Tattoo art has increasingly become a popular method of adorning our bodies. Tattoo artists usually use their creativity to depict various elements, and natural themes are often used for artistic expression. Bear tattoos are one of the most popular types of animal tattoos among men: attractive and steeped in symbolism. Bear tattoos for men are thought to symbolize nobility and strength. They also serve as a representation of hunter, fisher, warrior and mother. They can be done in a way that portrays sereneness and docility in the forest. The artist can also depict them in a way that displays danger and ferocity.

There are several species of bear, spread in a wide variety of geographical zones including the Panda bear, Kodiak bear, brown bear, grizzly bear and the polar bear.The Kodiak and the grizzly bears represent great strength and danger. The polar and koala bears are usually portrayed by people who are involved in preservation efforts since they are an endangered species. The panda bear can be used to symbolize either depression or wisdom and peace.

Origins and Meanings of Bear Tattoos for Men

Native Americans considered the bear to be a highly symbolic animal. Some tribes like the Pueblo and Sioux Indians revered the animal and associated it with healing powers. However in other cultures in Europe, the bear was associated with war and Christians regarded it as an extremely cruel animal. For the Celts, the bear symbolized the power of the moon. The moon was thought to be a female symbol and this made the bear to be linked with motherhood and childbearing. According to the Chinese, the bear possessed yan energy, and associated it with power, machismo and bravery. Among the Greeks and Romans, the bear represented the Artemis and Diana, the goddesses of hunting. During winter the bears hibernate and they were considered to gain wit when they sleep. When spring comes and they emerge from hibernation, this symbolized reawakening of their power.

Nowadays the bear is widely portrayed in cartoons, movies, television and sports. Examples of sports franchises that use the bear as a team symbol include the Memphis Grizzlies and the Chicago Bears. There are people who get the bear tattoo as a way of supporting their favorite team or as a cartoon. The teddy bear was named after President Theodore Roosevelt because he refused to kill a cub of a black bear during a hunting expedition.

Designs for Bear Tattoos

The bear tattoo can be depicted in various ways. Even though you can ink the tattoo in any area of the body, many people commonly place it on their chests, lower backs and the forearms. Some individuals want the bear tattoo to have an evil and fierce look while others prefer it to have a relaxed and calm look. There are those with tattoos that depict only the face of the bear while others show the whole body of the bear. You can also have a design of the male bear or a female bear with one or two bear cubs.

It is important to do some research before you get your bear tattoo. You need to make sure that you get an experienced artist who can create amazing bear designs with a beautiful shadow effect. But there are a lot of different designs and styles and you need to be confident about the choice you make. This will ensure that you do not get a tattoo that you will regret about later on.

Check out the best bear tattoos for men

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Black and white bear tattoo on male forearm, fairly large in size and is covering most of the forearm. Tattoo depicts the face of a roaring bear, with feather-like leaves emerging from underneath and petal-like shrouds rising on the top of the bears head.

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Tattoo of a bear and its cubs etched in black and white on the side of male upper arm, with a slight pinkish hue. In the background there is a bear with its jaws wide open and behind it are trees and snow. In the foreground a bear is lying with four little cubs.

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A collection of three separate bear tattoos for men, etched on their upper arms and extending towards the shoulder. All three tattoos are black and white and show a grizzly bear walking through tall, thick grass. The far top of each tattoo is a stripe of slight reddish hue, showing the bear’s body fading away.

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A bear tattoo etched on the backside of male forearm. This bear tattoo design shows a roaring bear, jaws wide open and teeth clearly showing. The image is very symmetric and aligns perfectly with center of forearm.

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One of the most innovative bear tattoos, this black and white design features a giant bear walking across the skyline in the background, in the fore ground you can see trees shining in moonlight beneath the bear.

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One of the coolest bear tattoo ideas, this one is etched in black and white on the side of a male forearm. It is medium sized and placed in between the wrist and elbow, showing an outline of a bear, with black pine trees inside and white colored mountains in the background.

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This one is a black and white tattoo extending all the way around the lower forearm just above the wrist. It shows a bear prowling through the forest at night, with some trees nearby

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This one is a rather unique variation of bear tattoo ideas for men, featuring a combination of black and white along with shades of pink and green in the background. The tattoo shows the face of a bear calmly looking in one direction, with little white trees covering the foreground.

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This bear tattoo is highly expressive, with a certain depth to the image. It is a really bold bear tattoos idea implemented perfectly, and is etched in dark brown shade along the lower forearm. In it a bear seems like it is staring out of the forearm, with a lot of detail on the fur of the bears face and neck.

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Bear tattoos ideas don’t get any simpler than this. A simple black and white footprint of a bear, etched on the lower forearm’s back side, just above the wrist. Simple in design, yet with a strong contrast present between the tattoo and skin, a symbol of integrity and power.

More bear tattoos for men on the next page…