Floral tattoos are not uncommon. In fact, we’d venture to guess they were among the post popular tattoos when shops focused on flash work (simple designs that are always available to customers) rather than customer designs. But now as tattoos—and the techniques used to create them—are more complex, we’re seeing more than just the neo-traditional rose tattoos when it comes to plant-based designs. Artists are re-creating intricate fern leaves, watercolor wildflowers, and other botanical tattoos that look more like the real thing than any Sailor Jerry-inspired flowers.
A simple take on the plumeria
One artist we’re fond of is Rita, creator of the #liveleaftattoo. Her colorful and elaborate work could live next to Monet’s water lilies if it wasn’t already displayed on a few lucky humans. This side-by-side plumeria flower tattoo is just one example of her Rita’s life-like arsenal of work.
Yuliia Lukovnikova’s minimal design
Yuliia Lukovnikova is another artist specializing in colorful, botany tattoos; her work is less realistic, but her use of bright colors in minimal, floral tattoos is eye-catching without overwhelming the eye or taking up too much space on the body.
The oversized leaf
Not every botany tattoo needs to be bold to appear real. Ali, a tattoo apprentice in Hamburg, using sweeping, abstract line work to ink leaves across her clients’ arms, backs, and ribs. The lines flow with the body’s natural movement and dance as the muscles bend and contract.
Lauren’s evergreen take
In stark contrast with Ali’s linework are the detailed fir trees New Hampshire artist, Lauren, specializes in. The subtle use of color and and line work is intricate without harping too much on realism, focusing on the pure enjoyment of a forest full of fir trees.
Victoria Bruno’s darker take on the iconic peony
Peony season is gone in a blink of an eye but this tattoo from Victoria Bruno, an artist in Argentina, keeps the pale pink flower in mind year round. Though the design only uses black ink, it’s easy to determine the species of flower with her detailed lines around the flowers bud.
A handful of blooms on your heart
The chest and sternum is the perfect canvas for a sprawling floral design, expanding across the ribs. Wolfgang, an artist based on London, uses dots to shade the leaves stemming from these simple daisy-like flowers.
A classic rose
Even though cartoon-ish roses are out of fashion, the flower itself isn’t. This rose doesn’t need color to be beautiful. It’s elegant placement on the inner arm elongates the design and is likely worth the added pain it took to get all the intricate details right.
A delicate lilac blossom
Fernanda Ahumada, from Santiago, uses color in to create a three dimensional design, like with these lilacs on her client’s shoulder. The tattoo is feminine and subtle, while still making a lasting impression. Now, if only the tattoo smelled like lilacs…
Eva Edelstein’s wispy wildflowers
These wispy, wildflowers seem to be Eva Edelstein’s speciality. Based just outside of Paris, her work is everything French style is: simple and classic yet memorable–just the kind of design you need to have upon seeing it. Her work is a good enough excuse to visit Paris, in our opinion.
A winding clerodendum design
Rita really is doing some of the most inspired botany ink. The clerodendrum winding around a client’s ribs likely required several hours of work and a careful eye to get the small details right. We can’t look away, which is always a good reaction to a tattoo.
For more tattoo inspiration and a chance to try out a botanical design before committing for life, check out the semi-permanent tattoos over at Inkbox.com. There are thousands of designs to choose from, designed by a worldwide community of artists. Just a heads up, Inside Out is powered by the folks at Inkbox. It’s all part of our shared mission to empower you to tell your unique story, be it for now or forever.