Cloud tattoo designs come in many forms, which is why they are a part of so many great tattoo designs. There are multiple styles of clouds that you can choose from these days, which is why cloud tattoos have become so popular.
They come with a lot of great meanings that people like to use and, on top of that, can actually add additional meanings to larger designs. On this page, we will take a look at some popular cloud tattoo designs and some of the meanings that you can use if you decide to get one of them.
In Greco-Roman mythology, clouds are considered homesteads of the gods. This is why you see a lot of cloud tattoo designs with gods as the main feature surrounded by dark or light clouds. You will see that all of the gods used in these designs bring with them many meanings of their own, and the clouds help to bring those meanings home.
Clouds always clung to Mount Olympus, home of the gods and therefore they became synonymous with divine dwelling places. That divinity has always been attached to clouds in a way since gods often lived above them. Often people will get their god tattoo designs with the gods standing or hovering above the clouds.
In Chinese symbolism, clouds represent transition and transformation. Clouds seen in ancient Chinese art often point to the process of transformation from primitive/banal to ascended/spiritual. Even if you don’t get a Chinese tattoo, you can use these same meanings in your design.
For example, you might want to just get a bunch of clouds on your arm, in which case you can use the “transformation” meaning even though you’re not really using the clouds as Chinese symbolism. Of course, it works even better if you are planning on getting a Chinese tattoo of some kind.
Hindu and Tibetan perspectives about clouds reveal concepts of transition too – but in more of a temporary way. In this view, clouds are symbolic of impermanence. This is a great cloud tattoo meaning to use if you are either transitioning away from some time (bad or good) or transitioning into something new in your life. There isn’t a specific design style for Hindu and Tibetan cloud tattoos, so you can easily include these meanings in your tattoo.
Many people today decide to get their cloud tattoo designs because they want to show their love for someone who has passed away. They are often included in memorial designs, usually including the person’s name or perhaps their date of birth. In these cases, the clouds are usually an add-on element rather than the focal point, but you can also get the clouds alone for the exact same purpose.
Cloud tattoo designs often are a unique way to show someone’s devotion to their faith. Since the clouds have long been seen as a sort of gateway to God and heaven, you can get your cloud tattoo design to represent this part of your faith. Of course, you can also include other symbols of your faith, both incise of and outside of the clouds.
Interestingly, some people will get their cloud tattoos simply because it gives off a look of mysteriousness that they are going for. Clouds might actually be one of the better symbols of mystery because at one point or another we all have looked at them in awe and have wondered what was beyond them. You can pretty much guarantee that anyone who sees your cloud tattoo design will wonder why it’s there and therefore will wonder what you’re all about.
One of the cooler cloud tattoo meanings that some folks attach to their tats is intuition. The truth is that there aren’t many symbols for intuition, so this might be a great design for you if you feel like that is one of your best qualities. If you find that you have great instincts, this is a cloud meaning that you’ll probably want to use.
People looking to get a cloud tattoo have many styles to choose from. You can get mushroom clouds, puffy clouds, rain clouds, or even abstract clouds. This comes down to personal tastes and the meanings that you want to attach to your design. The key is to make it work with any other images you’re using and you should make sure that it aligns with wherever you plan on placing it.
Clouds can be done in watercolor, traditional, new school, realism, etc. This also comes down to what you want your design to look like on your body and the types of meanings you want to use. For example, if you plan on getting a cloud tattoo to honor a family member who has passed away, you will probably want to avoid any flashy new style or watercolor look. Ideally, you’ll have a chance to look at a bunch of different styles so you’ll have some great options to choose from.
Often clouds are combined with other elements to give a fuller picture of the person who is wearing the ink. Clouds can be added to a landscape tattoo to show that the person likes to be out in the world. The sun, moon, and stars are sometimes added to include some of the meanings that come along with those symbols. Clouds can also be used alone to focus on one meaning that the person is going for.
As far as design goes, you can do quite a bit with clouds. You can get one small cloud on or around your wrist, you can get a bunch of clouds in a sleeve tattoo, or you can combine it with other images to get a very large back tattoo. You might have an idea of where you want your design placed, but we recommend getting many different designs drawn up for you so you can be sure. You might be surprised by what you end up getting after doing some research and having a chance to look at multiple designs on your skin.
Cloud tattoo designs have shot up the rankings in recent years for all of the reasons mentioned above. There are a number of fantastic designs to choose from, just as many great meanings, and they usually look great on the skin. We highly recommend finding a well-respected artist to work within your area so the job is done right the first time you sit in the chair.
Cloud tattoo designs are often very important to the people getting them, so if you decide to get one, there’s a great chance that you will be in love with it for the rest of your life.