A man displaying his ink
A common subject for tattoo artists around the world, the playing card design utilizes one of the standard 52 cards of the playing card deck as the image of the tattoo. Often symbolizing elements of chance and risk, the tattooing of playing card designs have become popular in recent decades. With carefully consideration of the symbolism behind each playing card, as well as the specific suits, numbers or "face cards" that appeal to you, you can best select a tattoo design that will serve you for years to come.
Traditional Suits
The most common design among card tattoos uses the visual representation of one of the standard 52 playing cards. The specific card is generally chosen for personal reasons: a lucky draw, for instance, or other personal affinity to a specific suit and number. Creative interpretations of these designs can incorporate personal portraits into the "face cards" of a given suit -- a self-portrait in the place of the Queen of Hearts card, for example. Easily the most popular of the card tattoo designs are the Ace of Spades and Joker cards, which can be found in numerous shapes and sizes. To add originality to your design, select a specific style and coloration for your tattoo, such as an aged sepia-tone shade or bright-colored new-card effect. Include any symbols, such as Chinese characters, flames, lotuses, tribal designs or any other customized peripheral elements to help distinguish your specific tattoo.
Numeric Designs
One creative and original use of the card tattoo utilizes a group of cards in the design. This option allows for even more customization and personal significance as you select a number to be represented in your tattoo that each card equals or contributes to. For instance, if the number 777 carries a personal significance, three seven cards of separate suits can be placed alongside each other in the design. Someone who has had three previous marriages, for instance, could place three aces or a three of hearts in succession for their design. More intricate meanings can be constructed by using basic numerological meanings that utilize multiplication and division. A five of spades and a seven of hearts, for example, combine to make the number 12. Separate the two digits and add them together--one plus two, in this case--and you have three, your final number. Be creative when selecting your suits and numbers and select a design that has multiple meanings and layers.
Tarot Card Designs
A considerably more original and historically significant option is the selection of a specific tarot card for your tattoo. Speculated to be the root of the modern pack of playing cards, tarot cards include the traditional four suits, 10 numbers and 12 face cards prescribed to the standard 52 playing cards. Once again, select which card most attracts you and conduct research into the specific meaning of that card (this will often correspond to the meaning of its modern playing card equivalent). Tarot card designs are generally much more intricate than other card designs and may require multiple sessions and a higher budget in order to create a finished tattoo. As tarot cards are also larger than modern playing cards, more consideration has to be given to the placement of the tattoo on the body: the height and complexity of the card making it more appropriate for a back or shoulder placement than on the arms.
