Explore 76 Captivating Butterfly Tattoo Designs to Enhance Your Body Artistry

Are you thinking of getting a butterfly tattoo? If yes, then we have some great ideas and backups on history and meanings for you. In such a huge choice of tattoos nowadays sometimes it may become a challenge to find the one that will suit you and your character but we are ready to inspire you. Find the one that will show your specialties, your story, and you will never regret getting it inked into your skin. Creative and beautiful, colorful and tender that`s how we can describe all of them. However, which one would you prefer? Let`s find out together.

Butterflies have always been a source of inspiration for people for of all ages. Their dazzling beauty, combinations of bright colors and tenderness amaze everyone who sees them on their way. Flying from flower to flower, they have become an inevitable part of not only people`s admiration but also every kind of art. You can’t count on fingers how many times these gorgeous insects have appeared in literature or poetry described in the brightest ways or paintings where they are drawn using the most tender lines a creative artist can do.

What is your favorite butterfly tattoo?

Anonymous quiz

  • Black and white
  • Bright and colorful
  • Butterflies with moon
  • Butterflies with flowers
  • Tiny butterflies

Vote to see results

What is your favorite butterfly tattoo?

Black and white
Bright and colorful
Butterflies with moon
Butterflies with flowers
Tiny butterflies

Since the birth of the tattoo culture, the butterfly tattoo has grown into an association with art. Of course, their vibrancy of color and the characteristics of their physical features are most often associated with femininity. Beauty and weightlessness, purity and love usually refer to those beautiful creatures. While tattoos are the modern way of showing your personality and identifying yourself, butterfly tattoos may show the metamorphosis of personality associated with a caterpillar going through difficult stages to grow or break free and turn in a beautiful butterfly.

In different cultures, the butterfly tattoo meaning differs. Japanese see these insects as a sign of freedom, Chinese as a symbol of togetherness and love, as we all know the phrase “having butterflies in the stomach” and Christians as a symbol of a tender soul. That is why there is nothing strange that women and men from all over the world choose butterfly images to be drawn on their bodies for eternity. The simplicity of such a tattoo design, the freedom and meaning it transfers into the world is its charm.

No one can deny the fact that such a little insect is really attractive. Whenever we see it, it captivates our attention, making us forget about anything else around us. Imagine having a butterfly tattoo. We can bet that it is the same. That is why we believe it is essential for anybody who chooses such a design to find a perfect tattoo placement and size for it. Have you already thought of that? So why don`t we break through the best options? Tiny butterfly tattoos are usually done on the most visible parts of the body like our wrists and neck, shoulders, fingers, and ankles. As for bigger sized ones, they are usually chosen for thighs, back, legs and chest. No matter the size, a butterfly tattoo will be eye-catching. Don`t think that you can only get single butterfly tattoos. There are so many other designs that go so well with these beautiful creatures. Think of combining them together, and you will love the results.

In nowadays world full of creativity and color there may be a million options of a butterfly tattoo. Your biggest task will be to find your own. What does it mean? Think of what looks the most attractive for you in a tattoo. If it is a butterfly tattoo, consider colors and details you would love it to have. While picking colors, think of what they usually mean.

It is so important to understand in what technique you would like it to be. Is it in watercolor or any other one you liked? The most recent trend is a 3D technique that represents a butterfly on a whole new level with a vibrancy of colors and the realness of the image. Think of the message you want to show the world. Is it the picture that will represent your feelings from the depth of your soul and love? Along with flowers, vines, and names of lovers, couples often choose two butterflies to be tattooed with the sense of their love and devotion. Would you like it to be a symbol of something that happened to you? Then choose a phrase to go near a butterfly.

Do you need more suggestions? Then scroll through some unique butterfly tattoos that we have found for you.

Despite the ethereal beauty of colors that you can see on the wings of butterflies, you can tattoo butterfly in black and white and still have a chic design. The truth is that the color palette you can experiment with has no limits, but black and white patterns are what help us focus on the inner meaning instead of the visual part. By getting a black butterfly tattoo, you can emphasize its significance with bold lines and delicate dots in the middle, for example. On top of that, such ideas will nicely fit the image and style of those who prefer to keep everything in their lives simple.

One wing is a collection of flowers growing and blossoming from the body of a beautiful butterfly. Isn’t it a wonderful metaphor? Butterflies spend most of their lives helping flowers grow and flourish, so they’re literally a part of their lives as well. This message is simple to comprehend, and that’s what makes it so beautiful. It seems like as long as we have such unique butterflies tattoos at hand, we will never have a lack of inspiration in our lives.

Irene Bogachuk is a tattoo expert, who has a big experience in tattooing, shares her expert opinion on how to keep your tattoo bright and colorful for years:

Of course, photos of a fresh tattoo taken immediately after the session always look vibrant, saturated and high contrast. However, during the skin’s regeneration process after the session, the tattoo may change its tone slightly. That is why I always recommend checking healed tattoos in your tattoo artist’s portfolio.

There are several factors that directly affect the final result: proper skin preparation before the session, natural processes of skin regeneration, the aftercare quality, the professionalism of the artist and the tattooing technique. All these factors are connected with each other. I would even say they are almost equally important.

Let me explain in more detail:

Well hydrated and soft skin is crucial for a good, saturated healing of a tattoo. Therefore, when preparing for a session, make sure to moisturize your skin beforehand. You can use a gentle scrub on the area a few days before the procedure (just not the night before). If the area is usually dry or flaky, take care to moisturize it daily for at least 5-7 days prior to the session. Your water intake also contributes greatly to maintaining proper hydration of the skin. When caring for your fresh tattoo, even if it is healed, moisturize it regularly so that it remains vibrant and bright.

The immune and lymphatic systems also affect your new tattoo during the healing process. The better they function, the more pigment your body will push out, leaving less pigment in the skin. You can fix this when you visit your tattoo artist for touch ups after complete healing. Keep in mind that during the session, the needle basically punctures the skin, so you see a concentrated black pigment on the surface. During the healing process, this punctured area gets covered by a new layer of skin. The pigment gets hidden under this regenerated skin, which has a certain shade, affecting how you perceive the color of your tattoo.

Thin tattoo lines, which are all the rage now, also have certain technical nuances. I do not want to delve into it too much, but in short, they tend to heal lighter compared to thick, bold lines. This is due to the depth at which the pigment is deposited. So, if you want a thin tattoo, remember that it is absolutely normal for it to get lighter after healing.

If you are interested in getting a tattoo or already rock a couple of tats on your body, you’re no stranger to the dotwork technique. What is more, you know how sophisticated sketches look when they’re tattoed through the shadows and lights of lots of tiny little dots. As you can see from this pic, butterfly tattoos for women are no exception.

Those who want their tattoos to tell about their restrained taste and sense of fashion can get their butterfly tattoo in black and white colors. All in all, the simpler it looks, the better, as simplicity is what will never go out of fashion. Plus, the visual part won’t overlap the meaning you put into your tat.

Shoulders, clavicles, and wrists are the most feminine spots to place tiny butterflies tattoos. If you go too big, it will look drastic against your overall look, whereas going too small will make your tattoo too unnoticeable. This tattoo size is just perfect for girls who want to add a visible touch of pure femininity to their daily looks without going too much.

Even if you don’t want to expose your tattoo to everybody, it will still look breathtaking when you wear some off-shoulder sweater or strapless top. As for the color, it’s totally up to you. However, we’d recommend you choosing something subtle that will slightly stand out from your skin tone. As a result, your tattoo will look more natural.

by @koray_karagozlerThe science of the tattoo world says that what you want to depict may play different roles. While your butterfly may be a single character, it may also be an epitome of various feelings and thoughts. That is to say, your skin is a canvas where you can depict what matters in your life the most, creating your own story for the chosen character. And this geometric butterfly tattoo is a great example of creative customization.

Here, the butterfly is enjoying the blossom of a flower surrounded by a conceptual geometric figure. With the help of various color schemes, colorful tattoo ideas help to create a special mood. What we see in this idea is that the butterfly has stuck in a beautiful moment of contemplation. Now, what do you see?

A wrist is the most delicate place to get a tattoo, whether it’s a quote that means the world to you or a meaningful tiny tattoo. Although it’s the most sensitive area for such experiments, people also find it to be quite symbolical to capture something they’re attached to on their inner wrists. And covering this beautiful spot with butterfly tattoos would be a fantastic idea for one simple reason.

Since they usually come pretty small, they will nicely fit there. At the same time, they will stand out and reflect a sense of significance, especially if you go for colorful butterfly tattoo designs. When considering the colors, think of how it will suit your skin tone. This blue idea with a shadowed outline, for example, looks mesmerizing on the pale skin.

by @koray_karagozlerThe importance of finding a suitable tattoo design and technique lies not in a beautiful outcome but in harmony. Besides looking wonderful, tattoos should be a part of you or an extension of you that makes you feel harmonic. Colors, in their turn, also matter on your way to creating unique butterfly tattoos. You should pick the colors that welcome good energy and inspire you before making them a part of your life.

In this pic, you can see a thoroughly customized idea of butterflies tattoo. All those colors, shapes, and galaxy-inspired accents represent individuality that you can notice even with a naked eye. The best thing is, a butterfly is such a flexible symbol that you can mix it with any color, style, and pattern. And that’s why it’s still so popular.

by @debrartistSpeaking of quote tattoos finished with creative designs, we just can’t pass by this delicate flower tattoo. Words are not enough to describe how creative and gentle this design looks, not to mention the amazing idea for its placement. In this delicate flower tattoo, the quote is a stem of the flower which literally takes those simple yet significant words to the next level. It’s probably the most inspiring idea of feminine back tattoos we’ve ever seen, as it brings a strong and very motivating message. Never give up, and you will find your place under the sun.

by @firstjingNow, let’s talk about the colors. The advances in tattooing techniques have reached the point when they can literally make butterflies tattoos take flight. With the help of proper shadowing, detailing, and smudging the colors, your master can give you a totally realistic butterfly tattoo. As a matter of fact, there’s nothing like a colorful tattoo that looks so real as if it’s really a part of your body. Or, maybe it’s your bright soul is trying to show up? Anyway, such tattoos are like a permanent anti-stress button that can cheer you up once you have a look at it.

Credit photo: instagram/aknowiHow about you to crash stereotypes about lower back tattoos? You probably remember those times in the ’00s when girls would cover their lower backs with flame-like horizontal designs. At some point, it was really sexy. But soon, it became outdated and even considered as a wild idea for a tattoo. We can’t even imagine how those ladies felt afterward.

Anyway, it doesn’t mean that such tattoos can’t look good! Moreover, there are lots of unique butterflies tattoos that look fabulous on lower backs. Add more colors and details, and you will simply give a new take or even make the old trend come back.

You can ask your tattoo master to draw a butterfly in a geometric tattoos style when discussing the sketch. And you will totally like it! The smooth and balanced lines of a butterfly’s silhouette can nicely fit any style, be it a conceptual minimalist or detailed geometric design. Moreover, you can create a nice fusion of styles by mixing a realistic piece with any other element you prefer.

In this idea, the choice of color is simply ingenious. The black and white palette allows both elements to create an organic ensemble while complementing one another. Some of the elements are transparent, and others are bold, which gives a dimensional finish to this butterfly tattoo.

Credit photo: instagram/greem.tattooIt’s no secret that tattoos don’t have to be big to represent a deep meaning and bring a great visual impact to the beholder. In fact, even a small yet graceful detail on some hidden or uncommon part of your body is enough to showcase your different character. While you may come across tons of different and creative butterfly designs, you can always come up with your own idea.

Think of the meaning you want to put into your tattoo. Those little cuties have brought a sense of love, hope, and changes on their wings that people can capture with their small butterfly tattoos. How do you like this idea? Here, a butterfly looks like a talisman that always reminds the wearer of something important.

by @tattooist_sigakWhen you want to have your tattoo small, the number of places has no limits. Most people don’t like it to be too apparent, so they ask for a neck, nape or ankle designs. In this way, you can go for a change that will mean a lot to you while not looking too drastic. What we love about this small butterfly is its ravishing and even mysterious simplicity. Anything from a perfect shape to smooth curvy lines attracts our attention. Also, at first sight, it may look like a regular little butterfly. But if you let your imagination fly with this little creature, you may notice a small symbol of change that we all go through in our lives.

Traditional butterfly designs appear elegant if placed on the right body part. The idea of tattooing a medium-sized butterfly on the shoulder seems straightforward and sophisticated at the same time. It is necessary to learn that getting a tattoo on the right place is essential to make the most of it. A top-notch tattoo idea on the wrong body part will not only ruin its beauty but your money and time as well.

All beautiful things come in pair, remember? So why not get butterfly tattoos on shoulder featuring two little cuties flying together? By letting two butterflies into your life, you can enrich the basic meaning of this tattoo with a romantic vibe. All in all, love is meant for two, right?

By the way, each object in your tiny butterfly tattoo may have its own meaning. One is for hope, and the other is for love, for example. Love and hope going hand in hand, who could ask for more?

As you have already understood, choosing a butterfly tattoo is a responsible task that you have to consider. Think of details, the way you would like it to be done and the message you would like to transmit to people who are going to see it. Find the one that will represent you.

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