In addition to spiritual connections, angel tattoos are very commonly used as in loving memory tattoos as a way to forever remember friends and loved ones who have passed away. Angel wings or halos associated with angels are often components of the memorial tattoos, even if the complete figure of an angel is not included in the overall design. Other options for angel tattoos include signifying your love for a partner or child or even in asking for the protection of God in your travels and life.

Angel tattoos for men tend to combine more of the warrior angel aspect of these spiritual beings. The Archangel Michael is a common angel tattoo for men, often including his defeat of Lucifer or Satan within the tattoo. In this way the tattoo can be used to symbolize a triumph over a challenge in one's life or a moving toward a better life in the future. Often archangels of good and evil are portrayed to be in mortal combat, much as a person's character may be divided or in conflict with itself. Skulls and angels combined in a tattoo can make a very traditional tattoo much more artistic in design without becoming overly designed or stylized. Cherubs or baby angel tattoos are a great way for a man to commemorate the birth of a child, often including the date and time of the birth in script below or around the tattoo itself.

Angel tattoos for women tend to be more spiritual in nature and focus more on the angel watching over you. These angels may be designed as in prayer or in study, looking forward to protect you in life. As with angel tattoos for men, cherubs are popular for women as good luck tattoos, to commemorate the birth of a child or even to memorialize the death of a loved one. Angel tattoos with a more feminine design tend to be more stylized and often have very intricate wings and designs that highlight the tattoo itself. In addition, many of the larger tattoos include flowers, filigree-type work and even Native American or tribal types of designs.

Since angels tend to signify both good and evil, there are many different styles and designs to choose from. Often angel tattoos are inspired by scripture and passages from the Bible or by popular artwork that includes angels, demons and other spiritual or mythical beings. Finding just the right angel tattoo may take some time and effort, but it is well worth the search. Start by looking at the many online samples of angel designs for tattoos, but also look at angels in popular, modern and historical artwork. If you find a design you like or a piece of artwork that reflects what you want the tattoo to look like, make a copy and bring it with you to a tattoo artist.

Designing your own version of an existing angel tattoo or coming up with something completely original will certainly give you some one-of-a-kind ink. However, there are many very beautiful and highly artistic-looking designs already available that may be just the design you want for your angel tattoos.