All about the Smiley Tattoo

A smiley is a symbol of a generation. It sounds pretentious, but nevertheless, this small mug, capable of displaying a huge range of emotions, humanity owes at least to saving time. Because typing a message, leaving a comment using an emoticon may not be original, and not always even polite, but definitely easier. Love for such eloquent icons could not but be reflected in the tattoo sphere, because drawings on the skin are also emotions, messages, and very laconic.

By the way, the smiley is not so young anymore. It appeared in 1963, and according to the history that has come down to us, it took about 10 minutes to create it. The artist Harvey Ball hardly imagined that the smiley, which he invented spontaneously, in a few decades will connect people across continents, and its meaning will become a universal language of communication.

The story itself is worth telling. Harvey worked for a well-known corporation during extremely turbulent economic times. Insurance firms were "shaking" in the market, nothing boded about stability. As soon as a client arrived, an icon appeared on the screen, which the managers had invented. They came up with not just its design, but the very need for a symbol. He silently explained the importance of the event and the readiness of No. 1. One company ordered a badge from Harvey, laconic and understandable for everyone. So, the yellow muzzle has become the symbol of State Mutual Life Assurance. Customers, by the way, also liked the icon.

And then the smiley appeared on the T-shirts. I migrated to hats. He decorated posters, became a pendant, in a word, filled everything he could with himself. The modest, ordinary symbol has bribed millions. I must admit that Harvey's fee remained modest: he received only $ 45 for creating a smiley.But, they say, the artist was not particularly upset, he liked the very idea of ​​unexpected recognition.

The emoticon in the form of a tattoo simply could not help but appear. This symbol attracts by the fact that there is no ancient history, tradition behind it, that it is not necessary to study any religious canon or ethnographic sources in order to better understand the symbol. Smile is a laconic emotion, absolutely easy to read, simple and most often friendly.

The smiley tattoo can be presented in different ways. Let's look at some interesting sketches.

• Small colored emoticon. It displays the emotion that it is intended to convey. No author's revision - just a copy of well-known symbols. If he is sad, then he is definitely sad. Cheerful - so it reads, evil - too, etc.

• Smile drawn in different styles. One and the same symbol can be presented in different stylistic directions. For example, graffiti or even gothic, pop art or watercolor.

• Smile with the inscription. This is an icon that needs decoding. The inscription, as it were, helps the symbol to unfold, and sometimes, on the contrary, the inscription is opposed to the icon, and this works to the effect of surprise.

• Smiley with closed eyes and protruding tongue. Fans of Kurt Cobain need not be told what this symbol is. The famous Nirvana album was decorated with such a symbol, and the tattoo is a respect for the young (forever young) idol from the 90s.

• Sinister emoticon. This is a philosophical reasoning in the form of a picture on the body, it can mean pretense and hypocrisy of others, a refusal to believe words, but only in actions, etc. Behind such a strange smile, disappointment is often hidden.

• Smilies from social networks. It may not be just one icon, but a whole line of easily recognizable emoticons and emoji. They can also build a whole phrase, a statement, thereby replacing the usual lettering.

• Inverted emoticon. If he smiles and generally looks familiar, rather, it means tomfoolery, fun, a desire to break the rules and look at the world with a smile.

• A small smile on the part of the body that is somehow different from others. For example, an emoticon may be near a scar - this is an attempt not to focus on the trauma, not to make even just the memories of it painful.

• Smile, lost in complex patterns, ornaments, inscriptions. This means that in any difficult and confusing situation, full of seriousness, there is time for a smile. And it reminds us that humor destroys pathos.

• Kissing emoticons. Such a sketch can become a pair tattoo made by lovers.

• Smiley flower. In the middle there will be the most smiling, on the sides there will be those that reflect the range of the wearer's emotions as much as possible.

You can think of something more original that can change the look at familiar symbols. For example, you can copy a masterpiece of painting, covering the face of the hero in the picture with a smiley. Or you can depict five Olympic rings, one of which turns into a smiling face (hello to the Sochi Olympics). Or, use the same icon to depict the wheels in a bicycle, the eyes of an animal, etc.

There are no no-go zones for such a cheerful tattoo. It will look appropriate everywhere, if there are no conflicting images nearby, and in general the tattoo corresponds to the image of the wearer. But it is interesting that psychologists give interesting explanations regarding the places chosen for the tattoo. It turns out that this also has a hidden meaning, and a person is inclined to subconsciously make a choice in favor of a particular place.

• On the hand. It is believed that a person receives with his left hand, and gives with his right (if he is not left-handed). So with a tattoo, if a symbol appears on the right hand, it means that a person is inclined to give to others what is encrypted in the symbol.

• On the finger. A tattoo on a finger is like a cute little joke that appears at the most unexpected moment and defuses the situation. It is done by those who do not like to attract a lot of attention, do not like to be all in sight, but do not mind being noticed at a convenient moment.

• On the brush. What a person stuffs on the front side of the body is his projection to this world. On the brush often appears something that remains unheard, and on which the tattoo holder himself wants to emphasize. In a sense, he even wants to impose this message.

• On the wrist. It reflects what a person considers vital for himself. He associates this symbol with himself, with his life. A cheerful and carefree smiley means the ease with which a person walks through life.

• On the neck. This is a more outspoken place, and those who choose it for a tattoo display a sincerity bordering on risk. These are often people rushing to extremes, overly emotional, very close to what they are told.

• On the chest. You can consider a tattoo in this area as a manifesto. These are indeed statements that come from the heart and are very important for a person. Sad or conflicting emoticons are more likely to appear here.

• On the foot. The upper leg, thigh, is the zone responsible for sensuality. And here women prefer to do tattoos more often. A tattoo can be small, flirty, or very large. Something is usually placed on the bottom of the leg to help the person walk in the right direction. For example, love: and then it will be a smiley with hearts.

• On the side (on the ribs). It is more often placed here icons with a protruding tongue or other flirtatious meaning. And there also appear tattoos for those people who love flirtation and temptation.

These examples show how varied emoji tattoos can be, and what moods they set as a pattern on the body.

• An unambiguous cheerful face on the hand is a sign of optimism, love of life and a person's request for condescension to him. At least that's what psychologists say.

• The image of a teenager, in which there is not only a smile, also evokes positive memories. It can be associated with memories of childhood as a wonderful time that you always want to carry in your heart.

• Looking at such an image, I want to smile. Probably, the author of the tattoo was looking for just such a reaction.

• A small tattoo, more like a stamp, as a small sign that you need to rejoice here and now, every day. Therefore, the tattoo was made in such a place that it is in full view all the time.

• This tattoo creates a dualistic feeling. It looks especially interesting when it is on a brutal male back. Somewhere there is even a reference to black humor.

• As mentioned, a chest tattoo is a manifesto. In this case, the owner of the tattoo talks about what his passion is and how he relates to it. A hint of contempt for pathos is also read in this sketch. And although the smiley shows a grin, the tattoo does not cause rejection and negative emotions.

• And here is a direct sign of worship of the great group - nothing superfluous, only a recognizable symbol, devoid of retelling, new framing. Music is eternal, as they say.

• A smile can become part of the inscription, it is even easier for him to turn into the letter O, as in this example. On the one hand, it is cute, on the other - a little humor, even a little sad, it also reads.

• And here are the very smilies from social networks, without which it is difficult to imagine modern communication.

• Kind faces prevail over the one that is clearly unhappy with something.Probably, the owner of this tattoo positions his attitude to life and problems in this way.

Happy choice!