Table Of Content

With such a meaningful symbol, it’s important to find an artist who understands the significance and tradition of this tattoo. The best Asian tattoo artists in Toronto & Vancouver have the skills and experience to create the koi that represents you. The extensive black, gray, and negative space swirls that form the background of this large piece use expert shading to help the colorful fish and flowers stand out.
Blue and Purple Fish Swimming into Each Other
The blue can mean masculinity, while the samurai helmet can refer to a warrior’s spirit. Combined, this tattoo of a koi fish means that you will fight back. This tattoo of a koi fish utilizes a real pattern found in koi fish for the subject. The Showa Sanke Pattern is a white base with orange and black. Feel free to use real koi patterns if you don’t want a color meaning. For the same reasons, the legs are also a popular placement choice for koi tattoos.
Best Koi Fish Tattoo Designs For Women
The design also incorporates the Japanese maple, known as the “tolerance tree,” which, in Japanese ukiyo-e paintings, represents love and autumn. The color of the lotus tattoos can vary, but the majority of people go for some color combination, just to enhance the beauty of the lotus and the meaning of the Koi fish. The dragon design is most suitable for body parts like the shoulder and arm area (called ‘a sleeve’), the chest, the back, and the upper thigh.
Two Swirling Fish with Sections of Color

The classic Koi fish tattoos are done in a Asian traditional style and are inspired by the rich cultural traditions. According to the Chinese, the fish represents good luck for research and trade. Even Buddhists perceived Koi fish as a symbol of courage. Whether you seek resilience, ambition, or personal transformation, a Koi tattoo from Chronic Ink Tattoo can be a powerful symbol of your journey.
Each tattoo color has its own meaning, so you should be very selective. Only a few koi fish were left and they kept trying to swim over the waterfall for decades. Their meanings to the Japanese are anything from luck and prosperity to perseverance through a life struggle. It’s no wonder we drop coins into the water where koi fish are— they are good luck charms. In Japan, the number 9 is considered a symbol of good luck, so it is there 9 fish koi bring good luck.
Black Koi Swimming Upstream with Golden Outline Fish Tattoo Designs
Additionally, unlike other fish that move a lot when caught, koi fish are incredibly calm when caught. Each goldfish is the same breed, but they face opposite directions. Feel free to use your favorite breed of goldfish or add color to make the design pop. This is a traditional look even though it is missing the color.
The Chinese lantern and koi are symbols of good luck and prosperity. This classy design uses warm colors and stretches from your calves to your feet. The thin outline and detailed shade work add charm to this piece. There are many ways to wear Koi ink, and each signifies a different thing. Koi is a prominent part of traditional Japanese paintings, too. According to mythology, when a Koi reaches the top of a waterfall by swimming against the stream of water, it gets transformed into a dragon.
Today we will tell you all about this type of tattoo, and perhaps even debunk some myths. A koi with a white body and black spots or with an all-black body symbolises life’s transformations and future growth. It was named after the Japanese dragon of transformation. Blue koi fish represents masculinity and masculine energy as well as tranquility and peace.
Stunning Koi Fish Tattoo Ideas that are Both Traditional and Unique – Meanings and Designs
As your tattoo artist I’ll be able to create the tattoo of... Access to the most advanced graphic deign tools used to animate movies and special affects, you artist will be able to render your tattoo design to show... Just as the koi transforms itself into a powerful dragon from a small fish through determination and perseverance, the lotus also blooms in muddy waters into a thing of great beauty. The lotus flowers in this tattoo are in various stages of blooming, giving it a very dynamic look.
You can incorporate the oni in your koi fish tattoo to represent the evil forces or hardships you’ve overcome. This is considered a symbol of resilience, as the fish battles the currents to feed and spawn, the same way you battle to overcome hardships. Koi fish tattoos carry a lot of symbolism, such as masculinity and independence. Both the color and the position of the koi are important to define the meaning of this tattoo.
But, if you use koi in your tattoo, you can choose the meaning that applies to you. Quite often the two koi fish are depicted as a yin-yang symbol. In Taoism, Yin and Yang symbolize the opposing sides of all things and the perfect balance and harmony between them.
A beautiful dragon carp design will look great on your bicep. This tattoo features the complete transformation of a carp to a dragon. The shading and thin outlines of this tattoo are incredible. This cute lantern charm tattoo is the perfect treat for your skin.
See The World's First Tattoo Art Car By Japanese Marque Lexus - Forbes
See The World's First Tattoo Art Car By Japanese Marque Lexus.
Posted: Wed, 18 Mar 2020 07:00:00 GMT [source]
They feature in the origin story of Buddhism and represent an individual’s enlightenment. Driven by a lifelong fascination with body art, Bella overcame social stigma to become a tattoo artist. She opened her own private studio in Hangzhou a few years later. When it comes to this tattoo design, the majority of people tend to place it somewhere on the arm or leg. The extremities seem to translate the beauty and the fish movement the best, so the tattoo appears more tangible and alive.
The black koi swimming toward the fu dog could represent a person’s efforts to overcome difficult circumstances and enter into the protection of the animal. The cherry blossoms add a touch of color and further meaning to this interesting piece. Whether you choose a small and simple design or a large and intricate sleeve tattoo, a koi fish tattoo will be a meaningful and impactful addition to your body art collection. Through the years, the koi fish remains one of the better designs when it comes to getting a tattoo.
If you’re one of those people who march to the beat of their own drum, this is a great choice. It’s one of the more popular colors, and it’s easy to understand why. If you want to attract material wealth, make sure your koi is golden or yellow. In Japanese culture, koi fish hold a deep symbolic significance. Their ability to swim upstream against strong currents represents perseverance, overcoming challenges, and achieving goals. Koi are also believed to bring good luck and fortune, making them a popular symbol for those seeking prosperity and success.
The pink lotus on the side makes it look even more appealing. This elegant design of koi fish with an extensive outline and shading is a masterpiece in itself. The red flowers blossoming around the monochrome design make it look even more appealing. The broad layout covers your back extensively and gives it a classy look.