Best Tattoos, 20 Pics

A collection of inspirational Tattoo Designs will inspire you to take a next.

Two good ideas for starting the search for the perfect tattoo are to either look online for tattoo galleries, or check out the local tattoo parlors for ideas. Some websites have sections for free tattoo designs that you can print out and show to local tattoo artists to work with. There are also websites with pages and pages of images of tattoos people have already gotten so you can pick something that you know can look good as a tattoo.

At the base of it, tattoos are most effective when they are meaningful in a long-standing way. Most tattoos that end up getting surgically removed involve lovers' names, and most people know not to get tattoos about movies they've seen recently. It might be advantageous to get a demo-tattoo drawn on your skin and wear it around for a few days or more to let the design grow on you. If you get bored with it after a while, it may be a good idea to pick something different.

If you're struggling, think of what kind of theme or idea you're trying to express with the tattoo. Decide if you're looking for something cute and feminine, masculine and tough, something funny or cartoony, something interesting, unique, or just plain you. It's a tough thing to narrow down, but talking to friends and looking at specific tattoo galleries might help in the process.

After you pick the right tattoo, decide -- if you haven't already -- where you want to put it. Remember that placing a tattoo on a spot with a lot of bone can hurt more than just about anywhere else, and also remember that if you're thinking about getting a tattoo on your feet, you will need to be more careful during the healing process or else your tattoo will not stay looking as good as it did when it was first finished.

Take the time to pick what you're going to get before you get it. And please -- think very, very, very hard before getting that tattoo with your girlfriend or boyfriend's name on it. A beautiful design with your childrens' names is one thing. But who knows if that boyfriend or girlfriend is going to stick around in the long run. So unless you've got a few spare thousand to potentially get that name removed, think very, very carefully. Click image to enlarge, enjoy!

Kevin Durant Tattoos

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant is typically considered to be one of the most likable players in the NBA, a humble kid who just happens to be blessed with unreal ability on the court. For a league with past stars like Allen Iverson that rubbed some fans the wrong way, Durant represents someone with broad appeal. Oh, and it's also commonly believed that he has no tattoos, if that matters to you.

It turns out that last part isn't entirely accurate. As you can see in the photo above, taken during a recent promotional trip to China, Durant's torso is covered in ink (via TBJ). Like most of today's NBA players, he likes tattoos. Unlike them, he doesn't get them on parts of the body that can be seen easily while he plays basketball.

After the jump, check out the first hint we got of Durant's tattoos in a photo from Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals vs. the Memphis Grizzlies. From the looks of things, he's added at least one tattoo since then.

If you look closely, the Washington Nationals-styled "W" on Durant's stomach looks like a new addition. Durant's from the D.C. area, so this one is probably a way of showing some pride in his hometown. Also, in case you're wondering, the names "Barbara" and "Wanda" on his chest are references to his grandmother and mother, respectively, the women who raised him.

It's tempting to say that Durant is trying to hide his tattoos to appeal to a larger market of fans, but it's possible that he just prefers to put tattoos on his torso and not his extremities. Plus, we've reached a point as basketball fans where tattoos are not an automatic sign of a thug. They're perfectly normal and a common feature of the league's most popular players. LeBron James is covered in tattoos, but any marketing issues he has are tied to his lack of a championship, not the belief that he's a gang member. That point of view is thankfully a thing of the past.

Whatever the case, Durant's tattoos prove that he's not the squeaky clean figure many people make him out to be. As I've said before, he has an edgy streak. He has a lot more in common with the rest of the NBA than many people are willing to admit.