Peaceful Dove Tattoos

Dove tattoos can be extraordinary. They represent many things:

• Universal peace and purity. These doves may be portrayed carrying an olive branch.
• Long-term love, as male and female doves, mate for life. Mostly they are drawn in pairs, although that can be hard to notice when there are a number of doves present.
• The dove is also very symbolic in Christianity, being a symbol of both the Holy Spirit and sacrifice.
• Other cultures long ago looked upon doves as messengers and omens, with some seeing them as a look into the future.
• Others, unlike today, saw them as a warning of coming war, as was the case in ancient Japan.

But for the most part, the dove is embraced as a symbol of peace, with an emphasis on gentleness and wanting to better the world.

What I discovered when searching for dove tattoos was the vast majority were put on the back, though I don't know why. Almost everyone who got these (with some exceptions) were women.

As for the tattoo below, I love the stenciled look and placement. I like dark lines, and they stand out much better for me.

Here's an exception to the back and woman rule for dove tattoos, as it's on a man with ink on his arm. It's compelling in that it has the feel of a tribal tattoo and is mixed in with the one on his upper arm.

Some ankle tattoos lend themselves to being part o a woman's look, as you can see in the image above. The inclusion of the heart with the dove works well and is very cute.

By contrast, here's another tattoo of a dove on the side, with a completely different outcome and look.  I would have preferred the bottom below the dove to be a little lighter for better effect, but still pretty nice.

The placement of this one allows the woman to wear her hair up to show it off, or to let it down to hide it when the occasion requires. A lot of people getting tattoos don't think of the social consequences of getting inked on certain parts of their bodies. They regret it later. This is an example of good placement.

This one is right below the neck and is another good location. If either of these women had the tattoo a little lower or a little higher, it would have been hard to do. But with the tattoo below the neck, a blouse or shirt could easily cover it up when the occasion demands. As to the tattoo itself, I like the olive branch in the mouth.

This is a unique dove tattoo. It seems to be saying that peace in most instances is failing, not a very happy thought, to say the least. The design is nice and I like the dark and vivid colors accompanying it.

For some reason I really like this simple dove tattoo on the back of the shoulder here. It's a nice place to put it, and again, can be revealed and hidden, as shown.

This is an amazing tattoo. The wings are fluttering yet it's peacefully suspended in mid-air.

This is a terrific tattoo and represents a man and woman mating for life. Usually, as shown above, there are initials to portray the person you're expressing your love for. As mentioned above, doves mate for life, and this is a way of saying it's a desire for yours to last forever.

Be sure when you put on the initials that you believe in the relationship, so you don't have to change the tattoo later.