Giraffe tattoos definitely aren’t the most popular animal tattoos out there right now, but those who get them are usually quite proud of their ink. Not only do giraffes have a unique look that most people love but they also have quite a few great meanings that you can attach to these designs.
If you are interested in getting a giraffe tattoo, keep reading to find out some of the means that they can represent and some of the different ways that you can get these tattoos designed.
One of the most stunning creatures on the planet, the giraffe is a testament to the adaptability of animals and a symbol of the majestic planes of Africa. Adaptability is actually one of the meanings that you can attach to a giraffe tattoo, so if you are the type of person who can easily fit in regardless of your surroundings, this might just be the perfect animal tattoo design for you.
The giraffe composition is both interesting and unique to their species, serving as a representation of a distinctive individual. And that is one of the main reasons why so many people are choosing to get giraffe tattoos these days. This is an animal design to get if you want to show that you are proud to be a unique person.
Anciently known as Camelopards because of their leopard-like coat and camel-shaped body, they have always been noted for their strange appearance and a symbol of the unique creations of the planet. This is why these are great tattoos to get if you are happy with who you are even if you have imperfections (we all do, right?). The giraffe stands proud even though it knows that it stands out from the crowd and they are even able to thrive thanks to those differences.
Giraffe tattoos can also represent vision since they are able to see for far distances, which helps them to survive in multiple ways. What’s pretty great about this meaning is that it only works for very specific types of people. It’s particularly good for people who are creative and who are in a field where they have to have the vision to move their company forward. Of course, it also works quite well for any type of artist since they have to be able to be creative all the time.
Though quite large, giraffes have great balance and move quite quickly for their size. This is why they also symbolize gracefulness. Those who are graceful either have always known it or have been told enough times to recognize that maybe they do have a bit of gracefulness.
Giraffes are a prominent symbol of Africa as they are indigenous to the land, evolving from prehistoric animals that thrived for millions of years. Many people who are looking to show pride in their African roots will include a giraffe in their designs, though not necessarily as the focal point of the tattoos. Giraffe images are often designed with African symbols such as trees, grasses, and flowers native to the area, a Sahara landscape or sunset, or tribal patterns representative of the culture.
Often, giraffes are imaged with an extended tongue, depicting the giraffe as it is eating, which they spend much of the day doing. This is a great expression to include in any type of giraffe tattoo, but it adds a nice goofy look to the more cartoony versions of the tattoo.
Having a tree with some leaves or fruit in it can help to let people know that its tongue is out for eating purposes rather than just sticking the tongue out to be silly. Of course, if you want to show that you are goofy you can just as easily make the giraffe stick out its tongue in a goofy way.
Other docile African animals are sometimes incorporated with the giraffe, often representing a relationship, such as zebras and elephants. This is a great idea if you are getting matching giraffe tattoos or you simply want to represent the friendships in your life. You might think that this would take up a lot of real estate on your skin, but the truth is that you can very easily scale both creatures down to fit most spots of your body.
Designed in pairs, the giraffe is a perfect symbol of friendship or as an image of a family with a mother and offspring. People do seem to love getting animal tattoos as family designs these days, so if some of the other meanings mentioned above work for you, then you can very easily make this into a personal and a family tattoo design.
When pictured alone, giraffes are often rendered in a variety of patterns, creating a modern and Bohemian look. You are only limited in your or your artist’s creativity, so you really can go in many different directions with the design. Of course, you can even add in more meanings to the design in the way you create it.
Frequently, the phrase “stand tall” is aligned diagonally to create a giraffe, with the addition of legs and a head. The encouraging words are made into a visual pun, playing on the unusual height of the animal as well as its perseverance in the wild. If you plan on getting one of these types of designs you should make sure that the text works well with the rest of the design.
Color is most often used with giraffe images because the animal’s coat is so visually appealing. The vibrant browns and oranges are sometimes rendered as much brighter or in different tones than the natural palate. Rainbow or neon colors are also used to illustrate a less conventional design.
People who want to go with a more minimalist design will sometimes either get their giraffe tattoos done in black and gray ink or as an all-black silhouette. It’s important to note that regardless of the colors, you can use just about any giraffe tattoo meaning that you want in your design. That’s pretty great for people on a budget or who just want a simpler design.
Giraffe tattoos can be designed in any size, although they are usually used for smaller tattoos, often placed in delicate areas like behind the ear or on fingers. They have that unique shape which makes it very easy to place them in spots where you really can’t place most other animal tattoos. And, as we pointed out before, you can use any of the meanings we’ve listed here even if the design ends up being an inch tall or smaller.
Larger giraffe tattoos generally contain more detail and are done realistically. This is a good idea for people who want their giraffe designs to be their main tattoos. In these cases, we highly recommend finding an artist in your area who has a lot of experience doing high-quality animal tattoos. An experienced artist will not only make your giraffe look great, but they will also be able to help you make any small changes to the design so it can fit wherever you need it to fit.
Regardless of whether you get a small or large giraffe tattoo, you will find that these are some of the easier animal tattoos to place thanks to their unique shape. You can place your giraffe tattoo so that it goes straight up your arm or leg, or you might want to get a funky giraffe tattoo that wraps around your arm or leg. It really comes down to the type of design you want to get and how you want it to look from different angles.
Hopefully, you now have a better idea of what giraffe tattoos represent, how they can be designed, and why so many people choose to get them. The bottom line is that they look great on the skin and if you can find a meaning or two that works for you, chances are you will always be happy with it. Just remember that if you do decide to get a giraffe tattoo you hire a top tattoo artist to ink it on your skin for you.