Ice Cream is the delicious, frozen, sweet dessert treat that has been part of life dating back so long that it is nearly impossible to credit an inventor or time period for its discovery. During the times of Alexander the Great, king of the ancient Greek Kingdom of Macedon and member of the Argead dynasty, was a big fan of the frozen delicacy.
Alexander the Great was known to take snow and ice, flavor it with honey and nectar, and then enjoy the balls of ice as if it were a snow cone. This simple idea throughout the world and in different time periods all had one thing in mind. A sweet, frozen treat usually mixed with assorted fruits to enjoy on hot days, usually served to royalty since the snow wasn’t easily accessible to everyone, scavengers were forced to go to the snowy mountain tops to bring back the main ingredient.
Over time, however, this popular frozen snack has evolved immensely. It was not until the 18th century that the recipe for Ice Cream was published in London, England. This was when ice cream began taking the form of a creamy frozen foam usually filled with fruits such as strawberries. Quaker Colonist then brought ice cream over to America where the recipe really started to be experimented with.
Ben Franklin, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson were known to be avid connoisseurs of this frozen cream. This quick build-up then took over the United States and everyone was able to go to their local ice cream shop to enjoy this dessert.
Ice Cream Designs
When thinking of ice cream, how do you imagine it being served? What is the ice cream sitting upon? Is it served in a bowl on top of a platter with a silver spoon sticking out? Or the classic cone? Is that cone pointed at the end, rounded off? What’s the cone made from? Waffle cone, sugar cone, or wafer cone?
Maybe you even want to take it old school and turn that ice cream into a 1950s 1950s-style milkshake. Most importantly, what kind of ice cream is it? These are all the questions you need to ask yourself and consider when deciding on your ice cream tattoo. Swirls of cream dripping down the side of a pointed cone, giving off that fresh soft serve straight out of a machine on a hot summer day vibe is one example.
A couple of scoops resting on top of each other and sitting inside a cone is another great graphic that many have gotten. When looking at first glance of this design, people automatically recognize it as ice cream. Rounded tops perhaps with sprinkles scattered across give it away and throw a cherry at the peak for decoration. Not all ice cream has to be served in a cone however, banana splits and ice cream sundaes for example could not even be held inside of a cone.
\The ‘Ice Cream Sundae’ is usually served in a clear glass bowl with a wafer of your choice, with typically three mounds of ice cream with hot fudge and caramel sauce splashed on top. Peanuts, cherries, and sprinkles are usually scattered around and within the ice cream for added flavor. Ice Cream tattoos are typically done with bright and vibrant colors, after all, who wants to eat a black and white ice cream?
Faces in My Ice Cream
Once you have decided on how you would like your ice cream tattoo graphic presented, you can either leave the ice cream as it is or bring it to life by giving that frozen cream a face. Are you more into the darker side of things but still love the sweetness of life? Skull-shaped ice cream placed on a sharply pointed cone with ice cream dripping down the sides is an example graphic that many have used.
The idea of giving an inanimate object a face is called personification. Personification is used on many things; ice cream tattoos are a perfect host for such creative abstraction. Giving your ice cream tattoo a face not only makes it more interesting to look at, but it also gives off a sense of creativity to the onlookers and is always a good conversation starter!
Ice Cream Tats and the Media
The Ice Cream tattoo has always been a good go-to for a new tattoo piece. Many people with the ice cream tattoo tend to get it in addition to a ‘sweet sleeve’, filled with confections such as cookies, candies, and ice cream. It is perfect for anyone with a real sweet tooth.
The ice cream tattoo concept has been getting more attention than ever before since rapper/hip hop artist, Gucci Mane got a tattoo of an ice cream cone inked up right on his face. In 2011, when Gucci Mane did this, it was very controversial. Not because of the graphic itself, but because it was stamped on his cheek, many people thought he was beginning to lose his mind. Gucci Mane backed up his tattoo by saying it was a reminder to his fans and himself that he remains ‘cool as ice’.
Tattoo Placement
When it comes to designs such as the Ice Cream tattoo, you see many shapes within the design itself. An array of swirls, lumps, triangles, and circles will embody this design. Tattoo placement for such a unique shape will be key if you want the tattoo to look good. Those who go for the classic pointed cone with the ice cream scoops tend to get these graphics on their forearms or the calf muscle on the back of the leg. Starting the cone pointed toward the wrist, or the heel, gives the ice cream an illusion of expanding as the arm and legs get wider.
This placement gives the tattoo that kind of 3D and eye-popping effect. Ask your tattoo artist for any other recommendations they may have. With all of this considered, have fun with this new tattoo and remember to always stay cool!
If you have any questions about what artists to see, let us know. We would love to help.