Gold Koi Fish Tattoo Designs

You’ve already made the first big decision to get a tattoo, now comes the time to decide on what it is you would like to have permanently inked onto your skin. When it comes to getting a tattoo, you’re only limited by your own imagination and creativity, as well as the skill and talents of the tattoo artist, of course. Today, colorful Koi fish tattoos are becoming rather popular and this special design may just be one you’d like to consider for yourself.

But what exactly are Koi? These large fish are members of the carp family, with one notable exception, they come in a wide array of different colors. Red and orange Koi are often mistaken for big goldfish, but those two are only a few of several colors, including black, yellow, blue, and white, that Koi can be found in. And, like many other kinds of fish, the environment in which they live has a great effect on their size. With a big enough pond, pet Koi fish can grow to be as long as three feet in length.

In Japan, Koi fish are highly revered. The ornamental fish have had a special place in Japanese culture for countless centuries and they continue to be bred and kept as pets.

Besides their obvious, outer beauty, these adept swimmers are also richly steeped in history and Koi fish tattoos can have quite a lot of meaning behind them, which is ideal no matter what type of art you’re getting as it’s always nice to be able to explain the unique symbolism behind a tattoo.

Here are some of the most well known meanings of Koi fish tattoos:

• Ambition, determination, self improvement
• Good luck
• Freedom and independence
• Endurance, strength
• Strength of character, strong identity
• Ability to withstand dire situations
• Courage, the ability to rise above challenges

As we know, Koi can be found in a rainbow of vibrant colors and hues and are pleasing to look at as well. If you have an experienced tattooist who will be able to capture the pure beauty of the fish, you’ll end up with a gorgeous piece of art. But, do be prepared to pay the price for getting such a colorful, realistic looking tattoo.

Colored ink can be rather expensive, and when a tattoo artist uses a variety of colors on one person, whatever ink that isn’t used must be disposed of because the needle has touched the skin as well as coming in contact with the bloodstream, making it imperative to discard the ink and needle after use.

While any good tattooist does their best not to waste ink unnecessarily, it’s usually inevitable. So if you’d like a tattoo of a Koi fish that’s full of color and shading, remember that you’ll end up paying accordingly. But most Koi fish tattoos end up being incredible works of art that must be seen to truly be appreciated and can be well worth more than every penny spent.