Body art is a huge trend, which incorporates a plenty of kinds: tattoos, piercing, scarification, branding, drawings on the body, etc. All these types of adorning the human body have a very long and rich history. Originally, body images served as signs of a social status, belonging to a tribe, talismans and religious marks.
However, contemporary body figures carry a wider range of denotations or simply perform an aesthetic function. Among major meanings, there are the following: rebellion, courage, devotion, love, endurance, and fortitude. Each person decides by himself which sense to put into the body art, but this article suggests to learn more about symbols of love and why it is important to think carefully before getting body embellishments as a love sign. Sophia from Cut My Sign agreed “Body art serves many purposes, many just get them because they like the art but when it has meaning such as a sign of love it becomes much more prominent to a person.
Love Symbols in Various Body Art Types
Oftentimes, people feel that they need to wear a love mark when they are crazy in love, or want to attract this feeling into their lives or just save what they have now. In this case, think wisely since the ink will remain for a long time and you should be aware of all feasible meanings it suggests. So, let’s see which patterns are sought-after in the body art and which ideas they convey.
Heart
As a mark of deep affection it has appeared in the Middle Ages, and became popular in Europe in the 16th century. The emblem presupposes different types of love. Thus, a conventional heart indicates romantic feelings, a pierced heart stands for the idea of being love-struck, and a sacred heart, surmounted by a cross, signifies divine love. An Irish triple symbol Claddagh means love, loyalty, and friendship.
Therefore, this symbol is observed in tattoos and is performed in an old school style, tribal, watercolor technique; in piercing, there are decorations in the form of the traditional heart with or without gems. Also, in the art of artistic scarring, which came to us from Africa, a heart may be either three-dimensional or flat, often a red paint is rubbed into cuts. In branding (a marking of the skin with a hot iron), hearts are placed on various body parts, frequently, they are small in size. Heart images on the body strike with brightness, they are often done in bright colors and with the addition of sequins, they can be in one small area of the body or cover the entire back or the chest.
Rose
This flower used to be the attribute of the goddess Venus in Rome, in Christian era, it has acquired the meaning of devotion and blessed love. Depending on the color, a rose sign renders different meanings: a yellow flower is about a mature love, a white rose represents pure intentions, a red flower shows passion and immortality, whereas a pink rose implies first love.
In a <a href=”http://flowertattooideas.com/category/rose-tattoo/”>tattooing</a>, this symbol is performed in vivid colors, sometimes it is depicted with thorns or drops of blood, major styles are traditional, tribal, new school, dot work. As for the piercing, decorations in the form of roses are worn in the nose and the navel. In the scarification and branding, detailed roses are seen on arms, feet, stomach and the back, generally, they are white. Concerning the body pictures, a vivid rose image may extend along the back, legs and hands.
Maple leaf
Since olden times, it has been a symbol of lovers in Asia, and for Celts, it signified endurance, at the end of the last century it has become a commonly accepted sign of mutual love and peace.
The maple leaf is a desirable pattern for a tattoo, it is done in yellow, green, terracotta tones and is inked on arms and legs, the same color palette is used in the drawings on the body. Regarding the hallmarking and scarification, the leaf pattern isn’t very deep. Moreover, the leaf design on a ring is worn mostly by girls on the stomach.
Ribbons & lace
In the 18th century, ribbons were associated with romance and flirt since women dropped their laced handkerchiefs and got acquainted with the men who picked them.
Now, ribbons as a part of a tattoo design look feminine on female bodies, there are 3D, tribal, old school and neo-traditional patterns, which adorn the back, legs, hips, and hands. Oftentimes, ribbon and lace figures are done in the technique of scarring or branding, ribbons are wrapped around arms and thighs. Recently, ribbon-shaped earrings are widely used.
Hence, each kind of a body art is unique and magnificent, love signs may be performed in any of them, everything depends on personal preferences. So, if you are contemplating getting inked, pierced, branded or painted, opt love symbols to perpetuate an amazing feeling, be prudent and choose the design, which is worth taking the plunge.