Colorful tattoos get a lot of praise for their gorgeous look and the dimensional visual feeling. No wonder some people fall in love with their blending, shading, and unique illusions only the colorful tattoos can give to the skin.
But truth has been told, black and white tattoos can do all of these and many more.
Firstly, there is nothing new that black and white tattoos are stylish and will suit any period of your life, any clothing, or area of your body. These duo-chromatic ink drawings are classic but still distinctive and modern.
Well, instead of choosing the most straightforward black tattoo to enhance your body look, add a bit of white.
The difference will be noticeable, as the artists will make great use of all those negative spaces to add that bit of white ink. These little details will make the tattoo look more appealing and pop through other body art pieces.
There are many different designs for black and white tattoos, each of them having its own meaning. If you want to go for an original black and white style, check out the following recommendations to find the most inspiring style for you.
Black And White Tattoo Designs
More often than ever before, tattoos are now associated with different large images, as well as complex patterns to enhance your body.
People often choose to have dragons on arms, mythical characters, or tiny, fully detailed tattoos, all in black and white.
As not everybody has the same preferences regarding dimensions, some tattoo enthusiasts will only look for tiny cute designs. Therefore, there is no wonder why small tattoo designs are so popular now. No matter which types of tattoos you enjoy the most, let me tell you that there are hundreds of models to choose from.
One can choose a little tattoo with white elements, or maybe your name or the loved ones’ initials, while others prefer to go with some large tattoo designs.
This collection you are going to read about is a testament to the skills of tattoo artists, as well as a beautiful collection of black and white tattoos. You will find birds, animals, butterfly designs, even geometric designs to inspire you and impress others.
Floral Black And White Tattoos
Flowers are the symbol of delicacy and are mostly preferred by women. A talented tattoo artist will choose to make the shadows of your favorite flowers in black and white. Although the final look will be colorless, the white shades will add that extra beauty you are looking for.
Personal opinion: Consider having the floral tattoo on your shoulder, back, hip, or inner arm.
Mandala Magic In Black And White
Mandala means “circle” in Sanskrit, and this special inked drawing is composed of different elements that radiate from the center outwards in circular patterns.
This gorgeous pattern looks fantastic in black and white, with central parts colored in white.
Personal opinion: Show off this balance symbol on visible parts of the body.
Small Black and White Tattoos
Tiny tattoos will always look cute and discreet wherever you choose to have them on your body. These small designs are ideal for people who love tattoos but don’t wish them to be visible. When you don’t have a specific idea but love the concept of getting inked, a small model is the best starting point.
There are lots of advantages when it comes to tiny black and white tattoos:
- They are inexpensive, compared with the more complex ones;
- There will be less effort to make, as well as less pain;
- Choosing a small tattoo is easier;
- You can convert it into a whole new design if you get bored.
Some of the most common tiny tattoo designs in black and white include flowers, stars, butterflies, different names, initials, rainbows, or religious symbols.
Cross Black and White Tattoos
Most religious people would prefer their tattoos to symbolize their faith; thus, the cross in black and white is a popular choice among these persons. This symbol can provide an excellent feeling of protection, as well as proof of people’s devotion to divinity.
Some would get a tiny cross in black and white for a much elegant look, while others’ theories are more correlated to faith. Whatever is the reason, a black and white cross would look majestic on your skin.
Personal opinion: A cross tattoo is suited to both men and women with a religious mindset.
Music Tattoo Design in Black and White
Music will always be a great inspiration for getting a new tattoo. No wonder the music lovers enjoy choosing these designs that would be fabulous in black and white shades.
Music signs might appear more often on the rock stars’ skin, but these vast artworks are also great to have for people who are sensitive about music.
Want to show your music devotion without displaying too much? Then you can have a tiny Treble Clef tattoo in black and white on your wrist. However, if you don’t mind having a large-scale inked drawing, you can choose a realistic portrait in black and white of your favorite star.
Personal opinion: Music tattoos are always good ideas for people who are diehard-fans of music.
Black and White Star Tattoos
If you are about to get a black and white tattoo and don’t have too many ideas about the design, you can choose to have a star or a constellation. This idea is endlessly trendy yet one of the most common methods ever.
Star tattoos will always have this unique charm, whether worn by a girl or a boy. Some people would go for more stars, as in Orion’s belt, while others will choose to have a simple, fine-lined design.
Personal opinion: The best part of black and white star tattoos is that they would look stunning anywhere on the body, from the back to the wrist, hip or shoulder.
Date Tattoos in Black and White
Some people would always want to remember a specific date in their lives. The way they can beautifully cherish those memories is by getting them inked into the skin.
Most people would choose to have these dates on their fingers to witness these tattoos daily.
Some people will get the first dates they shared with their loved ones, while others will tattoo their birthdays or the birthday dates of their parents, children, and so on. And believe me when I say that these types of tattoos will look fabulous in your everyday activities.
Personal opinion: Once you choose to tattoo these dates in black and white, the final look will be mesmerizing.
Black and White Heart Tattoo
Heart tattoos are some of the most common inked designs among tattoo lovers. These simple elements have a unique charm of their own, and they will never go out of style.
More than often, you would probably see more women wearing this type of design. However, if you will go for a detailed, more anatomical look of a heart, it will suit men too.
I would recommend the black and white heart tattoo for those who want to get inked but don’t look for anything too significant. The delicate hearts will look amazing as a wrist tattoo, very soft and cute, but would also suit the neck area, the shoulder, or the ribs surface.
Personal opinion: The heart can simply be drawn in black, then add some tiny spots of white if you want your tattoo to be different and sweet. After all, this idea of a tattoo is a symbol of love, suitable for any skin tones.
Quote Tattoos in Black and White
Quotes are some of the most meaningful types of tattoo design. These not only look artistic and simply nice, but they also represent strong emotions that some might not be able to express otherwise.
If done in italics and with beautiful shades of black and white, they look even more attractive.
As such, you can have this drawing in italics, or you can add some other elements of design to make the final tattoo look funkier or more artistic.
Personal opinion: For women who love to have a quote on their skin, this tattoo type would look amazing on the back, right on the spine, but also on the arm or ribs. Men can also choose these body areas or one that represents them best.
Black And White Direction Tattoo
If you want to have a pretty unique tattoo design, this one will always guide you to good paths. Get all the four directions beautifully defined by the fine lines of ink, right on your hand, elbow, shoulder, or leg.
Direction tattoos can symbolize a compass or a weathered design. This type of tattoo will make you unique from the others. If you want to keep it small, look for some 2 square direction tattoos that would look amazing with any outfit or lifestyle. This design is perfect to have it inked in black and white.
You can have your direction tattoo in black and white anywhere on the body where you will feel confident.
Personal opinion: I would recommend the hands, as this design would look more prominent, and everyone will see your body art.
XO Symbol In Black And White
If you wish for a small tattoo, very discreet, then you can do a matchy-match drawing with your friends or family. This slim design would look great on the wrist, on fingers, or ankle.
This type of tattoo is cute and the ideal tool to express your love. Furthermore, the XO tattoo would suit any part of the body, and lifestyle, or dress-code.
Personal opinion: I think that this design type suits girls the most. Furthermore, it would look stylish in black and white or colorful accents.
Bird Tattoos in Black And White
Whether it is a complete black and white or colorful drawing, one of the most beautiful tattoo designs is the bird tattoos. Birds will always look elegant and symbolize freedom, courage, revival, strength, and devotion. [1]
You can even tattoo yourself with a bird flying to create some motion. Wherever you will choose to have your skin inked, the bird tattoos will be simply gorgeous.
Personal opinion: The black and white bird silhouettes show nature devotion and are suitable for any skin tone.
Geometric Black And White Tattoos
Once integrated into black and white tattoos, the geometric elements will make it look cool and fashionable.
Even those who didn’t use to love maths at school would appreciate the fine, straight lines on their body. You can either have these elements on their own or alongside other designs. It’s just up to you. [2]
The geometric black and white tattoos are more predominant among men. However, women can integrate them into natural elements too.
Personal opinion: Geometric patterns would look clean only in black and white and suitable for all body areas.
Hakuna Matata Tattoos
Hakuna Matata means “No Worries,” so when you want to keep the problems away and send this thought to the Universe, consider having this kind of tattoo design.
This type of tattoo is for those who want to show off this message to the world.
This symbol is suited for both men and women and symbolizes your strength and courage to not worry about anything and fight back any odd situation.
Personal opinion: You should consider the Hakuna Matata tattoo when you want to flaunt your personality to others.
Arrow Tattoo In Black And White
This design of an arrow tattoo will simply rock on any part of your body. Arrow tattoos are as popular as star designs; for instance, if you want a tattoo but simply don’t have a precise idea about the design, choose this type of view.
You can add a bow at the end of the arrow to make the complete set of this tattoo idea.
Moreover, the final look will be more archaic and add a bit of carving.
Personal opinion: This type of design looks fantastic on the neck, but you can have it on the wrist as well or any other body spot you enjoy the most.
Anchor Tattoos In Black and White
Are you a more adventurous person? Then look for body art that can represent you and your spirit. Whether they are tiny ones or larger designs, the anchors do not suit only a sailor type.
Still, they will simply show many other qualities, such as stability, perseverance, and love for traveling.
Anchors will always stand for strong roots and can be done by men and women and any body part.
Personal opinion: Anchors would look ideally in black and white, but you can undo it and add a bit of color to make it look cheerful.
Elephant Tattoos
Elephants are simply gorgeous animals, and they deserve special attention. Not only are they cute, but they are also the symbol of wisdom, loyalty, independence, strength, emotions, kindness, and power.
Once you tell your skilled artist about having a black and white elephant tattoo, we promise you that the result will be a total masterpiece, especially if you go to a talented tattoo artist.
Personal opinion: You can have a tiny elephant right behind your year or go for a larger design and cover the whole sleeve.
Advantages Of Black and White Tattoos
If you still give this idea a second thought, well, it is essential to know the main advantages of having simple black and white tattoos.
1. No More Fading
Compared to colorful tattoos, the monochrome designs not only will have a deeper meaning behind them and look sharper, but they will also resist much more in time.
Reason? The colored tattoos will simply start to fade away quicker, and instead of enjoying your meaningful tattoo, you might end up redoing it regularly.
2. Good For Your Wallet
Usually, the colored tattoo inks will cost way more than the simple black and white drawings. So if you don’t have a huge budget, this is a great way to save some money.
3. These Tattoos are Less Painful
If it’s the first time you get inked and terrified about future pain, the black and white designs will be easier to handle.
Since the artist will only work in black and white, the final result will be ready sooner than expected. As such, you don’t need to tolerate the pain of the needles too much.
4. Add Details or Go Back And Change It
Although this might sound a bit odd for you, as a permanent tattoo sounds like forever, well, this is true, unless you opt for removal or for enhancing the original design.
Maybe your life changes, and you want to add other details. Just ask your tattoo artist to improve the initial tattoo idea and, finally, change its look.
Black and White Tattoos: More FAQ
Q: What happens if you use white ink over darker skin when making a tattoo?
A: When creating a tattoo, the ink goes under the epidermis. This allows the cell layer to act as an ink filter. This means that the darker the skin, the darker the white ink will appear.
Q: Will my white tattoo glow in the dark?
A: No, on its own, white ink will not glow in blacklight. You will need to get a tattoo that uses UV ink for this purpose.
Q: Why do old black tattoos look green?
A: In time, the black ink is absorbed by your body. As the ink deposit starts to get lower in size, the pigment changes, and therefore, the black turns into blue or green. However, in the last years, pigments have improved and don’t get discolored so easily as they used to.
More to know :
White Ink Tattoos: 6 Pros And 4 Cons
White Ink Tattoos On Dark Skin: 20+ Best Design Ideas
5 Best White Tattoo Ink – Comprehensive Guide + Best Brands
Final Reflections
For getting the very first inked ideas, the black and white designs are a trendy choice. However, it is wiser to do your research first. I hope the above tattoo designs will get you all inspired, and you are ready to make your first appointment at the tattoo studio.
