
40 Times People Came Up With The Best Tattoo Designs And Shared Pics On This Online Group
As you might've realized from our publications on the Facebook group 'What in the $20 wish tattoo machine is this?' or the 'That's It, I'm Inkshaming' group, sadly, subpar tattoos are pretty common. Which makes the good ones even more admirable.
So we at Bored Panda decided to switch things up and balance out all the terrible designs we've covered with a fresh batch of beautiful and clever ones instead. For that, we turn to the aptly titled subreddit 'Best Tattoos.'
This online community was created all the way back in December 2014 and since then, its members have shared so many pictures, they turned the sub into one of the most impressive body art archives on the internet. Continue scrolling to check out some of our favorites!
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Biomechanical Tattoo
Awesome Realistic Tattoo Artwork By Artist © Roberto Carlos
To understand why a particular design ends up on this subreddit, we contacted tattoo artist Adam Grant of Gypsystables Tattoo.
"In the 7 years of tattooing, I've learned that it doesn't matter what the tattoo is as long as it's executed well," Grant told Bored Panda.
"Whether it's a full sleeve or just one small letter; if a questionable design is tattooed well then I consider it a good tattoo. Even if I personally dislike the design itself."
Tattoo Art By © Laura Koski From Pori, Finland.
Charlie Chaplin, Tattoo By Inal Bersekov
Tattoo Work By © Jean Pierre Mottin
This is great. Accentuates the body instead of masking it completely.
It's common for people looking for a new tattoo to research options and images online (like this Bored Panda post), and some end up getting overly trendy designs.
"I'd say there's been a huge demand for 'fine line' tattoos," Grant said. "I have no issue with the style at all but most of the time these customers don't know or get informed about the risks involved with thin-line tattoos."
3D Tattoo By Janis Tattoo
Tattoo Artwork By © Edit Paints Tattoo
Unique Tattoo
Tattoo Works By Kozotattoo
The tattoos Grant is talking about (especially single needles) have the potential to heal more on the dark gray side and tend to fade quicker due to the fact that the ink isn't as densely packed under the skin as with other thicker tattoos.
"Always check the artist's portfolio of work before going through with an idea and look at examples of healed tattoos as you will get a more honest idea of what you will get," Grant advised.
Tattoo Artwork By © Kozo Tattoo
Tattoo Artworks By © Sandry Riffard
Crisp colours and amazing detail. It worries me how it will look in a few years time
Knight Tattoos, By Tattooist Hwi
Realistic Samurai By © Ivankacollado In Annecy | France
However, there are the classics that seem to never die out. "I love tattoos with clean bold linework and strong vibrant color," Adam Grant said.
"Those last longer and stronger than most modern styles if done correctly. For me, nothing is more timeless than skulls."
Tattoo Work By Vasilii Suvorov
Disney Tattoo By © Terioshi Otto
Tattoo Work By Kir Tattoo
Tattoo Art By © Pilgrim_ttt
If you are thinking about getting inked yourself, Grant says it's always best to listen to the artist and the advice they give you about your ideas.
"They are professionals with many years of experience [and know] what works and [what doesn't] aesthetically for you."
Of course "at the end of the day, you're the consenting adult so if you want a tattoo in mind that's advised against then it's your call, but please at least hear the artist out. They only want what’s best for you and your tattoo."
Unconditional Love, Tattoo By © Rean Sampaio
This Is My Beautiful Wife 🙂 All Tattoos On Her Done By Me
Tattoo Work By © Roberto Carlos
Batman Tattoo By Tattoist Yeono
Audrey Hepburn, Tattoo Work By © Inal Bersekov
Back Tattoo By © Nikko Hurtado
Tattoo Art By Fekete Dorina
I was going to say that this tattoo would get dated quickly, but then I remembered that I have an X-Files tattoo on my back, so ... yeah ...
Tattoo Artworks By © Amanda Piejak
I Wouldn't Want To Get It Myself, But Definitely Looks Cool
Tiger Tattoo By Ricardo G. Ciechorski
Tattoo By Javier Antunez
Tattoo Art By Piotr Bemben
Tattoo Work By © 𝐈𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐋𝐨𝐤𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚
Tattoo Work By Fabio Guerreiro
Made This Calcifer The Other Day, He Is One Of My Favorite Characters . Im Happy How It Turned Out
Tattoo Art By © Pony Reinhardt Tattoo
Tattoo Work By Sandry Riffard
Back Tattoo Art By © Mattxcannon
Tattoo Artwork By © Avihoo Ben Gida From Tel Aviv, Israel
Tattoo Artwork By Hannah Flowers
Tattoo Art By Checho23tattoo
Tattoo Art By Parvick
Back Tattoo By Stefan Muller
Note: this post originally had 145 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.
This... THIS is why you pay $$$ for a good tattoo!!
You absolutely get what you pay for in tattoos!
definitely pay good money for a good tattoo, but depending on what you get tatted, you might have to spend even MORE good money for it to STAY a good tattoo. a lot of the tattoos in this list have thin lines, intricate detailing, bright colors, & precise shading. this kind of work ages poorly, & those breathtaking details fade fast. the things that make these tattoos so unique don't last for long, & if you don't want the quality to deteriorate, you'll have to invest time & money into getting them redone every few years. in my opinion that defeats the purpose of permanent body art, & i'd choose a more tattoo-friendly style for my design so i don't have to repay the good money for that good tattoo over & over.
I think I’ve seen something of this quality about 3 times and mostly it’s just indifferent art work. This level of skill and beauty is inspiring.
This really is art
Tattoos are so subjective, which is one of the things I love about them. There are a lot of tattoos here that are really well done but I don't like them at all. While in all those "awful tattoos" articles there are usually a lot of them that I really really like.
i agree. to me, a lot of these looked like poster/computer wallpaper designs copied & pasted onto people because of the HD shading & inability to see any skin underneath at all. it looked uncanny & oddly placed. i love the awful tattoos though, because they actually look like body art with stories behind them, picked out by people with a sense of humor!
Yeah. I mean from an objective standpoint I could upvote all of these just for the excellent quality and skill.
This... THIS is why you pay $$$ for a good tattoo!!
You absolutely get what you pay for in tattoos!
definitely pay good money for a good tattoo, but depending on what you get tatted, you might have to spend even MORE good money for it to STAY a good tattoo. a lot of the tattoos in this list have thin lines, intricate detailing, bright colors, & precise shading. this kind of work ages poorly, & those breathtaking details fade fast. the things that make these tattoos so unique don't last for long, & if you don't want the quality to deteriorate, you'll have to invest time & money into getting them redone every few years. in my opinion that defeats the purpose of permanent body art, & i'd choose a more tattoo-friendly style for my design so i don't have to repay the good money for that good tattoo over & over.
I think I’ve seen something of this quality about 3 times and mostly it’s just indifferent art work. This level of skill and beauty is inspiring.
This really is art
Tattoos are so subjective, which is one of the things I love about them. There are a lot of tattoos here that are really well done but I don't like them at all. While in all those "awful tattoos" articles there are usually a lot of them that I really really like.
i agree. to me, a lot of these looked like poster/computer wallpaper designs copied & pasted onto people because of the HD shading & inability to see any skin underneath at all. it looked uncanny & oddly placed. i love the awful tattoos though, because they actually look like body art with stories behind them, picked out by people with a sense of humor!
Yeah. I mean from an objective standpoint I could upvote all of these just for the excellent quality and skill.