40+ Creative Tattoo Ideas to Inspire Your Next Bit of Body Art

Photo: Annie Spratt

The stigma behind body art is quickly disappearing and making creative tattoos a norm rather than an anomaly. As tattoo artists gain recognition through channels like Instagram, it’s easy to get inspiration for your own ink. Whether you’re looking to get your first design or add the finishing touch to a full sleeve, there are a ton of great tattoo ideas that will help ensure you’re getting the best body art for you.

Because there are so many great designs out there, it can feel overwhelming to try and decide on what you’ll get. There are a couple of ways to find something that’ll work for you. Begin by figuring out where you’ll put the tattoo; the placement will often dictate what size and the amount of detail possible. A finger tattoo, for instance, will likely be so small that you can only have something simple inked. But if you’re interested in a spine tattoo, that particular area lends itself well to long, slender designs, as does the collar bone. Half and full tattoo sleeves on arms are great for bold body art, so don't be afraid to think big!

Once you’ve decided on where you want your tattoo, you can then figure out the type of imagery you’ll want to have on your skin for the rest of your life. That’s where we come in! We’ve picked a bevy of different designs that are sure to spark an idea (or two) about your next piece of body art.

Thinking of getting a tattoo? Here are tattoo ideas divided into categories: art history;  flowers and nature; animals; abstract; and surreal.

Art History

 

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A post shared by Suflanda (@suflanda) on Jun 5, 2019 at 12:52pm PDT

 

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A post shared by Eva krbdk (@evakrbdk) on May 16, 2019 at 11:55pm PDT

A post shared by Mike Boyd (@mikeboydtattoos) on Oct 10, 2017 at 10:37am PDT

 

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A post shared by La Malafede (@lamalafedetattoo) on Dec 25, 2018 at 3:40am PST

A post shared by Tattooist_Doy (@tattooist_doy) on Nov 21, 2017 at 7:12am PST

A post shared by Zihee_tattoo (@zihee_tattoo) on May 9, 2018 at 8:07am PDT

A post shared by Fredão Oliveira (@fredao_oliveira) on Oct 21, 2016 at 7:22am PDT

 

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A post shared by Eva krbdk (@evakrbdk) on Jun 18, 2019 at 11:49am PDT

 

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A post shared by ˈpɑːlɪk_SJ / 상진 (@polyc_sj) on May 24, 2019 at 9:31pm PDT

 

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A post shared by Oozy (@oozy_tattoo) on Mar 28, 2019 at 9:23am PDT

For more art history-inspired tattoos, check out 29 Museum-Worthy Tattoos Inspired by Art History.

Animals & Nature

A post shared by Sophia Baughan (@sophiabaughan) on Aug 21, 2017 at 1:39am PDT

A post shared by The Witchdoctor™ Los Angeles (@miryamlumpini) on Jul 23, 2017 at 7:29am PDT

A post shared by Pony Reinhardt Tattoo (@freeorgy) on Mar 6, 2018 at 5:11pm PST

A post shared by Emily Kaul (@emily_kaul) on Mar 8, 2018 at 12:11pm PST

A post shared by Tattooer, Wroclaw, Poland (@dzo_lama) on Jun 20, 2018 at 3:00am PDT

A post shared by Inez Janiak (@ineepine) on May 28, 2018 at 3:44am PDT

A post shared by Sasha Unisex (@sashaunisex) on Jun 11, 2017 at 6:59am PDT

A post shared by Valentin Hirsch (@valentinhirschtattoo) on May 14, 2018 at 9:50am PDT

A post shared by Katie Shocrylas (@kshocs) on Dec 13, 2017 at 8:41pm PST

A post shared by Kyle Stacher (stah’-ker) (@thiefhands) on Apr 3, 2018 at 8:51pm PDT

 

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A post shared by Victor J Webster (@victorjwebstertattoo) on Feb 24, 2018 at 1:51pm PST

 

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A post shared by Mambo Tattooer® (@mambotattooer) on May 8, 2019 at 9:57am PDT

 

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A post shared by Zihee_tattoo (@zihee_tattoo) on Jun 25, 2019 at 6:50am PDT

Next: Abstract & Surreal Tattoos