Watercolor tattoos are a thing of beauty. The way tattoo artists are able to replicate a style that once required specialized paper and paints is truly remarkable. Since it’s inception, watercolor tattoos have enjoyed a steady boost in popularity, proving they have the staying power required to qualify them as a style and not just a passing trend.
Watercolor tattoos come in all shapes and sizes but some of the most spectacular examples are the fascinating animal designs that also happen to be the most popular. In this article we’ll take a look at a few of our favorite animal tattoos done in the watercolor style.
This lion.
This grandiose watercolor work is fitting of the animal we’ve dubbed “King of the jungle.” But wait. Do lions even live in the jungle? (Photo: Alejandra)
This polar bear.
This elephant.
Here we have a large bull elephant with a very curious expression on his face. (Photo: Frankie Oneshot)
This negative space koala.
We’re pretty sure this work is finished and the koala is left unfilled on purpose but you never know. (Photo: Diana)
This beautiful dragonfly.
This dragonfly features a rich mixture of swirling colors that combine together to create an undeniably elegant work. (Photo: Kreepy Tiki)
This green-eyed cat.
With a cute pink nose and piercing green eyes, this fantastic feline is one of our favorites. (Photo: Chico)
This pair of barn owls.
These two barn owls share a wonderful winter theme complete with negative space snowflakes. You’d think a pair of snowy owls would be more appropriate given the piece’s winter theme but the barn owl has that super cute face that makes it one of the most popular owl tattoo designs. (Photo: Josie Sexton)
This negative space leopard.
Just a touch of peach and blue ink decorate this bust of a leopard. (Photo: Dillion Butcher)
This spiraling snake.
Another amazing work that uses watercolor as a decoration as apposed to direct fill. This blackwork sketch style snake winds around a column of watercolor ink. (Photo: Felipe Mello)
This adorable owl.
Likely one of the cutest owl tattoos you’ll ever see. (Photo: Ivy Mossini)
This spectacular swordfish.
There’s something about black ink framed with a splash of watercolor that just looks amazing. (Photo: Anthony Bennett)
This sliced shark.
This hammerhead shark is unique in that it was created in the watercolor style by only using black and grey ink. Usually watercolor tattoos are created using wild combinations of vivid colors, yet this monochromatic work is just as breathtaking as it’s colorful counterparts. (Photo: Felipe Rodrigues Fe Rod)
