Fresh Tattoo Drawing Ideas That Celebrate the Art of Ink

Before the needle gets pressed into skin, tattoo artists sketch up their design ideas to perfect them. Tattoo drawing ideas are simply inspiration for other sketches that could be applied as tattoos. Many tattoo artists create portfolios often called “flash” with designs that they’ve created and put to paper for patrons to choose from. Flash sheets are usually hung on the walls of tattoo shops or are kept in books for clients to flip through.

These collections of tattoo drawing ideas give folks an opportunity to pick a great one-of-a-kind design created by the artist. If you’re interested in seeing tattoos on paper or want some ideas for how to draw them yourself, take a look at the very cool images we discovered below!

Prepare to Be Wow’d by These Tattoo Drawing Ideas.

Winged Things

Here’s a sheet with four different winged insects. These tattoo drawing ideas are beautiful with each bug offering something unique and beautiful.

A Creepy Scene

Here’s a pretty portrait in an oval frame. The shading here is notable and will be interesting to see it translated into an actual tattoo.

Athena

We find a portrait of the Olympic goddess of wisdom and war. The thick, black lines harken back to traditional tattooing while exploring new modes of realization.

A Deadly Lighter

Here’s one of the creative tattoo drawing ideas that finds a skull fit into a lighter. This is not the neatest drawing on the list but it’s still a cool concept.

A Neo-Traditional Clucker

Here’s a chicken portrait done in the neo-traditional style. It takes elements from traditional tattoo design and explores new possibilities while including some timeless motifs.

Venus of Willendorf & Cave Paintings

Venus of Willendorf names a fertility figurine that was put in the ground 25,000 years ago. We find a beautiful drawing of the little statue here flanked by imagery that we believe to be inspired by the Lascaux cave paintings. What a cool nod to some of the oldest art ever discovered.

Ornamental Piece

Wow! What a stunner! We find a bejeweled heart here flanked by tan and milk chocolate florals. This is one of the tattoo drawing ideas for someone who is looking to perfect symmetry.

Twice As Nice

Wanting to practice that fine linework? These animals with two heads would be a great way to do so. We find a variety of shading techniques here to perfect.

Traditional Dagger

Some tattoo drawing ideas never go out of style. The imagery in this dagger tattoo is very old and represents a celebration of traditional tattooing.

Bathtime

Here are some truly whimsical tattoo drawing ideas inspired by… bathtime. You’ll find some splashy-cool abstract shapes with flowing water that brings tons of movement. From the stopper to the rubber duck, there’s a lot to admire in these offbeat designs.

Flaming Heart

Want to practice those crisp lines, angles, and edges? This flaming heart is deceptively simple but there are some really fine points that will be hard to perfect.

Next-Level Irish Setter

Okay. So, we know most poeple looking for tattoo drawing ideas are not trying to draw an actual masterpiece but we just had to share this illustration of an Irish Setter. Just, wow! Take a look at all of the detail in the fur. Bravo!

Encanto-Inspired

Our buddy, Antonio Madrigal, from Disney’s Encanto sure makes for a great drawing idea. If you’re a fan of the animated film, a tattoo of Madrigal could prove a winning one.

Moon Lily

Here’s a tattoo drawing idea from South Korea. Artists there are really pushing the limits when it comes to tattoos, how they are applied, and are uncovering new possibilities. This is such a beautiful illustration it could hang in a gallery.

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A Rose: Two Ways

Here are some excellent tattoo drawing ideas. Rose tattoos are among the most popular of all time. You get to try them two ways: one with delicate shading and linework and the other in silhouette.

Animal Linework

Single-line tattoos are a huge trend at the moment. If you’re new to trying your hand at these sorts of designs, the small, uncomplicated, tattoo drawing ideas above are a great place to start.

A Witchy Moment

Here’s one of the tattoo drawing ideas that feels like it could work for the chest or upper back. We find a skeleton hand and a normal one moving a planchette. Celestial imagery abounds here in this stunning design.

Ornamental Details

Ornamental designs like this one are deceptively simple. But, they are all about perfect symmetry which is no easy feat. You’ll need a steady hand for tattoo drawing ideas like these.

Traditional Flash Sheet

Here’s a traditional tattoo flash sheet that will see in some form in most tattoo shops. We find swallow sailor tattoos on it which are a great place to start for beginners.

Three Vases

Vase tattoos are so handsome and offer an almost architectural intrigue in the above example. Are you most excited to try the broken one?

Mandala-Inspired

Mandala tattoos are hugely popular today. For tattoo drawing ideas, these can go in a variety of directions. This handsome design is rather modest as others are extremely intricate.

Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright

Wow! This tiger would make for an excellent tattoo. We love the way the leaves are expressed by negative space which offers mystery and drama.

Delicate Botanical Moons

Superfine designs like these are typically applied with the stick and poke method to achieve all of the tiny details and fine lines. These are razor-sharp so take it easy!

Flirty and Fun

Here are some tattoo drawing ideas that shouldn’t be too hard to pull off. The straight lines and symmetry are going to be tough, but we’ve got faith in you!

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Raven on Red

We wanted to leave you with some drama so here’s a black bird on a red background. As you can see, the design really pops thanks to the color choices. Black and red together will always be a winning option for your tattoos.

Did these tattoo drawing ideas fill you with inspiration? We sincerely hope you feel motivated to work with an artist on your next design or to help develop your very own. The world of tattoos is such an artful one with so many talented and skilled tattoo artists out there who first sketch things out before applying those designs to skin. Happy drawing and tattooing!