22 Temmuz 2012 Pazar

Ambigram Tattoo Designs

An increasingly popular motif in tattoo parlours is the ambigram -- a graphic figure that can be flipped, mirrored or inverted, yet whichever way the script or the figure is viewed, it still spells out the same thing. It is sometimes referred to as an 'inversion' or 'flipscript', but regardless of the description, most people appreciate it as an optical illusion. The shifting positive and negative spaces can play tricks on our visual perception, casting a spell on the beholder.

For tattoo aficionados, there's a dictionary of ambigram designs to choose from, and a great range of scripts and fonts, from simply elegant to graphically gothic. A design may consist of a single word or an entire phrase. Depending on the ambigram's concept, it can be rotated, reversed, or reflected in mirrors, with the meaning sometimes changing, sometimes remaining the same. Looked at one way, you might see a devil, but turn it around and an angel appears, or at least the way the figure is spelled! The best tattoo artists can create an optical illusion with an intriguing graphic design that never fails to intrigue.

According to practitioner John Langdon, ambigrams were independently invented by himself and by Scott Kim in the 1970s. Kim used the name Inversions as the title of his first collection in 1981. The first published reference to "ambigram" was by Hofstadter, who attributes the origin of the word to conversations among a small group of friends during 1983-1984. The 1999 edition of Hofstadter's Gödel, Escher, Bach features a 3-D ambigram on the cover.

John Langdon is truly one of the great ambigramists, his work appearing on the covers of some recent best-selling books. Popularity of the ambigram soared when they were intertwined into the plot of Dan Brown's bestseller 'Angels and Demons', the prequel to The Da Vinci Code. Langdon produced ambigrams that were used for the book cover, and a link to his website from Brown's meant he was "suddenly inundated" with commissions. In fact the name Robert Langdon (the hero from the novel) is also an appreciation to Mr. John Langdon.

Ambigram tattoos are popular with graphic artists, due not only to their unique symmetry but to their mysterious quality so readily appreciated on music albums and book jackets. Paul McCartney is but one of many rock musicians who have featured an ambigram on at least one of his albums.
Many people choose to get an ambigram tattoo on their forearm, where they can flip it one way or the other, giving viewers the full effect of the design. 

Ambigrams usually fall into one of several categories:

Rotational
A design that presents several instances of words when rotated through a fixed angle. This is usually 180 degrees, but rotational ambigrams of other angles exist, for example 90 or 45 degrees. The word spelled out from the alternative direction(s) is often the same, but may be a different word to the initially presented form. A simple example is the lower-case abbreviation for "Down", dn, which looks like the lower-case word up when rotated 180 degrees.
Mirror
A design that can be read when reflected in a mirror, usually as the same word or phrase both ways. Ambigrams that form different words when viewed in the mirror are also known as glass door ambigrams, because they can be printed on a glass door to be read differently when entering or exiting. 

Figure-ground
A design in which the spaces between the letters of one word form another word.
Chain
A design where a word (or sometimes words) are interlinked, forming a repeating chain. Letters are usually overlapped meaning that a word will start partway through another word. Sometimes chain ambigrams are presented in the form of a circle.
Space-filling
Similar to chain ambigrams, but tile to fill the 2-dimensional plane.
Fractal
A version of space-filling ambigrams where the tiled word branches from itself and then shrinks in a self-similar manner, forming a fractal. See Scott Kim's fractal of the word TREE for an animated example.
3-dimensional
A design where an object is presented that will appear to read several letters or words when viewed from different angles. Such designs can be generated using constructive solid geometry.
Perceptual shift
A design with no symmetry but can be read as two different words depending on how the curves of the letters are interpreted.
Natural
A natural ambigram is a word that possesses one or more of the above symmetries when written in its natural state, requiring no typographic styling. For example, the words "dollop" and "suns" are natural rotational ambigrams. The word "bud" forms a natural mirror ambigram when reflected over a vertical axis. The words "CHOICE" and "OXIDE", in all capitals, form a natural mirror ambigram when reflected over a horizontal axis. The word "TOOTH", in all capitals, forms a natural mirror ambigram when its letters are stacked vertically and reflected over a vertical axis.
Symbiotogram
An Ambigram that, when rotated 180 degrees, can be read as a different word to the original. Ambigrams are exercises in graphic design that play with optical illusions, symmetry and visual perception. Ambigram lovers value especially those with a relation between form and content.

Get inspired by some really great images and photos in our Ambigrams Tattoo Gallery 


 


12 Mayıs 2012 Cumartesi

The Tribal Ambigram Tattoo Design

everyone goes to Google Images to search for a new tattoo design & plenty of people find two that they like, but there's plenty of people who finish up with the same design. So, Google Images is a nice
You require a new tattoo. Tribal ambigram tattoos are becoming popular. Naturally, you'll go online to research the different variations & pick out two to take to your tattoo artist. But wait! Tattoos are highly personal, & while plenty of tattoos are similar, you probably don't require two exactly like hundreds or thousands of other people's tattoos.

place to start, then you can go on to a pay tattoo site.

At a pay tattoo site you have access to a tattoo artist who can customize that Google design or take your idea & draw a custom piece. This means that you'll have a design you like, two that is yours. Most pay sites have a forum, so you can check out the recent posts or ask a query & get a variety of answers or opinions from other tattoo enthusiasts about any tattoo subject to help your research
There will be access to articles about tattoos & tattooing. You can find articles about tattoo removal, or pieces on beginning tattooing, like how to outline a tattoo. Plenty of of these pay sites offer tips on getting tattoos & will have reviews of local tattoo parlors. You'll require to find two that has a great artist & has a reputation for being safe & tidy.

25 Fantastic The Ambigram Tattoos

Want to try something new with tattoos? Try Ambigram tattoos. In simple words, Ambigram is a style of writing. Who said words are boring? A little play with the words can turn out to be a wonderful visual treat. A single word engraved on the skin could be read from either ways. When read upside down they can be two different words. These words can be really expressive. Now that’s intelligence and aesthetics combined to give a completely new look.
Words may not be just words from now on! You could try a few from the list below.
If you liked our selection, perhaps these other posts will interest you too, Bible Scripture Tattoos, Word Tattoos, Bible Quote Tattoos and Glow In The Dark Tattoos.

Rib Ambigram Tattoo

That’s a neat work on the rib.
Rib Ambigram Tattoo
Rib Ambigram Tattoo

Life Death Ambigram

The true paradoxes of life inked on the arm.
Life Death Ambigram
Life Death Ambigram

Tribal Ambigram

If you are attracted to tribal designs, then this might interest you.

Christian Ambigram Tattoo

Something that you believe in!.
Christian Ambigram Tattoo
Christian Ambigram Tattoo

Sinner Saint Ambigram

Now that’s little naughty on the hand.
Sinner Saint Ambigram
Sinner Saint Ambigram

Kaleb Blake Ambigram

Beutifully carved letters!.
Kaleb Blake Ambigram
Kaleb Blake Ambigram

Circle Tattoo

Ever wondered why people say life comes full circle? This tattoo is also the same.
Circle Tattoo
Circle Tattoo

Loyalty Betrayal Ambigram

Feeling cheated? Sport these words.
Loyalty Betrayal Ambigram
Loyalty Betrayal Ambigram

Ambigram Black White

Life has its shades of black and white. So does this tattoo.
Ambigram Black White
Ambigram Black White

Arm Tattoo

Another artful piece of work on arm.
Arm Tattoo
Arm Tattoo

As You Wish Ambigram Tattoo

Stunning words on sensual feet.
As You Wish Ambigram Tattoo
As You Wish Ambigram Tattoo

Ambigram Ribs Tattoo

Ethereal shades of black!
Ambigram Ribs Tattoo
Ambigram Ribs Tattoo

New Ambigram Tattoo

Those are beautiful letters in dark.
New Ambigram Tattoo
New Ambigram Tattoo

Cambiare Averefede Ambigram Tattoo

Do you look for depths in every action and thought. Then you should get this done!
Cambiare Averefede Ambigram Tattoo
Cambiare Averefede Ambigram Tattoo

Julie Ambigram Tattoo

Lovely letters on the ribs.
Julie Ambigram Tattoo
Julie Ambigram Tattoo

Angel Tattoo

If you think some people are God sent angels then this is the best way to show you are thankful to them.
Angel Tattoo
Angel Tattoo

Designer Ambigram Tattoo

Are you a designer wear freak? How about a designer wear tattoo next?
Designer Ambigram Tattoo
Designer Ambigram Tattoo

3rd Eye

Mind blowing brown and black combination.
3rd Eye
3rd Eye

Wrist Tattoo

Chuck your watch and make way for this tattoo.
Wrist Tattoo
Wrist Tattoo

Ambigram Tattoo

Classic letters on the arm!
Ambigram Tattoo
Ambigram Tattoo

Forever Memorial Tattoo With Birds

The gaze on the footwear will be less and more on the tattoo.
Forever Memorial Tattoo With Birds
Forever Memorial Tattoo With Birds

Back Ambigram Tattoo

Beautiful design for the back.
Back Ambigram Tattoo
Back Ambigram Tattoo

Biceps Tattoo

If you want some macho stuff, then this could be something that you need.
Biceps Tattoo
Biceps Tattoo

Sean Kelley

You wouldn’t repent this on your arm!
Sean Kelley
Sean Kelley

Aloha Ambigram Tattoo

Pretty hibiscus surrounding aloha is a feast to the eyes.
Aloha Ambigram Tattoo
Aloha Ambigram Tattoo

7 Mayıs 2012 Pazartesi

Ambigram Tattoo Designs

Ambigram tattoos are tattoos made up of letters that can be read both forward and backward (or forward and upside down). The two words are often either opposites from one another—for example, LOVE and HATE or SINNER and SAINT—or spell the same word when read forwards or backwards (FATHER, for example, is a popular one). There’s an art to making the lettering clear and the words legible from either side (it’s almost like an optical illusion), but when done well, an ambigram tattoo can be both visually striking and personally meaningful for the person on whom it’s inked. Here are some tips for designing an ambigram tattoo:
  1. You will likely be limited in what words your ambigram can spell, because of the challenge the design presents. It’s a little bit like designing a Sudoku or crossword puzzle: you have to work backwards from a set destination and stay within a predetermined framework. While there are ambigram generators online, you’re still not going to be able to spell out two words that vary too much in length or whose letters are too dissimilar, particularly if you want the two words to be instantly (or even eventually) recognizable as words.

  2. Within the limited scope you have (see above), try to find words that are personally meaningful to you. That may happen to be in the form of a more popular design such as “ANGELS and DEMONS” but don’t feel too constrained by designs that others have used, especially if you want an ambigram but the standard ones don’t speak to you personally. An example of a more unique one that capturers the inked person’s personal philosophy: BREATHE/MUSIC.

  3. Consider getting an ambigram of your name. Many people get tattoos that allow their name to be read both backwards and forwards, creating a personal touch without the challenges of designing a tattoo with two different meanings.

  4. Choose your tattoo artist carefully. Ambigrams are tricky beasts to ink, and you’ll want to pick an artist who has experience inking them. If he or she can help you design the ambigram, so much the better: online generators can churn out hard-to-read tattoos, and trying to design them yourself, even if you’re a talented artist, can prove challenging.

  5. At the end of the day, you may have to pay an artist to create a high-quality design for you. As noted above, the work is challenging, and all but the most benevolent artists will want extra payment for their extra work. If you’re set on getting an ambigram, however, then the extra cost will be worth it if in the end you wind up with precisely what you’re looking for.

Ambigram Tattoo Ideas

The trend of ambigram tattoos was spurred in part by the book "Angels and Demons," by Dan Brown. The book contains several ambigrams including the title design on the book cover. While some words naturally read the same way backwards and forwards, other ambigrams rely on design tricks. Tattoo artists design ambigrams to express everything from family bonds to life philosophies. This versatile style of tattooing offers many forms of individual expression.

Styles

While palindromes spell the same thing backward, ambigrams actually read the same thing backward. Rotational ambigrams are readable from specific degree angles. Mirror-image ambigrams reflect a specific word in reverse. In a figure-ground ambigram, tattoo artists place an additional word between the letters of the original word to form a second word. More complex styles such as chain and 3-D ambigrams require specific lettering and artist skill to create the ambigram effect.

One Word

If you prefer a tattoo design that includes one main thought that's legible from various directions, choose a one-word rotational or mirror-image ambigram. Pick a word you strongly identify with like a name, your zodiac sign or word that symbolizes your beliefs or philosophy. Words like faith, hope, karma and serenity are typical in one-word ambigram designs.

Multiple Words

Turn one word into more with a figure-ground ambigram. This kind of design is useful for creating a two-word phrase, using the second word to reaffirm the first. This word pairing technique is especially common in tattoo designs symbolizing emotional bonds and personal beliefs. Word pairs such as "loyalty and respect", "dream and believe", "courage and strength", "family and forever" and "true and love" are examples of this technique. An ambigram can also convey a multi-word phrase.

Contradictions

Figure-ground ambigrams express contradictions as well. Contradictory ambigrams are popular because they allow a person to express differing sides of their personality at once. Contradicting words such as "beautiful and disaster", "angel and devil", "blessed and cursed", "loyalty and betrayal", and "sinner and saint" express the duality of a person's nature. Ambigrams like love and pain and life and death express contradicting sides of the same idea.

Ambigram Tattoo Designs: Messages That Transcend Point-of-View

An ambigram can be a design that incorporates different words or phrases that are understandable from multiple directions. One word may be read from an upright orientation while a completely different word is perceived from another direction. Artists use optical illusion, design, and symmetry to create this literary art form.

There are several types of ambigrams, categorized based on their orientation and readability. The most common forms are mirror-images (or reflection), rotation, and figure-ground ambigrams. Along with these styles, there are several more intricate, less popular ambigrams like chain, 3-dimensional, and spinograms. Interestingly, there are also natural ambigrams, found in un-stylized writing. Words like pod and suns are natural ambigrams because mirroring these words results in a second version of the same word. Natural ambigrams are sometimes dependent upon fonts and typefaces. When typed in capital letters, OXIDE is a reflection ambigram. This word has a horizontal, internal symmetry, while simultaneously being a mirror-image. Natural ambigrams often rely on letter symmetry in order to work.

A mirror-image ambigram is a design that is reflected over an axis and are also called reflectional ambigrams. These ambigrams have either an internal symmetry, making half of the design a reflection of the other half, or are able to be reflected over a vertical or horizontal axis. Rotational ambigrams are, simply, designs that can still be understood when rotated a certain number of degrees, like 90 or 180. A figure-ground ambigram is a design where there is a second or repeated word within the negative space formed by the letters.

The other types, the non-natural ambigrams, are all dependent upon the skill and imagination of the artist to create a style that allows a word or words to be an ambigram. Ambigrams can be as elaborate or as simple as the artist desires, but it is best to keep the word legible in order to achieve the desired effect. People are usually drawn to ambigram designs because they can illustrate a duality that other literary styles and fonts cannot. With ambigrams, one design, one 'word,' can have two different natures depending upon the viewer's perspective. Popular ambigrams often feature two contrary words, like angel/demon or life/death. Ambigram tattoos are creative and interesting ways to display multiple aspects of a person or person's philosophy about life. These facets do not necessarily need to be contradictory, but that is perhaps the most common use of ambigrams. Opposite words incorporated into one single design element create more complexity and depth than standardly written words placed beside each other.


Method Man, a famous rapper and celebrity, has an ambigram tattoo on his arm that reads “death” from one orientation and “life” from another. This tattoo design has been copied by numerous fans who embrace the rapper's philosophy. Another variation of this popular ambigram tattoo depicts “live” and “die” or “good” and “bad.” People who believe that they can, at different times, be either naughty or nice might gravitate towards these designs. Recently, ambigrams have received renewed exposure because of their involvement in Dan Brown's popular book series. His book “Angels & Demons” has cover art that depicts the title as an ambigram and ambigrams are featured in the plot. On this book, “Angels & Demons” is legible both upside down and right-side up.

However, these common illustrations are not the only tattooed ambigrams. With lots of creativity and artistic experimentation, there are endless variations and limitless ambigram designs.

Some people prefer ambigrams to more simple, straightforward writing because it creates a more aesthetically appealing image than a non-symmetric version. Ambigrams can also be slightly less readable than normal fonts. This means that an ambigram tattoo can have an attractive, decorative design apart from its more literal meaning. Aesthetics are an incredibly important, and inherent, part of tattoos. Ambigrams are often intricate and ornate by necessity. In order to create a letter that becomes a different letter from another direction, the letter must be abstracted and decorated. The human mind searches images for recognizable shapes and features. Deciphering familiar letters and words is one aspect of this. Ambigrams usually include extra lines and curves that look purely decorative but are really functional.

3 Mayıs 2012 Perşembe

The Ambigram Tattoos - Meaning Behind Ambigram Tattoos

Of all the types of tattoos which have become popular in recent years, tattoos which feature various forms of ornate writing are among the most visually stunning. Oftentimes, these are ambigram tattoos that can be read backwards, forwards or upside down and which will still spell out the same word. Calligraphic art is one of the oldest and most established of forms and the effect is really quite elegant. Because most of these tattoos are monochrome, they are also usually very inexpensive yet have as much impact as a tattoo that may cost thousands of dollars. While it is true that a picture is worth a thousand words, sometimes a word can say more than a thousand pictures.

An ambigram tattoo may be created in advance or by a tattoo artist on the spot. Keep in mind that this is a very advanced form of art and one would generally do well to select one beforehand. The ambigram must immediately spell out the same work when viewed from any direction which means that the letters must be legible from any angle. It is no small trick to create such a device. When it's done right, however, there are few things with which one can adorn their body which have more visual appeal.

Ambigrams may be a single word or a phrase. What's more, they need not be restricted to one language. Many alphabets will work for this effect. The type of calligraphy used can vary as much as do individual preferences, as well. If one prefers dense Germanic script, for instance, this can be adapted to the purposes of an ambigram just as can medieval script, modern typography or any other font. A good example of how flexible this form of art truly can be can be found in many company logos which feature modern fonts that spell out ambigrams.

Remember to choose a word that encompasses a part of one's personality to a significant degree. Words which express a momentary, fleeting emotion are generally not recommended in any regard. For instance, one would likely do well to avoid having the name of a band done in an ambigram as musical tastes tend to change over the course of one's life. Fundamental beliefs, however can usually be expressed in very direct terms and one of those terms may make an excellent ambigram tattoo.