Tattoo design for competition

Illustration, Adobe Photoshop

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.

Any tattoo requires lots of patience, skill, and a steady hand, of course. In addition to that, it calls for a beautiful design. And combining it all usually results in some quite impressive works leaving the admirers in awe. Whether it’s their intricacy, the size, the color combination, or everything at once that impresses people the most, there’s no other choice but to applaud the artists behind them.

Meet Dylan Eakin, a master of pencil artistry known for his incredibly lifelike portraits. Through his hyperrealistic drawings, Eakin captures not just faces, but the very essence of human emotions.

If you are a vivid reader of Bored Panda, you might already know that many animal tattoos have a deep symbolic meaning for a person. Usually, that meaning is expressed in a simple or complex way. There are a lot of animal tattoo ideas that try to utilize the two different styles in the best possible way. If you want a collection of wildlife tattoos on your body that are unique, be sure to read up on the difference between simplistic and realistic styles.

A tattoo is more than just a picture or ornament slapped onto a random part of our bodies—it’s an element of identity, a social announcement that explains who we are, what we stand for, and many other things about us.

No other tattoo designs convey a message as clear as word tattoos. Yeah, you’re right; it’s because the message is literally written on your skin! No cryptic symbols or surreal images for people (and most importantly, yourself) to wonder what your ink means. And although you might think that these are very simple tattoos, just wait until you see the examples we’ve rounded up in our list. They’re often very far from simple and definitely inspiring!