It used to be that almost all tattoos were found on the upper body, but that’s just not the case these days. Leg tattoos are now all the rage because people realized that their legs give them a whole new unique canvas to work with. Below we will take a look at why leg tattoos have become so popular and some great leg tattoo ideas.
Why are leg tattoos popular?
So why did leg tattoos all of a sudden become so popular? Is it because people simply wanted a new place to get inked, or was it because certain designs simple looked better on the legs than on other parts of the body? Regardless of the reason, the fact is that leg tattoos are here to stay and people are regularly coming up with new designs that work on the lower limbs.
One of the obvious reasons why leg tattoos have become so common is because they offer different lines to work with than other parts of the body. Some people love their calves and want to get tats that bring attention to that area. Others simple like the way that tattoos curve around the legs’ muscles.
Another key reason why people love getting leg tattoos is because it gives them a great spot for vertical designs. If you have a vertical design in mind that you don’t think would look quite right on the upper body, you might just find that it is the perfect leg tattoo idea.
Leg tattoo ideas
Just about any tattoo idea that you can think of could work as a leg tattoo, but the suggestions found below have been proven to work as leg tats.
Geometric shapes
: If you are looking for a more abstract design, then this might be the perfect leg tattoo idea for you. What’s great about geometric shape tats is that you can pretty much guarantee that yours will be unique. You can even use a design out of the book, tweak it a little bit, and make it yours. You can also be sure that you can get some great meanings out of these tattoos since just about every shape has dozens of great ones for you to choose from. You can combine a bunch of different shapes or design the entire tattoo around one.
Leg Band
: Leg bands used to be just about 100 percent tribal bands, but that’s just not the case anymore. You can get leg bands filled with your favorite animals, star leg bands, or just about anything else. Most people like to stick with simpler lines, but these days artists can make leg bands from micro images, keeping the lines thin while also making them meaningful for their clients. If you do get a leg band, it would be a good idea to know what each band represents (or come up with your own meanings) before you commit to a design.
Floral
: Flower tattoos are insanely popular for every part of the body, and they are shooting up the leg tattoo rankings very quickly. Getting a flower tattoo on your leg doesn’t change its meaning at all, but you might find that it works with the natural lines of your legs better than any other place on your body. For example, a rose tattoo with a full stem can look fantastic going down the side of a leg, but it might look a bit awkward if it’s placed on another part of the body.
Landscape
: The landscape tattoo tends to look better on the leg than the arm since you are working with a part of the body that is straight more often than not. If you get a landscape tattoo on your leg, the best place it usually on the back part near your calf since there isn’t too much movement there. You can get trees, mountains, animals, or all of them if you are working with an artist who can make it work.
Tribal
: Tribal leg tattoos didn’t hit the mainstream until about 15 years ago, but they have absolutely blown up since then. People love the looks of these tattoos since they usually have very intricate line work and they look like traditional tattoos rather than being too flashy. Tribal leg tattoos can be as simple as a couple of bands, or you can get huge leg sleeves that have hundreds of lines and a bunch of cool shapes.
Skulls
: Skulls represent a person’s acceptance of their mortality, which is one of the better tattoo meanings that you’ll find. You can get a single skull on your leg or make a sort of skull sleeve with five or more skulls. You can even combine the skulls with other ideas listed on this page, including flowers! Since there are so many skull tattoos out there these days, it’s probably a good idea to take your time with the design to ensure that yours is yours alone and not one that will be lost in the crowd.
Mandala
: To some people the mandala represents a spiritual awakening, while to others see it as the perfect symbol for focus. Regardless of the meaning used, the mandala makes for an excellent leg tattoo. They are usually medium-sized tattoos that work well on the thigh or hip areas. What people like so much about mandalas is that they look like very cool flowers with a bunch of great shapes mixed together. It’s actually quite common these days for people to get their mandalas in the shape of their favorite flowers or combine the mandala tattoo with other meaningful designs.
Leg Sleeve
: If you have a bunch of great ideas for a leg tattoo, why not turn them into a fantastic leg sleeve? You can get abstract shapes mixed with trees, or you could two leg bands with a landscape tattoo in between them. Your leg is a great area to be creative when it comes to tattooing since you have a bunch of great natural line sot work with and a whole lot of space. If you do decide to get a large leg sleeve tattoo, be sure to work with an experienced artist who can make your design ideas come to life.
