A tattoo is something that you would have to keep forever. This is why it is of utmost importance to find the exact design that you would want to be permanently stuck with. After all there is nothing like the misery or regret a person could feel over a bad design. To help you make your decision, you should seriously consider these top sources of tattoo design ideas.

Tattoo Artists

The best source of design for tattoos is of course, a tattoo artist. An artist who has been doing his trade for quite sometime and has a wide base of satisfied customers would know first hand about good designs and tattoo design ideas that would specifically fit you.

Tattoo artists can help you understand the meaning of a design, and you can easily discuss with them the design that best suits your personality. You can even give an artist your idea and leave the designing to him. The downside to this is that different artists have different opinions and you often have to do a lot of leg work and design book flipping to find the best artist and design

Online Galleries

Today, you can easily find a lot of tattoo design ideas and options in online galleries. There are lots of free and paid galleries to choose from. These galleries contain thousands of designs conveniently arranged in categories with new designs regularly coming in. The best thing about searching online for tattoo design ideas is that you can simply browse in the comfort of your own home. For a fee, you can print a design that you like and take it to an artist. If you do not have an artist yet, some galleries will offer you a directory of tattoo artists near your place.

Forums

You can also get online tattoo design ideas in forums. There are numerous independent or gallery attached tattoo forums to choose from. In these forums you can upload your designs and ask forum members to give their opinion about it. You can also comment on the designs of others and maybe even get some inspiration from the member uploaded designs. This is a great way to interact and ask real average people like you their unbiased opinion.

Printed Material

Designs are not limited to catalogs and galleries alone. Look through an assortment of books printed material for possible tattoo design ideas. You can flip through your favorite comic books or even look in science, astrology, psychology, archeology, sociology and anthropology books.

Other People

Close friends and family members who also love tattoos can also offer you some tattoo design ideas or can give their honest opinion about a design that you are considering. Aside from these people, you could also simply observe what other people have and form a judgment on which designs look great and which one look horrible.

Your Own Creativity

One other top source of tattoo design ideas is your own creativity. You can mix and match designs or you can answer some questions to arrive at a good design. What are you interested in? What inspires you? What is your life long passion? What do you love the most?