You can turn just about anything into a black tattoo, though it’s usually good to know exactly why you chose to do so over getting the same design in color. If you’re thinking about getting a black tattoo or simply want to know what they are, you’ve come to the right place! Below you will find just some of the many great black tattoos that people like to get.
The Insect
There are a lot of cool creatures that you can get in black tattoo form, but insects seem to work the best, especially the ones that are already all back. Plus, insects come with their own meanings, many of which people would be glad to have. For example, if you were to get a black ant tattoo, you are saying that hard work is important to you. Just about every insect tattoo comes with multiple meanings attached to it, so be sure you do your research before committing to one.
The Tribal
What’s great about tribal tattoos is that they are regularly done in black ink, so you aren’t going to have to change the design at all just because you want to get a black tattoo. As with insects, the meaning behind your tribal tattoo will depend on the design that you get. You can get bands or shapes that represent strength, or you could get some designs simply to honor someone. There are literally thousands of fantastic tribal designs to choose from, so take your time and get the ones that both look good and mean something to you.
The Black Bands
These can look pretty much exactly like black tribal tattoos, but some people get their black bands for completely different reasons than those who get tribal designs. While it is true that some people get black armband tattoos simply because they look cool, the real meaning behind them is pretty deep. For every band that you get, you are honoring someone who has passed away. If you wanted to get a memorial tattoo in its simplest form, then this is the black tattoo to get.
The Black Rose
If you wanted to get a flower tattoo but wanted to stick with black ink only, then the black rose tattoo could be perfect for you. These floral designs come with a couple of very deep meanings. You can get one of these black tattoos to show that you are trying to do the impossible in your life, or you might get one to show that you are mourning the loss of someone very important to you. Either way, this can be one of the more beautiful black tattoo designs that you can get.
The Japanese Lettering
Here’s yet another black tattoo idea that can work well for just about anyone. Most people get their Japanese word tattoos in black ink anyways, so you won’t have to alter this design in any way. The meaning behind your Japanese word tattoo comes down to the words themselves, so it’s a good idea to think of exactly what type of meaning you want to get across and find the symbols that make up that meaning. These black tattoos work well all over the body, including the wrist or even straight down your spine.
The tree
Want a great black tattoo that both looks beautiful and has meanings that just about everyone can use? Then you’ll definitely want to at least look into the tree tattoo. Trees represent life, rejuvenation, and family, among other things. You can go in many different directions with your design, from a very small tree outline on your arm to a very large and detailed black tree on your back.
The skull
Most people get their skull tattoos to show that they have accepted their own mortality and are going to make the most of it every day. You might also get it to show that you have no fear of death or that you are honoring all of those who have passed away in your life. Regardless of the meanings that you use, the skull is a classic black tattoo that can go anywhere on your body. Most people prefer to get their skulls as black tats since black is the preferred color to use when doing any type of death tattoo.
The Silhouette
The silhouette is an excellent black tattoo option for anyone who wants to get a design without a lot of detail. There are some designs that simply look better in their real colors, but the silhouette allows you to keep the meanings that come with that image while also having a unique-looking tattoo.
You can get silhouettes of people, animals, plants, symbols, or just about anything else you can think of. Even large silhouette tattoos can look fantastic if you work with an artist who has done a lot of detailed black tattoos in the past.
The Black Sleeve
The black sleeve is for anyone who greatly prefers the look of black ink over color. You might think of a black sleeve as being just black ink covering the skin, but it can be so much more than that. You can mix just about any type of design into your black sleeve, including flowers, animals, and even people.
Some folks will even get their arms covered in black ink and the designs are actually made from the parts that don’t have black ink on them. Once again, the meanings will come from the images that you use rather than the black ink itself.
The Cover-Up
No matter how hard people try to get tattoos that they will love forever, there are many cases where they end up fully regretting the designs they chose to get. This is where the cover-up tattoo comes into play. It’s pretty rare that you will have to completely black out your own tattoo; instead, you can use black ink to cover up the old design and create a new one.
This takes a special skill, though, so look around for tattoo artists in your area who specialize in turning old tattoo designs into fantastic new black tattoos.