Very good. Thank you for sharing this James!

LOL Yeah... a runners leg for sure!!!!

Another angle

Here is the finished tattoo,done today by Doug Auld of Pearl Tattoo Studio in Portland,Oregon.

Like others,I have come to this thread late. I shall be heading to my ink artist tomorrow for a Welsh dragon tattoo. As I have more ink than most,finding the spot for it to face west is the only issue I face. I want it on my right calf but it would face right and not left.So forget that. I shall probably put it either on the inside right leg and have it wrap around a wee bit or on my back right calf. Either way,it should come out rather nice.

Still deciding on CYMRU underneath as that ,IMHO,detracts from the dragon .
Hope to have a photo in a few days.

James in Vancouver,Washington USA on the left coast!!

Wade,

That is very cool! I didn't know about UV ink--very cool indeed. I do love that design. I can't remember where I found it. Glad you are honoring your family and that it means something deep to you. I'm headed to Wales for my first time in late April and I'm looking forward to it.

Thanks for sharing this with me!

Chad Davis

To Chad Davis and everyone who has input on this blog, i was looking to get a welsh dragon tattoo or Ddraig as my grandfather passed away almost 2 years ago after losing the battle of lung cancer, (I consequence of working in the Welsh Coal mines andsmokingin the army) and since i have moved to Swansea inWalestopursuefurther education here and live on the land of my father and his.. ect. So i found your design and modified it slightly and had it done!!

However i do not have the "Cymru" under it and it is in an invisible UV reactive ink! i will try and attach a few pictures of it on here. thank you so much forputtingyour design on here, its amazing and graces my right forearm forever more..

It should be placed over your heart, proudly on your chest!

We need to get Peter Griffiths involved in this discussion!

In his book, TONGUE TIED, he used the dragon as a bonding device between two friends who would soon separate and live very different lives. Subsequently, the male offspring also had a similar tattoo.

I do wonder though, if I'll have to have plastic surgery before getting the tattoo, as it is somewhat difficult over wrinkles!

Howard

Thanks Steve!

Nice tattoo !

Thank you Peter and thank you all! I did get my Ddraig about a year an a half ago. It is on my left shoulder, facing 'West' as appropriate. This is the design:

This is such an old thread no-one may be reading it anymore but I've gotta put my say in here.

I had my tattoo done when I was 50. I have a Dragon on my left arm facing my body, I have my reasons. Around the Dragon I have the words "Ysbryd tragwyddol y Celtiaid" (The eternal spirit of the Celts) I have seen Dragons on "T" shirts over here but, unlike the Welsh Dragon, they have their tail between the legs. That bugs me.

In reply to an earlier post; Dragons are real, only virgins are a fantasy.

Hwyl Chad,

I am a new member on this site but found this thread looking for designs for a Welsh dragon tattoo! I agree with nearly everyone else who has commented. The dragon should be in profile facig left with his right paw raised as if ready to strike and most definitely must have a curled tail.

I had my first tattoolast year - I am 54. I promised myself that if ever I plucked up the courage to have one done I would have my favoured deign imprinted. So, in a lovely Celtic script I have Made in Wales tattooed on my left buttock!

The design was inspired by an English rugby player called Tony Copsey who was an England international who played his club rugby in Wales. Llanelli I think. He had Made in England on his ass which caused much hilarity and conversation in the dressing room as you can imagine.

Good luck with your tattoo and if anyone tells you it doesn't hurt - they are lying!!

Nadolig llawen a blwyddyn newydd dda.

Hi brave boy, dragons do not exist they are a myth you will just look like a yobo. body art is just a scar much like the blue marks that miners got down the pit....think hard and deep cos you can't get rid of em, there are for life, they will not help your insercuraties, if you do go down this road make sure that you can spell better than little old me...?

can have the tats on inner thighs so they can...rub each other wrong way!! Can you take the pain?

i have two shoulder tattoos an eagle on my right facing left (at my back) and a dragon on my left facing left(at my chest).so here is my answer.a fellow Welshman's answer the draig goch is the draig goch no matter which way it faces.a heraldic answer (so i've been told): facing to the left "segreant" the dragon is in defense protecting wales, facing to the right the dragon is in attack (and facing England-funny ??)so why do i have both to the left? always chasing each other for dominance but both always have my back.pob lwcgwyn

why the right arm anyway?because space is taken up there already?why not left arm & be done with it & its facing the left?good luck.Sue

Hi,Aled is right... the ddraig faces West.. so, absolutely head to the Left as you look on..I have lived in Welsh Wales all of my life... I don't think it would particularly 'offend' anyone, but I guess your awesome tat may well lose it's kudos by having it back to front...Also, it's a bit of a personal peeve for me, though I have no real basis for this, apart from it's wrong...so, as per the attached image, but 'flip' it cos he's facing the wrong way...Also, just as a foot note... I have always seen Cymru underneath as opposed to above the dragon... Kinda Like the dragon is Standing on the word...Anyway, Pob LwcCymer OfalSkeet

Good input Aled, thank you!

I'm curious as to why the dragon should be facing forward in your tattoo. The dragon on the flag, of course, should always face to the left (towards Ireland - or, in our cases, towards the Americas). That would mean that if it were on your left arm, it would be facing forward, and if on your right, backwards.That said, I doubt you'd offend anybody whichever way it was facing, and if the discussion arose, you could always say that this one is a homesick American Welsh dragon!

I'm thinking about having a Welsh Dragon tattooed on my arm. I've never had a tat before and this is one of those 'I'm turn 40 and I'm fighting it' type of things. Anyway, I want to put it on my right arm and the artist tells me that the dragon should be facing forward. This would require him to flip the image from the way it is usually displayed. My question is, by 'flipping' the dragon does this present any negative cultural implication? Having never visited Wales (yet) I don't want to do anything offensive to the Welsh people. I am also going to have 'Cymru' placed above the dragon as well. Any cultural input regarding Welsh or Dragon tattoos are appreciated. Thanks!
updated by @chad-davis: 12/12/15 01:54:38PM