Garfinkel Family Crest Tattoo

The designs appearing on family crests were chosen generations ago to express things of symbolic importance to the heads of the family, representing their occupations or enthusiasms or allegiances. When researching these images many people turn to internet sources and end up with quite generic patterns that may or may not make impressive tattoos. For instance in this pattern the crosses on the shield were quite small, and the red lion looked like a mouse floating above the helmet. By enlarging those elements to prominence the meaning remains, the symbolism as described in the ancient books of heraldry is preserved, and the tattoo is greatly enhanced.

Garfinkel Family Crest Tattoo by Pat Fish

Father and Son Clan Campbell Badge Tattoos

What better father-son bonding experience could there be than getting tattooed together? Today I had the pleasure of embellishing two of my clansmen, members of my own Clan Campbell, with our mighty boar and motto. We chose to place a Celtic circle behind the clan badge as a way to extend it to fill the upper arm. Dad went first, with the boar looking back to his heritage, and a crimson background. Son chose to have his boar facing forward, to his long life ahead, and a blue-green background. This way they are the same, but different; a set, but not identical.

Father and Son Clan Campbell Badge Tattoos by Pat Fish

See more heraldic tattoos on the Heraldry Portfolio Page.

Hamilton Clan Badge Tattoo

The fortunate Scots have a lovely form of tribal identification in the Clan Badge. Specific to the Scottish clan system, the belt represents fealty to a Laird. Each clan has specific heraldic symbols inside their belt. The Hamiltons are traditionally sawyers, harvesters of forests, so for this custom version of their badge we chose a crown, a symbolic oak tree made of a few stylized leaves and acorns, and a two-man saw slicing into the trunk. I take pride in being able to do research both in my own archives and online, to make accurate and unique designs that are correct to the heraldic standards. This is true tribal art.

Hamilton Clan Badge Tattoo by Pat Fish

Celtic Shielding Cross Tattoo

Todays client requested a Celtic Cross tattooed on the front of his shin to shield him as he walked forward in life. He liked the "tribal" look of spiky shapes, but is Irish and so wanted knotwork interlace. That required some custom fabrication. The photo is a combination of the first step, lines and shading, looking very stark against his skin, and then the final result with a pinstripe of light green on the sides of a deeper green center. 

Celtic Shielding Cross Tattoo by Pat Fish