Tattoo idea generator: For when you know the feeling but not the picture

Most tattoos start as a feeling. You know it's for your sister, or that it should feel like the lake you grew up on, or that you want something bold on your forearm before summer. What you can't do yet is see it.

This page is for that stage. Pick what you're drawn to and how it should feel, or ask for a random idea, and TattooBuild finds ideas to start from. Draw the one that speaks to you and change the rest.

No. 01Tattoo ideas
Butterfly skull tattoo blending delicate butterfly wings with a human skull on the forearm
Forearm
From: Butterfly Skull Tattoo Meaning and Designs Draw this
No. 02Women's
Snake small neck tattoo curling behind the ear
Behind the ear
From: 21 Small Neck Tattoo Ideas for Women That Are Dainty and Daring Draw this
No. 03Floral
Delicate black fine-line lotus flower tattoo on a woman's forearm
Fine-lineForearm
From: 40 Lotus Flower Tattoo Designs for Women Draw this
No. 04Tattoo ideas
Female half sleeve tattoo drawing with flowing floral linework wrapping the upper arm
Half sleeve (upper)
From: Female Classy Half Sleeve Tattoo Drawings (Best Ideas)Draw this
No. 05Nature
Wave moon tattoo blending rolling ocean waves with a crescent moon
From: Wave Moon Tattoo Meaning & Design Ideas Draw this
No. 06Celestial
Single fine line shooting star tattoo on the inner wrist with a thin trailing tail
Fine-lineWrist
From: 20 Shooting Star Tattoo Ideas That Capture a Moment of Wonder Draw this
No. 07Mythology
Grim reaper tattoo surrounded by flames on the upper arm
Upper arm
From: 19 Grim Reaper Tattoo Ideas for Those Who Embrace the Dark Side Draw this
No. 08Mythology
Day of the Dead tattoo of an ofrenda scene with candles, marigolds and a framed photograph
From: 20 Day of the Dead Tattoo Ideas That Honor Tradition and Beauty Draw this
No. 09Drawings
Clock tattoo drawing in traditional style with a bold ornate pocket watch face and Roman numerals
Traditional
From: Clock Tattoo Drawings Design Ideas Draw this
No. 10Men's
Single word script wrist tattoo reading a one-word value on the inner wrist
Script / letteringWrist
From: 21 Wrist Tattoo Ideas for Men That Are Bold and Wearable Draw this
No. 11Meaningful
Grief tattoo of a fingerprint rendered in soft black dotwork on an inner forearm
DotworkForearm
From: 20 Grief Tattoo Ideas That Turn Loss Into a Beautiful Tribute Draw this
No. 12Men's
Marquesan cross Polynesian tattoo design, a balanced four-point motif built from fine geometric bands
Geometric
From: 18 Polynesian Tattoo Ideas for Men Drawn to Pacific Heritage Draw this

Before you start

Five questions that find a tattoo

Artists ask some version of these at every consultation. Answer them before you open the studio and your first designs will be much closer.

Who or what is it for?A person, a time in your life, or simply because you love the image. All three are good reasons. They just lead to different designs.
Who's going to see it?A wrist or forearm is a tattoo you'll look at every day. A back piece is mostly for other people. Decide which one you want.
Bold or quiet?Heavy black lines and solid fills read from across a room. Fine-line work is closer to a whisper. Neither is better, but it's the biggest fork in the road.
Will it still mean something in twenty years?Trends come round. A symbol tied to something true about you tends to age better than the design everyone had this year.
How big can you live with?Detail needs space. If you want a lot of story in it, plan for the size to carry it, or pare the story back.

Themes

Ideas by theme

Meaningful
Memorials, family, handwriting, dates, the small symbol that holds a big story.
A paper boat on a single ink-line wave, with the date 12.04.19 written small inside the hull
Try this idea More meaningful ideas
Animals
The animal you feel most like, or the one you'd want beside you.
A hare mid-leap through tall grass, with its ears swept back and the moon behind it
Try this idea More animals ideas
Floral
Birth flowers, wildflowers, roses with or without thorns.
A sprig of lavender and a sprig of rosemary crossed and tied with thread
Try this idea More floral ideas
Celestial
Moons, suns, constellations and the night sky.
A crescent moon holding a sleeping cat, with three small stars hanging from it on fine chains
Try this idea More celestial ideas
Mythology
Gods, monsters and the stories that outlived empires.
Medusa's profile with her snakes coiled into a perfect circle around her head
Try this idea More mythology ideas
Nature
Mountains, forests, water and weather.
A pine forest reflected upside down in a still lake, framed inside a thin vertical rectangle
Try this idea More nature ideas
Minimalist
One shape, one line, one idea.
A single continuous line that draws two hands almost touching
Try this idea More minimalist ideas

Writing it down

From a vague idea to a prompt that works

A good prompt has a subject, one or two details that make it yours, and a mood. Leave style, ink and placement to the controls, which handle them better than words do.

“Something for my nan”A sprig of lily of the valley tied with a thin ribbon, her handwriting along the stem saying “love you more”
“A wolf, but not a cliché one”A wolf's head made from overlapping pine branches, eyes closed, a little snow resting on the top branches
“The ocean”A small wave breaking inside the outline of a seashell, with a gull flying out over the lip of the shell

Try one of these

Respect the craft

Inspired by someone else's tattoo?

Seeing a tattoo you love is a fine place to start. Copying it isn't. That design belongs to the person wearing it and to the artist who drew it. Take what draws you, whether that's the subject, the mood or the line weight, and describe that instead. The result will be yours, and any artist will be happier to work from it.

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