The ability to experience true love is one of the feelings that’s craved most by people all over the world. Therefore, it’s hardly surprising that love is the one emotion which is commercialized more so than any other.
After all, you only need to look at the deluge of flowers, hearts, and other gifts that symbolize Valentine’s Day.
While romantic love is often represented with traditional heart designs, there are plenty of other types of love that humans can experience just as deeply.
So, when considering the perfect tattoo design to symbolize love, it’s worth taking a moment to think about all the different types of love and compassion you experience in life.
These could include the love of family, parents, children, one’s place of birth, departed relatives, and even family pets.
With this in mind, our guide will take a closer look at ten of the best and most popular tattoo choices for someone looking for a love-themed design. We’ll also look to answer a number of the frequently asked questions related to artwork that symbolizes love.
1) Infinity Tattoos
Designs that symbolize infinity are always an incredibly popular tattoo choice for individuals who want a piece of artwork to signify the eternal nature of love. The most common design is the traditional infinity symbol which looks like an elongated ‘8’ lying down on its side.
Whether you’re looking for a colorful and ornate design or simply a single-line tattoo, this traditional infinity symbol is a great option for both.
What’s more, the popular infinity design can be combined with lots of other meaningful artwork such as phrases that carry a particular meaning, or the initials of a loved ones.
2) Date Tattoos
With lots of people keen to keep track of special dates and anniversaries, date tattoo designs provide a wide range of possibilities.
Whether it’s the date you first met, the night you first shared a kiss, or even the date of your wedding, there are plenty of dates that people like to mark with a special tattoo.
A prime example of this is David Beckham, who had the number 99 tattooed on his right hand to signify the year that he married his wife, Victoria Beckham.
Furthermore, the best thing about date tattoo designs is the fact they can be marked in many different formats.
For example, the simple numerical digits layout is a popular choice for those who prefer a simplistic design, while roman numerals are often used to add a bit of mystique and history to the date in question.
Roman numeral date designs are ideal for individuals undecided on whether they want a vertical or horizontal tattoo. This is because they look equally impressive when running either up or across the spine, arm, or leg.
3) Matching Couple Tattoos
For individuals who want to mark their love and devotion to a partner through a tattoo design that isn’t based on numbers, there is a wide range of matching couple tattoos that can be used instead.
For example, many couples who’ve been together for a number of years and are serious about one another often consider the lock and key design.
This is where one partner has a lock tattooed on them and the other has the key.
Another popular tattoo design for couples who want to make a lifelong commitment to each other are matching bands on wedding ring fingers.
Tribal or Celtic bands can work especially well, as can simple line tattoos.
4) Bird Tattoos
Lovebird tattoos are usually done in pairs, with two lovebirds symbolizing the bond between two people.
The idea is that each partner has one lovebird tattooed onto their body, and the birds are then brought together when the couple spends time in each other’s company.
For individuals looking for a peaceful representation of love, doves are a great option as they can be used to symbolize a peaceful and loving partnership.
For example, Hindus believe that doves signify the heart’s ability to love someone indefinitely, while in Greek mythology, the dove is a companion to the goddesses of love, Aphrodite and Venus.
Another bird that can be used as a relevant piece of artwork symbolizing love is a swan. This is because swans are elegant birds that are known to mate for life.
A popular tattoo design is having a pair of swans facing each other, with their necks carefully curved to form a heart shape.
5) Heart Tattoos
Needless to say, heart designs are a great tattoo idea for someone wanting a piece of artwork to symbolize love.
In fact, getting a beautiful heart design is probably a much safer bet than getting the name of a loved one inked onto your body.
Some of the most popular heart designs include hearts with wings and hearts with a dagger through them – the latter being a particularly good option for symbolizing heartbreak and courage.
What’s more, hearts that actually look like an anatomical heart are becoming increasingly more popular in contemporary society, especially with famous celebrities such as Miley Cyrus getting them.
6) Shakespearean Tattoos
Choosing meaningful and powerful lines from poetry and plays such as Shakespeare is a great way to have a love-themed tattoo.
The words that resonate for one person may be completely different for someone else, but there are plenty of excellent Shakespearean lines to choose from.
With this in mind, we’ve listed some of the most popular choices below:
‘There’s beggary in love that can be reckoned’
‘The course of true love never did run smooth’
‘If music be the food of love, play on’
In addition to the choice of words, the design of the tattoo can also use different fonts to suit the sentiment of the love-themed phrase.
For example, a cursive script is effective in reflecting the period that Shakespeare was writing his poetry and plays.
7) Pet Tattoos
For pet owners who are looking for a piece of artwork to represent the love they have for a current pet or one that’s sadly passed away, a tattoo design is one of the most popular options.
There are plenty of prominent examples of celebrities getting a pet tattooed on their body.
For instance, Joe Jonas and his partner Sophie Turner have a poignant portrait design of their pet dog Waldo Picasso tattooed on their skin, while Miley Cyrus also has a portrait tattoo of her pet dog, Emu.
8) Rose Tattoos
Almost all flower tattoo designs are a good way to symbolize your love and compassion for someone else. However, the rose, more so than any other flower, is one of the most romantic symbols in the world.
Therefore, whether you want a simple design of a rose by itself or one which is blended with the name of a loved one, you’ll be getting a tattoo that’s ideal for signifying love.
9) Cupid Tattoos
Cupid was the god of erotic love and is a universally-known symbol for love that typically includes a magical bow and arrow.
It’s believed that whoever Cupid shoots with the arrow will fall in love, which symbolizes the connection between love and fate.
More often than not, Cupid tattoos are combined with other designs such as a heart or a dove. These hybrid designs are perfect for demonstrating your love in an elegant manner.
10) Music Tattoos
For individuals who like to communicate their feelings of love through the powerful vehicle of music, tattoo designs that combine the poignant imagery of both music and love are hugely popular.
One of the most commonly used designs is the integration of a musical note into a heart, but the opportunities are pretty much endless when it comes to combining artwork such as musical instruments, musical scales, and soundwaves with quotes, dates, and other forms of love-related imagery.
Remember: Don’t Rush Into A Tattoo
Before jumping head-first into getting a tattoo that symbolizes your love for another person, it’s important to take a step back and carefully consider a couple of things.
Mainly, just how steady and secure is your relationship with the person that you’re getting a tattoo for. In other words, are the odds fairly good that the relationship will stand the test of time?
After all, there’s no easy way back after getting a tattoo!
Admittedly, it’s difficult to say that anything’s certain in life, but it’s a good idea to take a moment to make sure the person is worth getting permanently inked for.
There are plenty of examples of celebrity tattoos that act as cautionary tales in this respect.
None more so than Pamela Anderson who had to change a tattoo of her ex-husband’s name Tommy Lee, first adapting it to say ‘Mommy’, and then having it completely covered over by a barbed wire design.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Meaning Behind A Butterfly Tattoo?
A butterfly tattoo design carries romantic connotations as butterflies are often seen as representing young love. For example, a butterfly typically roams among flowers, as do young people in their social lives. Furthermore, in Chinese culture, butterflies are also seen to symbolize joy, grace, and immortality.
What Does A Key Symbolize In Terms Of Love?
A key tattoo, or anything related to keys such as a necklace or other forms of jewelry, can represent freedom and the desire to open up the world.
In terms of love, a key can also signify that your loved ones or a particular special person holds the key to your heart.
What Is The Unconditional Love Symbol?
The symbol that represents unconditional love is a heart positioned inside a ring, with the ring signifying eternal love.
This ring can be worn on either hand, although the direction in which it’s facing can indicate the wearer’s relationship status. For example, if you’re single, you’d wear the ring on your right hand with the heart facing outwards.
What Does A Three Heart Tattoo Mean?
Designs that feature three hearts usually symbolize your past, present, and future. All three are linked together through the theme of love.
What Tattoo Design Symbolizes Loyalty?
A popular tattoo design for symbolizing loyalty is a swallow. This is because in American culture swallows are often seen as a symbol of home or patriotism.
What’s more, tattoos with a pair of swallows can also represent love and commitment, in addition to loyalty.
What Is A Good Symbol For Happiness?
In several different cultures around the world, the bluebird is seen as a symbol of happiness.
For example, in Russia, a bluebird symbolizes hope and happiness, whereas, in China’s Shang dynasty, it represents happiness, as well as knowledge and enlightenment.
Are Couples Tattoos Bad Luck?
There are many tattoo artists who believe that getting a matching tattoo with a partner is the “kiss of death” for a relationship.
They also believe that getting the name of a significant other tattooed on your body can be a bad omen for the relationship.
While there’s little research on this, they believe that it’s safer and a much better idea to get a tattoo based on family and friendship instead of anything romantic.
What’s The Most Painful Place To Get A Tattoo?
There are several spots around the body that are particularly painful to get tattooed.
Some of the worst include the rib cage, spine, armpits, shins, behind the knees, ankles and feet, elbows and kneecaps, and the groin region.
What Is The Least Painful Spot For A Tattoo?
This depends on a range of factors, including your sex, age, and pain threshold.
However, generally, the least painful places to get a tattoo are the areas of the body that have plenty of muscle, fat, and general “padding”.
For example, getting a tattoo on your stomach, chest, forearm, or outer thigh is considerably less painful than getting one on your spine, rib cage, or ankle.
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