There is just something about the end of the day that draws people. Different golden hues paint the sky and dip below the horizon, signaling the darker colors to descend welcoming the evening. A sunset is a spectacular sight to behold, and something not many people get tired of.
This time of the day can be an inspiration for a beautiful, meaningful tattoo. Let’s explore the symbolism of a sunset tattoo and different sunset tattoo designs to consider for your next piece of body art.
Sunset Tattoo Meaning
There are a variety of meanings associated with this tattoo choice:
Closure
As sunsets happen at the end of the day, a sunset tattoo can symbolize closure and the completion of a cycle. If you want your tattoo to represent letting go of the past and embracing a new chapter in your life, a sunset design could be a meaningful choice for you.
Peace And Serenity
When watching the sun go down, what types of emotions can bubble up? For most people, this time of the day brings with it feelings of tranquility. A sunset tattoo can symbolize peace of mind and developing inner calm.
Celebration Of The Moment
A sunset can be a call to stop what you’re doing and just appreciate the moment. Your sunset tattoo can be a constant reminder to enjoy the little moments and to take time out of the busyness of the day to appreciate the present.
As with most tattoos, the meaning can depend on your own personal experiences. Your sunset tattoo can simply be a reminder of an incredible moment in your life! Or, you could just enjoy the design – not every tattoo needs to have some deep meaning.
5 Sunset Tattoo Ideas
Many sunset tattoo ideas incorporate colorful ink to capture the hues of this time of the day. Red, yellow, orange, and pink inks are usually used. However, before jumping on the colorful bandwagon, it’s important to know that these colors are not the same as black tattoo ink.
Red ink, for example, can cause allergic reactions in many people,
“Because of the metals and other potentially toxic components in red pigment, it is one of the more likely colors to trigger allergic reactions. Common symptoms of adverse reactions to red ink include itchy, sensitive skin, redness, tattoos that are painful on contact, and swelling. This irritation on only the red parts of tattoos is commonly called ‘red reaction’,”
Tattooing 101
It’s a good idea to get a patch test done before getting a red ink tattoo to rule out any negative side effects.
Lighter shades such as yellow, orange, and pink are also inks that tend to fade the fastest. So, if you opt for a colorful sunset tattoo, know that you may need to go for touchups. However, color isn’t the only factor to consider when it comes to longevity.
“…if your tattoo artist is inexperienced, any color can end up fading much quicker than it normally should. This is because poor tattoo artists can insert ink too shallow into the skin, or not pack as much ink into the area as needed in order to maintain a solid color base,”
Authority Tattoo
One of the best precautions you can take to ensure a tattoo that stands the test of time is to get inked by a professional artist who is experienced in the style you want.
Sunset Beach Tattoo
For a more tropical aesthetic for your sunset tattoo, you could include a beach setting. The ocean can incorporate themes of freedom and wanderlust in your tattoo design.
Simple Sunset Tattoo
If you’d prefer to opt out of a colorful and detailed tattoo design, no problem! A sunset tattoo can still be impactful when done with a few simple black lines, as we can see in the above example.
Even if your tattoo is simple, it’s still important to still get it done by a professional. The fewer details in a tattoo, the more vividly you’ll see any mistakes.
Black And White Sunset Tattoo
You don’t have to go colorful for a beautiful sunset tattoo. As we can see from the above example of the tattoo placed above the elbow, a sunset design can still be eye-catching with minimalistic lines.
Sunset Mountain Tattoo
Adding a mountain to your sunset tattoo design can incorporate additional meaning, as Tatt Mag explains,
“When there is a mountain tattoo involved, it symbolizes having strength when someone has passed and that you use that strength to move on.”
Highly Detailed Sunset Tattoo
The above tattoo is an example of a highly detailed design. There are many elements in this tattoo. With hyper-realistic designs, be prepared for multiple sessions and a higher price tag. The more ink and time that goes into the tattoo design, the more expensive it will be.
If you want to opt for a tattoo with many details, you may want to consider a larger design instead of a smaller one so that the tattoo artist has more space to work with. This can also prevent the details from blending into each other as the tattoo ages.
Sunset is a beautiful time of the day and this aesthetic can translate into an eye-catching, meaningful tattoo. Take your time to research different styles and tattoo artists so that you end up with a tattoo you’ll love for years to come.
