a feeling? Put a picture to it. It could be a combination of pictures. Play around with ideas without making any one of them wrong. There is nothing permanent about this process. Try to allow each aspect of your design to have meaning for you. This forms a personal bond between the images and a vision of your life that you want to represent, and creates a tremendously personal experience between art and wearer.

Of course, not everyone wants a completely unique design. Some people just really like the way that classic tattoos look, and they want to replicate that look on themselves. For example, swallow tattoos and Japanese koi fish have a look about them that many people adore. They, too, can be customized to the wearer. At the very least, find meaning that holds true within the scope of the design that you choose, even if you don’t come up with it yourself.

Identifying with your tattoos comes naturally when you have chosen imagery that you love, or have strong emotional reasons for the imagery that you chose. Tattoos do not define us, as some might want to believe, because we are far more than the pictures that we put upon our skin. But tattoos can certainly introduce other people to our intensity, our pride, our love, our personal battles, our strength, our sense of humor and our spiritual nature without us ever having to say a word.

Defining One’s Dome - Tattooing the Head

photo by Flickr user sky mitch

The amount of skin available for tattooing is considerable. There are plenty of body parts to choose from and people have tattooed them all. While it is becoming more common to see people with tattoos on their heads, many people still take issue with them. There are a couple of things to consider if your intention is to have your head tattooed, as the head seems to be one of the hot spots of debate amongst tattoo artists.

Some ‘old school’ tattoo artists, who’ve been in the business twenty years or more and have basically seen it all, refuse to tattoo a head, simply because the head replenishes it’s skin cells more often than other parts of the body (think dandruff) and the tattoo doesn’t wear as well over time. Other artists will tattoo a persons head if they have quite a few tattoos already and they understand exactly what they are getting into. Still other tattoo artists will tattoo you wherever you want, since it is your body and you are the one that has to live with it.

Having your head tattooed requires you to continue shaving the scalp in order for your tattoo to be visible, unless you are already bald. The plus side is that if your tattoo does fare poorly over time, you can grow your hair back out over the tattoo without any difficulty. My first tattoo was actually done on my head, by an artist that probably should have known better than to tattoo a 20 year old girl directly below the hair line as her first tattoo. He did, in his defense, advise against it, but I was full of confidence in my decision (and full of other things, too…) and very persistent, and seeing my fierce determination, he relented. At that young age, I never once though about the possibility of my hair thinning as I got older. I should have.

photo by Flickr user rubybgold

When it comes to pain, the head can go either way. Since the skin is directly over the bony skull, rather than muscle, it can be easier to deal with, but there are millions of nerve endings on the head, making it a very sensitive area for many people, especially right around the temples and just above the nape of the neck.

Tattoos on the head will heal without incident, but you want to refrain from shaving your head until the tattoo is completely healed, at least four weeks or so. Sunlight is a tattoos mortal enemy, so if you want to show off your tattooed head, no matter if it is a sunny day or a gloomy one, at least put sunscreen on it.

Individuality is important when it comes to tattoos. Though my hair has grown out and the tattoos on my head are no longer visible without some knowledge of them being there, I still appreciate where I was in life when I had them done. If I had to make the decision to have my head tattoos be magically absent or to have to go through the entire process again, I’d do it again. The only thing that I would change would be the time and effort that I put into considering who the artist would be. If you are going to get tattooed, no matter where on your body you intend to put it, do your research, and choose an artist that is worthy of marking you for life, rather than whomever just happens to be in the local tattoo shop on that given day. Years down the road, you’ll be glad you did.

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The name says it all....and no, I didn't take their suggestion. English is used commonly in Japan in strange and non-sensical ways, and the results are amusing and confusing. Sometimes I think the advertisers don't understand exactly what the English words imply, like here (or maybe they do). Nagoya, summer 2005.

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Segunda e terceira sessão: escamas, total de quase 6 horas...

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Featuring Eccentric tattoo, Nagoya

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Fotografías tomadas el 21 de Junio, en Pinto-Madrid, por Iris Laguna. Model: Eva www.flickr.com/photos/toolera/ Make up: Natalia Barrios www.myspace.com/natybodypainting Photographer: Me (Iris Laguna)

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:D

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moi

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