Those looking to show off their rebellious side will have a tough time finding a better tattoo to get than one of the many outlaw tattoos. There are quite a few designs to choose from, each coming with its own meanings that you can use.
Below you will find out why people decide to get outlaw tattoos, the meanings that come along with those designs, and how to choose a placement for these tattoos.
While it’s true that some people get outlaw tattoos to show off the negative sides of themselves, these designs are rarely gang-related. That being said, plenty of people do think that outlaw tattoos have something to do with gangs in all cases, so you should be aware of that before you decide to get one of these designs. You can make the message clearer with other symbols surrounding your outlaw tattoo, but that’s not totally necessary if you don’t mind a couple of people getting the wrong idea about your ink.
Easily the most popular of the outlaw tattoos is the gun tattoo. Some people will get one heavily detailed gun, while others will get two or more guns crossing each other in their designs. The gun represents multiple things but usually, it symbolizes power. It can also be looked at as representing the owner’s pride in the 2nd Amendment, which allows citizens of the United States the right to bear arms. If you do plan on getting a gun in your outlaw tattoo, you can choose one that you personally own or one that you simply think will look great in tattoo form.
Some people choose not to get any images at all and instead opt for outlaw tattoos that are all text. Two very popular versions of outlaw text tattoos are “Outlaw” and “Freedom.” Anyone who chooses to get a text tattoo should put a lot of thought into the font that they are going to use in their text since it can actually help to make the meaning come through better or, in the worst cases, actually detract from the meaning.
There are quite a few great fonts to choose from, so it’s best to come up with five or so that you like so you can compare them side by side before you actually get your outlaw tattoo.
When some people think of outlaws, they think of bikers, which is why the biker portrait is also an extremely popular outlaw tattoo design. Popular versions of the biker tattoo design have skull heads on their biker and a very cool bike in the image. It’s also quite common to see a lot of thought put into the helmet design in these images. The truth is that there are hundreds of great biker tattoos that you can get, and the majority of them can be considered outlaw tattoos.
Biker tattoos themselves, such as the Harley Davidson logo, the bandana, the crossbones, and many other designs can represent the outlaw nature of bikers. Harley Davidson tattoos in particular, are popular because they can be worn by anyone who is proud of having a Harley, not just people in biker groups. Of course, you can always combine any of these types of elements with other outlaw tattoo symbols if they work well together in a single design.
If you are looking for a classic outlaw tattoo design, then you might want to get a cowboy portrait with the cowboy hat, a gun and anything else you can think of to make him look menacing. The cowboy is the classic outlaw, so this is a great option for people who want the “rebellious” meaning to come through clearer while also wanting a very detailed design. Cowboy tattoos can be limited to just a hat and can be expanded to be a full-bodied bandit that can cover an entire back.
Yet another popular outlaw symbol is the skull. Now this is an outlaw tattoo that can be designed in thousands of different ways. Regardless of how you get it designed, though, the skull will always represent the owner’s “dark” side and often also symbolize their acceptance of their own mortality. The skull tattoo is perfect for anyone looking to get a smaller outlaw tattoo design, but it also can work quite well as the featured image in a larger piece.
Choosing a location for your outlaw tattoo is almost as important as the tattoo itself. You’ll want to know for sure what the design is going to look like so you know where the lines are straight and where they curve. These things will help you to choose a location on your body where the tattoo will fit perfectly. This is especially true if you are getting a medium or large-sized design since you will want to be sure that it can be seen clearer from all angles.
Outlaw tattoos are often very detailed, so you will definitely want to find a tattoo artist in your area who can do a great job on it. This shouldn’t be too much of a problem, though, since most tattooists have had experience doing outlaw tattoos in the past. Still, it’s a good idea to find out who the most respected artists in your area are and then choose one that you can afford and who will be able to make your outlaw tattoo look amazing on your skin.
As you can see, you have quite a few options to choose from when it comes to great outlaw tattoos. It can be pretty tough to come up with the perfect design, but the most important thing is that the final image defines a part of who you are. Ideally, you’ll end up getting a tattoo that pops off of your skin and shows off your rebellious side regardless of where you get it placed.
If you take your time when choosing your outlaw tattoo artwork, find meanings that make sense for you, and hire a top artist, there’s a great chance that you will end up with an amazing outlaw tattoo.