Bullseye Tattoos
From LoveToKnow Tattoos
Bullseye tattoos aren't the most popular designs, but a bullseye can make a striking piece of body art.
Bullseye Stories
The design known as a bullseye has been around as long as humans have drawn pictures and symbols. It has different meanings, depending on the design and use.
African Culture
According to Welltempered.net, a symbol resembling a bullseye is called adinkrahene among the Asante people of Ghana. It represents charisma, leadership, and greatness. The bullseye is part of a sort of alphabet of designs called Adinkra, which are used to decorate cloth. Originally, Adinkra cloth was only for solemn ceremonies, but now it is used in festive occasions as well. Traditional symbols are made with bold black ink.
Politics
Bulleyes have been used in political protests. In 1999, Yugoslavian Serbs donned paper bullseye targets to protest a bombing by NATO. It was an irony-laced challenge, a way of saying, "Do not treat us as your targets."
The Military
A type of bullseye, called a roundel, is used on military craft. The French were the first to use the symbol, on their airplanes during World War I. A French military roundel consists of three concentric circles: a red outer ring, a blue inner dot, and a white ring separating the two. The French Air Force still uses a version of this design today.
The modern-day U.K.'s Royal Air Force still uses a roundel as its insignia. It's similar to the French symbol, but in reverse: a blue outer ring, a red inner dot, and a white ring between. Spain, Italy, Belgium, India, and many other countries have their own version of the military rondel.
Types of Bullseyes
At its most basic, a bullseye is just a set of concentric circles. The circles might be different colors or alternating black and white. The classic dartboard bullseye has a small circle at the center, two wider circles nearer the edges, and a pattern of alternating wedges pointing in from the edges to the center.
Photographers and sharpshooters are familiar with the image of crosshairs at the center of a bullseye. In a camera, the crosshairs help the photographer to set the focus. In a scope, the crosshairs help with aiming a rifle.
Ideas for Bullseye Tattoos
A simple set of concentric circles makes a fine tattoo. You can choose black ink or a single color, or make each circle a different shade. (You may want to check first to make sure you're not accidentally copying a particular military roundel.)
If you want something more unusual, bullseye tattoos can be combined with other designs. You can add a tribal design overlapping from the center or place the bullseye off-center with another image sharing the space.
If you're thinking of the bullseye as a target, you may want to include an image of whatever it is you're targeting. If you're a hunter, a six-point buck might look out from the middle. If your target is spiritual, consider a symbol of whatever challenges you're overcoming.
More Than Colors and Lines
A talented artist can create bullseye tattoos out of other shapes. Vines and leaves can twine into concentric circles, and barbed wire also makes a striking pattern. Celtic knots and tribal shapes are other options.
Depending on your taste, you could even incorporate butterflies in flight… a dragon curling around treasure… a ring of dolphins… or whatever your imagination conjures.
Bullseye Tattoos.com
Bullseyetattoos.com is a web site featuring tattoo flash that you can purchase and download. Bullseye has designs from over 30 different artists. Images range from skulls to butterflies, and styles include tribal, celtic, new school, fantasy, and more. Designs include both the finished image and the line art stencil that your tattoo artist will need. You can also purchase flash sheets with multiple designs.
Oddly enough, the one thing you won't find at Bullseyetattoos.com is a drawing of an actual bullseye.
Bullseye in the Comics
Fans of the comic book Daredevil will remember the arch-villain Bullseye. This anti-hero could throw any object with deadly accuracy and force. As part of his costume, he sported a bullseye on his forehead. In the Daredevil movie, the designers gave him a bullseye-shaped scar on his forehead, instead.
Only the most daring body modification enthusiasts would go for such a startling mark. If you feel a connection with Bullseye, though, a good tattoo artist can help you re-create his image in a less prominent place.
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