7 Things to Consider Before Getting a Geometric Mandala Tattoo

 

Geometric tattoos, especially those that feature motifs, are a tattooing style that has been around for hundreds of years. Fast-forward to present day however, and geometric patterns, especially those of the Mandala style, which in Sanskrit means circle, are becoming hugely popular once again.

 

Symbolizing eternity, completeness and unity, mandalas are eye-catching and meaning-laden symbols that represent many different things across many different cultures. Before heading out to find a top artist however, consider these seven things before you get inked.

 

 

Black Ink or Colour?

 

Because Mandala tattoos usually only use black and white color palettes, you should really think beforehand if such tattoo styling is for you.

 

Some instances of geometric designs do feature hints of color, but it’s dotwork, which doesn’t use color, that’s the main trademark of a Mandala tattoo and that’s what makes them particularly unique.

 

Flower of Life

 

The next thing you’ll want to consider before getting a geometric tattoo is what motif most appeals to you. Take a look at some great designs on Instagram for example and you’ll see the flower of life, an ancient tool used for creating geometric, ornamental works, as one of the most common and popular motifs.

 

Metatron’s Cube

 

A variant on the Flower of Life, Metatron’s Cube represents some of the occurring shapes appearing in nature that have been appropriated by different religious groups across both the East and West. You can see this type of design in mosques, temples, churches and altars.

 

Full Sleeve or Not?

 

Mandala tattoos really come into their own when they have the space available to really show off the geometric and mathematical ordering that make them super special. Because of that, you’ll often see sleeve designs take precedence over smaller, individual mandalas.

 

Go full sleeve and you’ll be able to mix circles, hexagons and other complicated shapes into a design but it will of course cost you more.

 

Skull Half Sleeve Tattoo

 

 

Spiritual or Mathematical

 

A lot of people make the mistake that in order to get a mandala tattoo they should really tap into some kind of spiritual essence that is best reflected through the symbolism.

 

The ‘sacred’ aspects of mandala tattooing however, is actually fairly secular and more mathematical in nature.

 

Woodcuts and Tessellations

 

A lot of mandala geometric tattoo examples come from the artists themselves, who are in turn influenced by a whole range of sources.

 

Looking through many different styles you’ll notice how a lot of the work is influenced by the older woodcuts and tessellations of carpenters. Understanding that, you should recognize that the biggest challenge for the artist is making a design original.

 

Symmetry, Ratios and Space

 

Looking at a mandala design you’ll see just how much they appropriate patterns from nature that make interesting use of space, ratio and symmetry. Look at pine cones for example, a quite unique geometric phenomenon of nature and observe how closely the repeated shapes and forms of the surface reflect the tattoo style.

 

Geometric mandala style tattooing is one of the more interesting forms of the art. Check out the myriad examples online coupled with the aforementioned considerations and no doubt you’ll find yourself inspired.

 

 

Article Submitted By Community Writer

 

 

 

 

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