33 Soaring Butterfly Tattoo Ideas

Butterfly tattoos are extremely popular today with tons of folks choosing to get butterfly ink. There is so much to love about butterflies as they are one of nature’s most beautiful creatures.  These elegant designs feature everyone’s favorite insect, the butterfly. After all, butterfly wings are like little works of art that translate very well in tattoo form.

Due to their endless allure and intricacy, they have become a favorite subject matter for people. Unoffensive, gorgeous, and petite, butterfly tattoos are a hot ticket today. We wanted to learn more about butterfly tattoos so we took to social media to get a better understanding of the trends of today. We found all manner of butterfly tattoos from minimalist to maximalist to share with you. If you’re considering getting some ink, take a look at these designs for inspiration!

Check Out These Gorgeous Butterfly Tattoos to Inspire Your Own Ink!

Minimal

Understated sophistication can be found in this tattoo that is composed of very thin lines of black ink. For something equally appealing, ask your tattoo artist for crisp lines and organic shapes.

A Little More To It

If you want to stick to black ink, you can ask your artist for something with a little more pattern and visual interest. In this micro tattoo, we find just enough detail without it being too busy.

Don’t Fear Color

Don’t be afraid to get colorful with your butterfly tattoo. In this design, we find plenty of warm tones and a truly inspired pattern in the wings that is one-of-a-kind.

Monarch Butterfly Tattoo

One of the most recognizable butterflies in North America is the monarch butterfly. These gorgeous creatures are often considered symbols of migration as these butterflies travel long distances, thousands of miles, during the fall.

Back to Black

We go back to monochrome with this black butterfly tattoo that’s been applied in a traditional style. Simple shapes and patterns are hallmarks of traditional tattooing and this tattoo displays both in a winning fashion.

Creeped Out

Work with an artist you trust to come up with a tattoo that feels singular and inspired. In this piece, we find shapes from a skull in the butterfly’s wings. It’s a bit creepy but visually stunning nonetheless.

Hearts

We find a very cute idea in this butterfly tattoo that has been stylized with tiny hearts in its wings. Get creative with your design for a totally unique tattoo that only you have!

Seeing Red

Red ink is an upgrade to black that we wish more people would consider. For whatever reason, red looks incredible on most skin tones and adds even more visual interest than you will find with just black ink.

Roses

Similar to the hearts butterfly tattoo, this one imagines wings filled with blooms. Please, run with this idea and create something that’s completely original and fabulous.

Two-Faced

How cute is this neo-traditional banger? In this butterfly tattoo, we find two faces in the wings which is definitely not something you see every day. Bravo!

Rainbow Realism

Wow! Take a look at all of the different colors in the wings of this butterfly tattoo. It’s surreal in its color but it does look insanely real in its composition.

More Realism

We find some hyperrealistic butterflies in these tattoos that look absolutely stunning. If you’d like tattoos that look like they could fly off of your arm, find a tattoo artist who specializes in this sort of thing.

Feeling Blue

Red is not the only ink option other than black. You can find happiness in these blueberry blue butterfly tattoos. If you want to go with your favorite color, you should!

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Symbolism

In this black ink butterfly tattoo, we find the infinity symbol which is an extremely popular subject for tattoos today. If you’d like your tattoo to have extra meaning, consider something similar.

Delicate

We find a small butterfly tattoo that’s been applied so delicately it barely looks real. We believe this is a stick and poke tattoo which offers a lot more detail in very small designs.

Textbook

This is a textbook, traditional tattoo that takes advantage of simple shapes and light shading to bring the butterfly to life. While colorful butterfly tattoos are gorgeous, sometimes black and grey can really hit the spot.

Once More, With Color

This tattoo is strikingly similar to the previous one but the person has chosen to go full-color. We bring you both for you to see the virtues of each. We hope that they help you decide which direction you want to go with your own tattoo.

Unusual

Sometimes the most unusual ideas yield the most incredible tattoos. This black and grey butterfly tattoo is unlike any other on this list. Let your artist go wild and you might walk away with something equally as breathtaking.

Be Bold

Here’s another butterfly tattoo that’s bold in its approach. While you will see no butterfly in the wild that looks like this, you instantly know what the subject matter is. What a beauty!

Checkered

In this butterfly tattoo, we find flames and a checkered pattern which are both highly unusual in this genre. As you can see, the sky’s the limit so let your imagination run wild.

Norigae

The person with this butterfly tattoo wanted to celebrate their Korean heritage so they worked a Norigae, a sort of tassel, into the design. Isn’t it stunning?

Wonderfully Weird

In this butterfly tattoo, we find a figure that looks like it’s melting. The person who shared this image offered no explanation, but did they need to? It looks fantastic!

Papillon

This butterfly tattoo comes from France. There, you’ll hear these creatures called papillon. It’s a very strange design that somehow works. We love all of the different textures the artist has created.

Profile

By far, the most popular style of butterfly tattoo shows the creature with both wings spread, like a top-down view. This design bucks convention by showing the butterfly in “profile.” We think it turned out beautifully.

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Red & Yellow

Red and yellow look striking when paired together. We find these colors dazzling in this butterfly tattoo that’s done in a neo-traditional style.

A Whole Scene

If you’re interested in a butterfly sleeve tattoo, you could do no better than this example. Pair butterflies with botanical elements like flowers and fruit for an evocative design that is sure to delight.

Smoldering

We find our second flaming butterfly tattoo on the list in this mysterious design. Take a look at all of the tiny dots used to add texture. What a thrill!

Ombré

In this glamorous butterfly tattoo, we find a slight ombré effect that looks so moody and beautiful. Speak with your tattoo artist about color to plan the perfect scheme for your design.

Deep Blue

Wow! This butterfly tattoo is truly a stunner! We find a dark blue tone that verges on black. Notice how the blue transition to purple and red at the bottom. What a remarkable tattoo and fresh idea!

Psychadelic

In this rather trippy design, we find some dazzling colors amid a rather morbid subject matter. There’s a skull design worked into the wings that’s unsettling but very attractive.

Witchy

A popular placement for butterfly tattoos is in the center of the chest because it accentuates the natural shape. We find a rather witchy design with eyes, a crescent moon, and other decorative elements that really set it apart.

Autumnal Vibes

Are you really feeling fall this season? Get a butterfly tattoo that celebrates all things autumn by simply choosing a warm color scheme like this one. Orange and a grayish-green really pop next to one another.

Butterfly Lady

We leave you with this design of a “butterfly lady” that’s done in the traditional style. Simple shapes and bold lines are all it takes to bring this gorgeous character to life. Go for it!

There you go! We hope you enjoyed these butterfly tattoo ideas and will keep them in mind as you consult a tattoo artist about your very own butterfly ink. There’s no right or wrong way to go about getting a butterfly tattoo so get really creative to walk away with inspired and unique ink.