Top Tattoo Designs of 2008

Brief History of Tattoos

Throughout human history there has been a fascination with painting the body permanently with tattoos. Tattoos originated by making small puncture wounds to the skin in which dye was inserted to dry. The same basic principle is applied today using needles.

Today, according to a Harris Poll, currently 14% of the population says they have a tattoo and the numbers seem to be growing as popular culture is influenced by celebrities who are decorating their bodies with symbols of their love, tribal tattoos, and tattoos applied simply for the beauty of the art.

Tattoo designs in 2008 continued a trend of designs from the past years with one notable exception. Sailor Jerry vintage tattoos have made an amazing comeback. Sailor Jerry is the man from Honolulu whom many credit with designing tattoos and tattooing the arms of sailors set them apart from others. Tattoos were then a statement that a man had been somewhere, or done something most others had not.

Top Tattoo Designs of 2008: Sailor Jerry's Vintage Tattoos

While tattoos have become more prevalent on both men and women since Sailor Jerry's time, 2008 has experienced a revival of Sailor Jerry's vintage tattoos. Sailor Jerry's pride was in creating tattoos men could go home and brag about. There has been a resurgence of this type of tattoo design in 2008.

Included in the Sailor Jerry designs are seductive, buxom women; broken hearts; name filled banners; and pirate inspired designs. The flash, careful shading and coloring, design that Sailor Jerry used is one of the elements of his work that has made a comeback in 2008. No longer are tattoos limited to green or black ink, but all shades of colors are used to create eye-catching vibrant tattoos.

One reason for the resurgence of Sailor Jerry tattoos is the introduction of a Sailor Jerry's spiced rum. This has created a revived interest in Sailor Jerry Tattoos.

The "Betty Sue" heart tattoo on Johnny Depp's left bicep is an example of an old-school style tattoo. Robert Downey, Jr. also has an old school U.S.A. flag design on his chest.

Sailor Jerry is only one of the top tattoo designs trends of 2008.