One of the hardest things about being a tattoo artist is thinking of new designs. Finding tattoos you like can help you find inspiration and even develop your own style.
Whether you’re looking to find some fresh ideas - or you’re just interested in the different types of designs that are out there - you’re in the right place. Here’s a gallery of some of the most popular tattoo designs:
Music Tattoos
Music-inspired tattoos don’t have to just be centered around music notes and treble clefs. Different music icons, instruments, dance styles, movie scores, and more can all be the subject of musically inclined tattoos.
Skull Tattoos
Skull tattoos are some of the most popular designs in the industry. A great way to make yours stand out is to choose a unique style and add unique surrounding elements.
Faith-Based Tattoos
Some people like to wear their beliefs on their skin. We’re fans of focusing on not only the battle between light and dark in the subject matter, but also using lots of highlights and dark shadows in these tattoos to add extra depth.
Animal Tattoos
When dealing with a popular subject matter - like lions - you can keep your work unique by going for a more original version of the “roaring lion” tattoo.
Scorpion tattoos are considered to be a symbol of strength. Their tails are so universally recognizable that you can make the design as realistic or illustrative as you’d like without losing the symbolism.
Phoenix tattoos reflect the story of someone “rising from the ashes,” which is why they’re so popular.
Most often found in traditional Japanese tattoos, dragons have made their way into all different tattoo styles.
Wolves, like lions, tend to be a meaningful tattoo design for most people because they represent strength and resilience. However, you can make a wolf tattoo more personal by choosing a style that is done less often.
Birds are at the top of the list of most-tattooed animals. However, unlike lions or wolves, there’s less of an expectation when it comes to a bird’s facial expression, which is why birds make a great subject for any tattoo style.
Popular Tattoo Symbols
One of the most well-known tattoo designs in the world, rose tattoos are often associated with Sailor Jerry and his traditional tattooing style. However, rose tattoos have evolved a lot since then, ranging from mystical to hyper-realistic.
Lots of tattoos revolve around royalty, but crown tattoos let you experiment with different tones, whether you want to go for a goofy, feminine, or serious look.
Capturing the awe and wonder of the universe is often the focal point of some of the best tattoo ideas.
Whether they’re representing the life of a traveler or someone’s moral character pointing toward “True North,” compass tattoos are very popular design ideas.
Arrow tattoos do a great job of working with the flow of the body, because they can be tattooed right along one of the many lines of the body.
Moon tattoos let tattoo artists play with the idea of contrast - whether they’re playing with light in their designs or juxtaposing a hollowed-out crescent moon with a circular sun.
A design centered around queens and royalty will give you a timeless tattoo design. Here’s a few of our current favorites:
Most tattoo artists will tell you that feather tattoos are really popular - and overdone. However, incorporating a new style can help you create a unique feather design that feels fresh.
Floral designs create some of the best tattoos because they’re easy to read, can be molded to fit on any part of the body easily, and fit any color palette.
Small Tattoos
Small tattoos are very popular. We recommend placing small tattoos on smaller areas of the body (where you would normally wear jewelry).This includes near the wrists, ankles, hands or ears. To learn more, check out our Tattoo Placement Guide.
Family Tattoos
If portraits or name tattoos aren’t your style, going with imagery that represents family members is a great alternative.
Name tattoos can be a great way to keep someone with you, no matter where you go. However, name tattoos are the most popular type to get removed or covered up. We only recommend these family tattoo ideas for family members who have passed, children, or pets.
A great way to memorialize a family member to get a meaningful tattoo that reminds you of them. If you don’t want to go with a traditional portrait, you could use symbols (like an angel), a picture that represents their personality, or something that belongs uniquely to that person, like their handprint.
Instead of choosing tattoos that represent specific family members, some people opt for tattoos that represent their wider family or culture with family crest tattoos or tattoo styles that originated in different regions of the world.
Disney Tattoos
One of the best things about tattoos of iconic characters is that they remain recognizable, even when you experiment with different styles or add pieces of your own personality.
Discover Tattoo Design Ideas
Ready for more? Click on the design ideas you’re interested in to learn more from our professional tattoo artists.
Printable Cross Tattoo Stencil Designs
Cross tattoos are timeless and a powerful representation of a person’s faith and values. In this collection, you’ll find designs that are ready to stencil up right away or to be used a starting point for a larger custom piece. Table of Contents Cross Tattoo Stencil3 Cross Tattoo StencilSimple Cross Tattoo StencilCross with Wings Tattoo …
12 Printable Skull Tattoo Stencils
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Butterflies are one of those designs that get asked for again and again. They can be simple, detailed, or combined with a variety of other elements for a piece with nice flow on the body. Table of Contents Flying Butterfly Tattoo StencilSimple Butterfly Tattoo Stencil2 Butterflies Tattoo StencilOutline Butterfly Tattoo Stencil 3 Butterfly Tattoo StencilMonarch Butterfly …
18 Geometric Tattoo Stencil Printable
Geometric tattoos are a favorite among clients because they’re clean, bold, and show off the structure of the body. If you’re looking to take some on, I’ve put together a collection of printable stencils you can use as ready-to-go flash or a starting point for your own tattoo designs. Table of Contents Pattern Geometric Tattoo …
18 Printable Flower Tattoo Stencils
Flower tattoos are some of the most versatile designs you can work with. They can be bold or delicate, and you can weave them into just about any design. In this article, they’ll take center stage as the main part of the tattoo. This collection of printable stencils can be used as flash designs or …
12 Classic Rose Tattoo Stencil Designs
Roses are one of the most common tattoo designs out there. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the rose tattoo designs clients ask for the most with ready-to-go stencils to make it easy. Table of Contents Rose with Rosary Tattoo StencilRose and Butterfly Tattoo StencilRose and Clock Tattoo StencilHeart and Rose …
50+ Creative Arm Tattoo Ideas For Men in 2025
When it comes to getting inked, the arm is easily one of the most popular spots for men. For many designs, it’s the ideal canvas because it offers ample space for intricate designs while also being the perfect “conversation starter” placement. In this guide, we’ll break down:What you need to know about arm tattoo designs …
Tattoo Ideas for Women Picked By Tattoo Artists
Whether you’re getting your first piece or just adding to your collection, finding the right tattoo design for you is important. Some people prefer that every tattoo has a deep meaning, while others want a design just for the beauty of a piece of tattoo art. In this article, we’re diving into some of the …
Top 5 Name Tattoo Cover-Up Styles for 2025
A cover up tattoo is exactly what it sounds like – tattooing one design on top of another to help hide the existing tattoo. In this article, we’ll cover a few important things to keep in mind when designing a cover up tattoo, including:The best techniques for hiding existing ink Popular cover up tattoo designsWhen …
30+ Amazing Tattoo Cover-Up Ideas (with Before & After Photos)
Cover up tattoos are designs that disguise old tattoos. The goal is to make it look like the original one was never there. However, it’s not as simple as tattooing one design over another. In this article, we’ll explore the art of cover ups and how they work, including:Which tattoo styles, designs, and colors create …
