Skull Tattoo Ideas

Skull tattoos are truly timeless. There are, of course, many different styles, colors, and placement choices to pick from. In a way most skull tattoos are mystery and symbolism mixed into one.

I have been a part of the tattoo industry for a few years now, and in this article I will share with you some of the skull tattoo designs that I drew in the past few years. Whether you’re looking for ideas for your first tattoo or another tattoo to add to your collection, I hope this article helps you.

For the first skull tattoo idea, I came up with a simple skull with cracks on the sides and the front. I purposefully removed the jaw to give it a different look. I would say that in a way, skull tattoos exemplify the obsession humans have with both life and death. In regards to placement, I feel it’ll look good either on the outer forearm or the outer calf. The design itself is a small skull tattoo idea; whether it ends up being small depends on the size of the tattoo and where you wish to place it.

The 2nd idea came as a result of a DM I received on Instagram asking for a skull tattoo design with butterflies. And this is what I came up with. This time I even included the jaw with cracks on the top and on the side and two butterflies, one on the skull and one about to land on the skull. I would describe this as a small to medium skull tattoo idea. In regards to placement, I feel it’ll look good on the outer forearm or even the outer bicep.

The 3rd idea also came as the result of an Instagram DM. The idea said, “I want a skull tattoo, but I also like roses and cards.” This is what I came up with. I wanted this design to be in black and grey. I included 4 aces with the skull on the first of these 4 aces, and the rose was in the bottom with the leaves. I would describe this design as a medium to large skull tattoo idea. The ideal size would be around 5 to 7 inches. In regards to placement, I feel it’ll look good on the outer forearm or the outer upper arm.

The 4th idea is essentially another version of the 3rd idea. Again, I have the 4 aces with the skull done a bit differently, and the rose is at the bottom with the leaves. I would describe the design as a medium to large skull tattoo idea. I would not recommend going below 7 to 8 inches if you want the tattoo to age well. In regards to placement, I feel this would look good on the outer forearm or even the calf.

The 5th idea is also another version of the 3rd idea, but this time I wanted to add color. 2 out of the 4 cards are red, while the other 2 are black. The skull again is done a bit differently, with the rose at the bottom with the leaves. I feel this design will age well since there are fewer tiny details. I would describe this design as a medium to large skull tattoo idea. In regards to placement, this design will look good on the thigh or the outer forearm or even the shoulder blade.

The 6th idea was also the result of a DM on Instagram. One of my followers reached out to me and said this, “I’m looking for a skull with horns.” And this is what I came up with. I wanted the skull to face forward. I removed the jaw to give the design a different look. Added the horns with cracks on the top of the skull. I would describe this design as a medium to large skull tattoo idea. In regards to placement, I would particularly suggest two, one being the chest and the second being the upper back, probably since there’s a lot of room for the horns.

The 7th idea also came as a result of a DM from a follower. The message said, “I want a gorilla tattoo with skulls.” And this is what I came up with. The gorilla wears the skull as a cap while roaring with fury. I also added a skull, this time with the jaw at the bottom. I would describe this design as a large skull tattoo idea. In regards to the best placement options, I would recommend the outer calf, the outer bicep/tricep, and the front thigh.

The 8th idea is another version of the 7th idea. The gorilla roars with fury in this design too, and I added a military-style helmet to the skull on the top and changed the bottom with 2 skulls instead of 1. I would describe this design as a medium to large skull tattoo idea. In regards to the best placement options, I would recommend the outer upper arm (I feel this design could also be the centerpiece of a skull tattoo half sleeve or even a full sleeve), the calf, and the front thigh.

The 9th idea is also another version of the skull and gorilla tattoo. With this design I changed the facial expression of the gorilla. The design has a different shade with 1 skull at the top and 2 at the bottom. I would classify this design as a large skull tattoo idea. In regards to the best options for placements, my recommendations include the outer calf, the upper back, and the upper arm.

With the 10th idea, I wanted to do something different. I removed the skull without jaws at the top with headphones. With the headphones, I wanted the Gorilla to have a menacing look. And I placed 3 skulls at the bottom, 1 with the jaw and 2 without. I would classify this design as a medium to large skull tattoo idea. When it comes to the best options for placements, I would recommend the outer forearm, the upper back, and the outer calf.

With the 11th idea, I changed the gorilla’s facial expression back to roaring with fury. I kept the headphones and added 2 skulls on each side with their jaws wide open. I also shaded the design differently to give it a different look. I would describe this design as a medium to large skull tattoo idea. When it comes to the best options for placement, I would recommend the outer forearm and the outer calf.

Now for the 12th idea, I wanted the gorilla to have a different facial expression, a menacing smirk. With the expression, I wanted to show a hint of arrogance. I kept the headphones and added a cap. I wanted the design to be in black and grey. I also added 3 skulls to the bottom, all 3 without jaws. I would describe this design as a large skull tattoo idea instead of a small or a medium one. When it comes to the best options for placement, I would recommend the upper back, outer calf, and outer upper arm.

There you go! Here are 12 skull tattoo ideas for you to choose from, and of course, if you wish to have a custom drawing, feel free to send me a DM on Instagram or fill out this form, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thank you so much for reading this blog and have an amazing rest of your day!!