Tattoos are a divisive subject, with many supporters and just as many opponents. However, whether you love or loathe tattoos, or you’re on the fence about this subject, there’s one thing that nobody can deny: some tattoo designs are fantastic masterpieces that turn the human body into living, walking, breathing artwork.
For all of you art and tattoo lovers out there, Bored Panda has compiled this magnificent tattoo gallery of ideas for full back tattoos. The tats featured here transcend the usual discussion about tattoos and enter the realm of body art. Let us know which ones caught your eye and why, upvote your favorite ones, and keep on scrolling. When you’re done being awed by awesome back tattoos, have a gander at Bored Panda’s posts about the best palm tattoo ideas, clever matching tattoos, and epic leg tattoos.
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One More Session For Touch-Ups And Highlights
Back Piece
Incredible Back Tattoo
A person’s back is a canvas unto itself: there’s plenty of space for large, detailed body art there and it’s probably every tattoo lover's fantasy to end up having a personalized illustration on their backs.
Freehand Back Piece
Floral Composition, Done In 2 Sessions
Amazing Piece Of Art
Of course, such large back tattoo ideas require hours upon hours of dedicated hard work. And they cost a pretty penny too. So it’s important you talk to a tattoo artist you trust and respect before embarking on such a huge project that will stay with you for the rest of your life.
Amazing 3D Back Tattoo
Total Of 14/15 Hours Of Work
Nautical Back Tattoo
Tattoozza has some advice on how best to care for your freshly-minted full back tattoo. We all know that you just can’t wait to show it off to the world when you ‘accidentally’ lift up your shirt in public, but there’s a certain protocol that needs to be followed for the sake of your health. First of all, your tattoo artist should bind your back with bandages and gauze; you can remove them after a few hours, but no scratching, and be sure to wash your hands!
Beautiful Full Back Tattoo
I Had Such An Honor To Make This Piece
Stunning Dot Work
Next, you must keep the tattoo clean. So make sure your hands are clean each time you touch it, and avoid swimming and hot tubs if you can — nobody wants you to get an infection. Also, do your best to wear loose clothing that won’t rub against your back and won’t irritate your skin.
After 3 Years Of Pain, Patience, Expenses, Travels, Hard Work Finally We Did It! Thanks To My Client For All These Years
Regardless of one's stance on tattoos, this is art. This is a masterpiece, an amazing example of what accomplished tattoo artists can do.
Amazing Back Ink
I like how clean this is, not too dark in comparison to some other heavy hands. Great job!
Chinese Tattoo Design
After a few days of using antibacterial creams on your back, you can then start applying moisturizing lotions. And voila! You’re all set to impress everybody you know. What do you think of tattoos? Does anybody you know have a back tattoo? Drop us a comment below, and share your thoughts with everybody.
Cat-Fish Back Piece
Cute Dots
Really Impressive Work
Impressive Detailed Full Back Tattoo
Book Illustrations Coming Live In This Back Piece
Full Back Line Art Tattoo
Back Ink Masterpiece
Deer And Magnolia Flowers. Done In Two Sessions
Grim Full Back Piece
Beautiful Back Tattoo
Amazing Back Piece
Detailed Back Piece
Impressive Rose Tattoo
Elegant Line Art On Back
Gorilla Baby
Obey Your Master
My Favorite Back Tattoo I Have Ever Done
Patterned Full Back Tattoo
My Back Tattoo
Incredible Work
Artsy Back Tattoo With Crows
Done In Two Sittings, Her First Tattoo
Full Colour Back Tattoo
Paired Geometric Back Tattoos
Full Back Piece
Coverup Back Piece
Detailed Back Tattoo
Full Back Piece
Back Tattoo
Colorful Back Tattoo
Viking Tattoo
Floral Back Tattoo Design
This Story Lasted A Whole Year, And Here Is A Happy Happy End
Super Impressive Full Back Work
Progress On This Back
"Oneiric World" Back Tattoo
Done But To Be Continued
Big Tattoo Project In Progress
Back Piece In Progress
Back Tattoo Containing All Of The Seasons
Inked Back
Some Progress On This Anatomical Back Piece
Finished This One Back In 2003. Cupid Full Back Tattoo
Imagine waking up to this after a drunken one night stand... bahahaha
Detailed Back Tattoo
Classy Ink
Progress Of A Back Tattoo
Indian Tattoo In Progress
More Progress On This Back Piece
First Session For This Beauty
Happy To Get This One Finished Up Today. Really Enjoyed Doing This And Love How It Turned Out. Took About 24 Hours To Complete
It Was An Honor To Do This Tattoo
This Dot-Work Jelly Fish
Healed Shot
Surrealism Tattoo
11 Hours Worth Of Work
Finished Up This Huge Lion Back Piece Today
Incredibly Detailed Back Piece
Intricate Skull Tattoo
"Together We Stand. Divided We Fall"
Back Mandala
Beautiful Floral Back Piece
Had A Lot Of Fun Tattooing This Back Piece
Progress Of Alice In Wonderland Tattoo
Back Piece Full Of Hidden Meanings
Cosmic Lion Back Piece By Callie (Formerly Of High Resolution Tattoo In Baton Rouge, La)
The Great Piece Finaly Done
Check Out This Awesome Healed Back Piece
Lion Back Piece Tattoo
"Good vs. Evil, Choosing Will Drive You Mad"
Full Back Tattoo Done
Dot-Work Back Tattoo
Big Scale Back Tattoo
"With Two Angels" Finished Piece
Snake Around The Sword Back Piece
Back Piece Completed
Never Stop Fighting
Here's The Back Piece That I've Been Working On Today. Still A Lot To Do But I'd Like To Share The Progress
First Session For This Back Piece
Full Back Floral Piece
Incredible Black-Work Back Piece
His First Tattoo
Back Wings Tattoo
Dot Work Full Back Tattoo
Falling Man - Healed
Back Line Art
These Cuties
Line-Art Back Piece
Neo-Traditional Tattoo
This One Is Still In Progress
God vs. Evil Back Tattoo
Healed Photos Of My Collaboration With Grand Master Filip Leu
Done In 1 Session
Working On This One Today
Dot-Work Back Tattoo
Eagles Of Death Tattoo
Bold Coverup Piece
Full Back Phoenix In Progress
Tree Of Life Full Back Tattoo
This Full Back Tattoo Was Done In Two Sessions
Amazing Back Tattoo
Full Black And White Rose Tattoo
Backtattoo From Yesterday. Butterflies Are Not My Work - I Retouched The Outlines, We Both Are So So Happy
Total Of 11 Hours And He's Going Home With A Baphomet Back-Piece
It Took Two Years To Finish This Back Piece
Progress Of This Back Piece
Goat
Insane Work
Healed Back From 1 Year Ago
I Finished This One Big Cover Up
Gigantic Stag Skull Tattoo
Done Fullback
Bio Back Piece
Finished Tattoo For Manu. Done In 4 Days
It Seems Like The More Progress We Make, There's Always So Much More To Add Later
Sphynx Cat Back Tattoo
Four-Eyed Wolf Tattoo
Geometric Tattoo Design
Simply Stunning
Full Back Beautiful Bird Tattoo
Full Back Piece
Treated This Back Like One Of My Paintings, And Really Took My Time To Pay Attention To Detail. 12 Sessions Later
Such A Great Experience
Progress On This Back Piece
Back Pieces All The Way
Progress Picture Of This Back Tattoo
All Healed Except The Center
I got a piece on my back when I was 19. A couple of years ago I hooked up with a woman and she asked me about the tattoo and I had a puzzled look on my face for a minute. I forgot I had it for a minute or two
Yeah at times I forget I have one on my back too. Lol.
Load More Replies...I've always wanted a big beautiful piece like these, but I know what it will look like in 30 years.
If it's on your back and you take care of it, it'll look amazing. Just don't get fat or your hummingbirds will become pterodactyls. ...///... I got my full back done (and I see it's been deleted for some reason) for my 55th birthday. It's amazing. ...///.... If you're going to go around fretting about "what people will think" when you're in your 80s, you have MUCH bigger problems than ink.
Load More Replies...They're beautiful & impressive but I never understood them. You can't enjoy them yourself. If you want to see them you have to either stand in front of a mirror & hope you can see it all or just look at a picture of it. IDK I just don't get it.
My first tattoo was a vine of devil's ivy down the length of my spine. I can't see it without a mirror, but I know it's there. I know what it represents. I know why I got it. I know how I felt when I drew it, how it felt when it was inked permanently into my skin. It's proof of life for me, encompassing far more in a single design than I could write in words across the entire plain of my skin. I don't need to see it perfectly to know it's there, to know why it's there, and to know it's absolutely stunning.
Load More Replies...As a rather hirsute individual, getting a back tattoo would make as much sense as putting one on a silverback gorilla - which I have been accused of resembling.
I got a piece on my back when I was 19. A couple of years ago I hooked up with a woman and she asked me about the tattoo and I had a puzzled look on my face for a minute. I forgot I had it for a minute or two
Yeah at times I forget I have one on my back too. Lol.
Load More Replies...I've always wanted a big beautiful piece like these, but I know what it will look like in 30 years.
If it's on your back and you take care of it, it'll look amazing. Just don't get fat or your hummingbirds will become pterodactyls. ...///... I got my full back done (and I see it's been deleted for some reason) for my 55th birthday. It's amazing. ...///.... If you're going to go around fretting about "what people will think" when you're in your 80s, you have MUCH bigger problems than ink.
Load More Replies...They're beautiful & impressive but I never understood them. You can't enjoy them yourself. If you want to see them you have to either stand in front of a mirror & hope you can see it all or just look at a picture of it. IDK I just don't get it.
My first tattoo was a vine of devil's ivy down the length of my spine. I can't see it without a mirror, but I know it's there. I know what it represents. I know why I got it. I know how I felt when I drew it, how it felt when it was inked permanently into my skin. It's proof of life for me, encompassing far more in a single design than I could write in words across the entire plain of my skin. I don't need to see it perfectly to know it's there, to know why it's there, and to know it's absolutely stunning.
Load More Replies...As a rather hirsute individual, getting a back tattoo would make as much sense as putting one on a silverback gorilla - which I have been accused of resembling.