Hawaiian Islands Tattoos

There are a significant number of tattoo themes related to Hawaii and its culture, but some take it to another level and have the Hawaiian islands themselves as the tattoo design.

Using the tropical state as the inspiration for a tattoo is interesting, and makes one wonder if it's because of a visit, or possibly the person lives there.

It could also represent a dream of living in the islands, or maybe the laid back lifestyle associated with it. You know, lets live by island time.

No matter. For whatever reason, people choose the Hawaiian Islands as a tattoo design, and surprisingly, they can differ in look even when the shape and lay out of the islands are accurately portrayed.

The major difference between Hawaiian islands tattoos are the depth of the color and in some cases, the inclusion of topography in the tattoo design itself.

Secondarily, there are some that combine the islands with other elements or styles, e.g., tribal.

This first tattoo of the Hawaiian islands is different in that it is done in a dark green ink.

While obviously the islands, there is just a little bit of the design off make it look a little different than most maps. It could be the fact it was done on the narrower surface of the forearm that gives it that appearance.

Much of the result of a successful tattoo is the proper placement.

This is a really nicely done tattoo. Too bad the photo was taken in extreme light, as it makes it a little harder to make out and appreciate the detail of the tattoo.

Note the inclusion of topography here.

Here's a look at a tattoo with the opposite problem above, this time with the shade obscuring some of the overall look of the tattoo.

I'm showing that to prompt you to think of the variables associated with a tattoo, including how it'll look in the full sun and the shade.

This had to be the most detailed Hawaiian islands tattoo I found, and the accompanying topography is amazing.

You get feeling if you ran your hands over the tattoo you could feel the mountains of the state protruding up from the skin. That's not easy to accomplish as a tattoo artist.

It seems some people, no matter what the tattoo design, will inevitably migrate to the foot as the canvass for their tattoo, and that's the case here.

While less detailed than some of the others, it still looks pretty good. But what about that turtle on the ankle? It is too different in my opinion, and clashes more than complements one another.

Here's pretty bold and interesting attempt to combine tribal design with Hawaii. It's of course a natural fit as far as culture goes, and in this case, the creative way the fish curves with the islands looks pretty good.

Did you see the turtle overlaying the island of Hawaii itself? And how about what appears to be a flower between the islands. Pretty creative.

There you have a quick look at tattoos inspired by the Hawaiian islands.

My favorite is probably the one that appears to have the mountains of the islands rising up to meet the sky. That is a powerful effect to include in a tattoo design.

As for the overall theme, it looks like Hawaii really means something special to all these people, and they wanted a permanent reminder of what that was for all to see.