The wolf has long been a symbol of strength, intelligence, power, and instinct. These traits make the wolf one of the more regal spirit animals out there. If people could choose their own spirit animal, the wolf would undoubtedly be one of the most popular choices.
Wolf’s being the ancestors of the domesticated dog (man’s best friend) often gives us a deeper, more relatable sense of connection due to their familiar appearance which we often assimilate with our adored pets.
Over the last decade, artists have gotten particularly creative crafting wolf tattoos. Dotwork and geometric styles are often used separately or in unison to create some extraordinary works of art.
What are dotwork tattoos?
They’re pretty much exactly what you’d think. Designs created solely out of large numbers of individual dots. Dotwork is popular technique in the tattoo industry for it’s unique ability to create unmatched depth and clarity when shading, usually with black or grey inks. Dotwork may also be referred to as pointillism or stippling.
Below we’ve put together an outstanding collection of a combination of geometric and dotwork wolf tattoos for you to enjoy.
This gorgeous thigh piece.
This dotwork piece incorporates a few geometric details along with two symmetrical skulls. It’s easy to see how some breeds, like huskies, descended from the wolf, but others, not so much. (Photo: Uls Metzger)
This howling wolf.
This howling wolf is surrounded by a beautiful geometric pattern which could possibly be the moon but looks more like a sun. Dotwork can be seen through the entire piece, contrasting nicely with the solid lines towards the center of the design. (Photo: Ben Lopez)
This turquoise triangle.
This wolf looks as if it’s wearing a tinted triangle-shaped monocle. The longer you look at this work, the more astonishing it becomes. (Photo: mattynox)
This walking wolf.
Besides having an I’m-gonna-eat-you look in his eyes, this wolf’s sporting a mini mountain range furdo. I’m dubbing this guy “The big bad wolf.” (Photo: Jason Corbett)
This low poly wolf.
Low poly is a mesh grid used in 3d computer graphics that forms shapes using a series of flat surfaces (polygons). Recently, low poly tattoos have been all the rage, creating unique, visually pleasing works that are often referred to as “geometric” designs. (Photo: Wolf & Wren)
This skewered head.
Perhaps this wolf’s white eyes are indicative of the emptiness of life that results when an extra large dagger gets thrust into your skull. Poor wolfe. (Photo: Kamil Czapiga)
This lowly wolf.
Black sunken eyes stick out among the intertwining line and dotwork. What an awesome location for the piece. (Photo: JD)
This low poly gradient.
One of my favorite pieces, this wolf constructed completely out of polygon’s has a wonderful gradient shading running the length of it’s body. (Photo: Jan Mraz)
This dotted forearm work.
Geometric decoration seems to be a reoccurring theme when it’s comes to dotwork tattoos. Why? Because it looks cool. (Photo: Kamil Czapiga)
