Tattoo Designs and Ideas for Rib Cage Tattoos

Rib Tattoos can be a unique option to explore if you are looking on getting a body art. For one, it is not for everyone, you have to have the body and charisma to flaunt it. And most importantly, rib tattoos are considered by a lot of people as one of the most painful parts of the body to get tattooed, considering that it is close to the bones and there are lesser tissues to serve as padding to the skin while the needle is penetrating on it.

The rib cage is comparable to a big canvas to work on so its important that you choose a design that would compliment your whole body. Most women who had rib tattoos done on them choose floral designs starting from the hip area all the way up to the side of the breast. Cherry blossom tree tattoos are popular on the ribs of sexy women done in the colors of dark pink or red complete with leaves and twigs. While this can look really captivating, there are other flowers to prospect that would look really gorgeous as design for rib tattoos - stargazer lily, orchid and Hawaiian flowers like hibiscus and plumeria, to name a few. Groups of butterflies and stars tattooed with vibrant colors can also look astounding since they can be perfectly symmetrical to fit the rib area. Men usually opt for masculine designs like dragons, guardian angel, koi fish, snakes and birds. These are designs best executed if size is on the larger scale so the rib area is definitely a good placement for them. Other tattoo art worth rendering on this area are pinup girl, tribal art, dark arts and hard core designs.

Pain is one factor to consider if you are bending on this kind of tattoo theme. However, as they always say, pain is temporary and it's nothing you can't bear. Choosing a design is another part of the task that can be a challenge as there are literally hundreds of options to pick from. There are reliable tattoo galleries that you can find online with high quality tattoo art. Choose a design from them that you really adore and will be proud of for the rest of life so you won't have any problem showing it off.

Star rib tattoos is another favorite theme for those who are looking to get tattooed. Their flexibility in terms of color, size and symbolism ranked them in top spot for being one of the most sought after designs for those who want to be inked on their rib cage.

Stars can symbolize many things such as supremacy, constancy, vigilance, aspirations or guidance. Meanings can also differ depending on how many points a star has.

Nautical star tattoo is a favorite design for men because it can make them appear very masculine. It is believed to stand for protection and guidance, probably an indication of finding one's path in life. It was originally used by sailors during the early days to help them in their journey at sea.

Traditionally shooting stars were meant to denote a new birth and changes in ones life and also a wish for a better life. They are very pretty and versatile and they are more for women. They are suggestive of going for one's dreams or goals in life or an indication of wishes coming true. They can also be an expression of one's inner desire to be a star and they generally look cool and sexy. Comparable to the brief wonder of seeing a shooting star race across the night sky, shooting star tattoos can also symbolize a fleeting moment in ones life.

Aside from nautical and shooting stars, there are literally hundreds of variations for star rib tattoos. There are star tattoos group together with the sun, or the moon, or all three of them together. There are Star of David, pentagram and six pointed stars. There are even designs combine with other celestial bodies like planets and comets as if mimicking the galaxy. They can also be executed and look great wit tribal or Celtic touch.

Photo by Davied Michael

Angel Rib Tattoos

Angel rib tattoos are another theme to go for when choosing a design for your rib cage. Angels are best expressed in large, detailed and intricate style in order for one to appreciate their beauty and what better way to ink them than on one's rib cage. Here are kinds of angels and what they symbolize:

Guardian angels were traditionally believed to interact with people in the course of daily life. They roam the earth in visible form taking responsibility for the well being of people in trouble, leading them out of danger and providing sustenance.

Archangels are the seven angels are the closest to God, the divine messengers that form the link between Heaven and Earth, humans and God. There are three well-known archangels namely Gabriel, Michael and Rafael who they played major roles in stories from the bible.

Fallen Angels represent the battle between good and evil (God and Lucifer). These designs often show angels with torn wings or horns or both. There are those who depict a brooding looking angel with a broken or bloody sword in their hand. The mood and feeling of darkness is often achieved by the use of darker colors and heavier inks.

Koi Fish Rib Tattoos

Koi fish is another popular tattoo design on ribs or rib cage especially among men. The Koi fish is more than just a colorful and collectible fish but rather has a lot of symbolical meaning attached to it.

Also known as Carp, the fish is a fixture of Japanese tattooing and play important roles in both Chinese and Japanese myths, legends, fables and stories. It is celebrated in Japan particularly because of its manly and strong qualities. Koi are transformed through their efforts and perseverance, able to climb waterfalls or become dragon. If caught, it lies upon the cutting board awaiting the knife without a quiver comparable to a samura warrior facing a sword. That is why, in tattoo imagery, this design especially in combination with flowing water,has become a symbolism of courage, achievement, and overcoming life’s obstacles.

Koi tattoo design is inked in a rib in bright and elaborate colors.
The koi represents fearlessness and courage on its journey through the ocean, a reminder of human suffering through our own life’s journey. With such meaningful message, its no wonder that koi tattoo on ribs is one of the most favored designs on ribs.

tattoo photo by chrisjack34

Cherry Blossom Tattoos for your Ribs

Cherry Blossom is a popular design for rib tattoos. Not only because the flower is beautiful and breathtaking but also because of the symbolical meaning attached to it. For Chinese, cherry blossom is a symbol of power and love. It also represents the power of femininity.

In Japan, on the other hand, the cherry blossom symbolizes the brevity of life. The flower only blooms for a short period of time. It encourages everyone to make the most out of life and appreciate what little time they have on this Earth. A cherry blossom tattoo can tell the world that you value every moment you have and you do not take life for granted.

Cherry blossom is wonderfully soft and feminine making them aesthetically pleasing and appropriate as a rib tattoo design.

Review of Online Tattoo Galleries

If you are still on search for designs for your rib tattoos or any tattoos for that matter, stop right now because we got the answer for you. We did the work for you and reviewed dozens of tattoo galleries online for your convenience. Here are the results of our review.

• TattooMeNow is number 1 on our list for the best high-quality tattoo designs with more than 3,500 images and still growing as the creator of this website is constantly adding new designs to keep up with the trend and demand.It has simple interface yet very elegant layout. Its easy to use, you can even combine two or more tattoos into one and bookmark' your favorite designs and get back to them later.
  

• If you want more than tattoo images, but a community as well, then this is the one for you. TattooMeNow has a discussion forum wherein you can post questions and ask members & artists for feedback before your get your tattoo.

• This gallery is loaded with outstanding features as well. It has a cool video vault which feature interesting clips and tv shows about tattoos, a photo gallery wherein members upload their photos and share their tattoo stories, media library with tattoo ebooks and audio books containing useful tips and ideas.

• It has a locator function to find a great tattoo studio in your area.
• Freebies include audio cd and ebook about tattoos and 3,300 names and words in Chinese.
  
• With all these loaded features and freebies, $27 is very much worth it. It also comes with a 60-day money back guarantee.
• TattooMeNow is 5 stars on our rating.
  

• Chopper Tattoo is number two on our list for having the most number of high-quality designs - over 3,800 arranged systematically according to categories, all designs have great details and colors.
  
• Interface is user friendly, tattoo artworks can easily be downloaded and printed to bring to your favorite tattoo artist. It has a very useful tool, the search function which enables the user to find the image they are looking for according to their own style.
• Moreover, all these designs are not the cookie cutter types, they are original and artistic. The images have perfect and elaborate colors while the black-colored designs have precise lines.
  
• What's even better about Chopper Tattoo is its tattoo lettering feature which contains hundreds of fonts which you can customize according to your liking. This add on is very much fitting if you are looking to get a textual theme on your rib tattoos.
• Another extreme bonus that Chopper Tatttoo has is it comes with free inked magazine and mp3 website - you can literally download any songs you want.
  
• For a very reasonable price - $19.95 you can get full access to all the features, it even comes with a 60-day money back guarantee.
• We give Chopper Tattoo 5-star rating for all these amazing and cool features.