Dragonfly Tattoo Meanings: Dragonfly Body Art
The dragonfly became an internationally popular tattoo design, mostly chosen by women, starting fro the later half of the 1990’s. It has not yet lost on popularity and there are many reasons for that. Dragonfly tattoos are often very artistically portrayed, but behind this appealing look there is a stronger underlying meaning.
Dragonfly tattoos are mostly seen on women, probably because they have a feminine appearance, being fragile looking and having beautiful, colorful wings. Many artists have created wonderful tattoo designs based on the dragonfly and due to their reflecting of the light and showing all kinds of colors, there is no certain color that has to be used. Dragonfly tattoos come in all colors and they all are equally suitable and attractive.
The dragonfly is also a tattoo that is suitable for many body parts such as ankles, lower backs, shoulders, thighs, and wrists. There are thousands of designs available and they can even be downloaded or at least researched over the internet. All you need to do to find dragonfly tattoos is to do an internet search. The results will be overwhelming.
Color Variations of Dragonfly Tattoos:
Basic biology of the dragonfly explains why there is such a variation of colors that can be used for dragonfly tattoo designs. At first emergence from their water-borne larvae stage, a dragonfly’s colors are completely muted. Depending on the weather, it can take up to a few days for the adult dragonfly to gain the bright coloring dragonflies are known for. Their newly formed, highly reflective shell reflects this vivid coloring which can be any variation of hues from blues and purples to pinks and browns.
This is why dragonfly tattoo designs can appear realistic using practically any combination of colors. Choosing a dragonfly drawing that also features other elements, such as a single stemmed rose (symbolizing love or beauty) or a lucky clover (good luck), is another way to incorporate additional color and meaning into your new tattoo. Select a dragonfly drawing that includes a fairy or swirling clouds and your tattoo will take on a more magical and majestic feeling.
Symbolic Meanings of Dragonfly Tattoos:
Dragonflies, like butterflies, go through a metamorphosis. This magical change has been viewed for centuries as a beautifying process. It is a process that is also marked by new found freedom as the dragonfly can now flutter away from the cocoon, and its past, and travel towards a new life. Therefore, beauty and positive change are some of the meanings behind dragonfly tattoo designs and why they are sought out by so many who want to physically represent their own inner beauty and changes in life. With the dragonfly’s ability to swirl, hover, fly backwards and loop the loop, dragonfly tattoo designs also represent free spirits.
Dragonfly tattoo designs can also symbolize that the barer “stands out in a crowd.” With two sets of wings, the dragonfly does not need to flutter it’s wings in unison in order to fly as other insects do stating independence and one who marches to the beat of their own drum.
Other meanings behind dragonfly tattoos are based on the real dragonfly that we know of. It is actually a very interesting creature that goes through many changes and has some distinct characteristics. The dragonfly is a very old species that was even around when the dinosaurs were still roaming the earth, and although the modern day dragonfly is quit a bit smaller in size, it can still boast an approx. 7 inch wingspan.
Since dragonflies have survived so long, it can be assumed that they are good at surviving, are strong and adaptable. They are in fact show all of these features, and they are especially known for their strength which is used to hunt flies and mosquito and the dragonfly has a very strong jaw for catching such insects. The dragonfly also, similar to butterflies, has to go through a ritual metamorphosis.
This fact is the basis for many fantasy designs dragonfly tattoos that are created to show the changeover, although this is often done in the form of a fairy or some other mythological creature. Before the dragonfly becomes the beautiful creature we know and recognize, it goes through a fairly long middle stage where it can be called ugly, however, once its wings open its beauty also opens.
Although dragonfly are more popular with women, than men, as they are portrayed in a colorful and feminine nature; there are some men that choose to have a dragonfly tattoo inked on to the body and therefore create a masculine appearance with the dragonfly tattoo, or using the tattoo as a combination within other tattoos that are created in the body.
There are many people that believe that the dragonfly tattoo can help to guide an individual and instill wisdom into an individual, not only affecting the dreams, but impacting them as well.
The larger the dragonfly tattoo that is placed on the body the higher the level of knowledge which is thought to be portrayed from the dragonfly tattoo. There are some dragonfly tattoos that can range in size on the body up to eight inches. These tattoos are often placed on the back, the hip, the foot and the forearm.
