Think aloud
I know that a Medusa tattoo looks gorgeous, the designs are always so beautiful.
However, I must say that I’m so sorry for all the things that you’ve gone through that brought you here.
Medusa has many stories, one says that she’s one of the Gorgon sisters, and others say that she was violated by Poseidon so Athena punished Medusa for not being pure anymore. The best story says that Athena actually gave Medusa her powers to be able to protect herself from any men who want to harm her.
And what happens? It’s a man who takes her life at the end of the story.
Even though men tend to get this tattoo as well, a Medusa tattoo has been a symbol of female empowerment. In the past couple of years, it’s become a symbol for women who have been violated, and who’ve gone through abuse, and assault.
Either way, your tattoo has a deeper meaning, and you should find the best design to always remind you of your strength.
Small Medusa tattoo
You don’t have to choose a huge design for your tattoo. This is quite a simple Medusa tattoo that doesn’t have too many details, but the message is obvious. The snakes are hiding their heads, while she’s crying bloody tears.
A simple design can have many little details woven into it. Some of the snakes on her head are done with black ink completely, while the rest don’t even have any shadows. The only shadows are in her face to add a bit of dimension to the whole design.
This is a very artistic approach to the Medusa tattoo. There are so many shadows and little dots that could be seen as scales on the snakes. Her eyes are lifeless, and the crack on her face shows that she, herself, has been turned to stone.
This is another small Medusa tattoo that doesn’t have too many details. There are some shadows, but they’re not making her look vicious.
Medium-sized Medusa tattoo
A medium-sized tattoo is still a commitment, however, when you don’t want something huge, then this is the perfect compromise. Here we can see that they chose a style where she still has hair. Her face looks realistic, but her hair is quite animated, so there’s balance in the design.
Have you ever seen such flawless shadows done in a tattoo? The transition between the shades of black and gray is absolutely immaculate, and even though some parts are very dark, there are still some lighter shades of gray. Even though, there aren’t many snakes, it’s still obvious who it’s representing.
It’s not rare to see Medusa represented with scales on her face, but there aren’t many tattoos that show that. This tattoo has scales on her face and some very detailed scales on the bodies of the snakes. The moon on her forehead is a nice touch.
Big Medusa tattoo
At the end of the day, considering what you’ve been through, you have a right to a huge tattoo. This Medusa tattoo is very dark because of all the shadows, the snakes are flowing around her gorgeously, and her face is cracked. Nonetheless, she still remains her beauty.
The more you look at this tattoo, the more details you’re able to find. The snakes look vicious, while her face is very calm. There are even shadows around the tattoo to give it more dimension.
This tattoo is a combination of styles. Even though it’s black and gray, you can see little specs of a traditional tattoo style when you look at the snakes. The snakes are intertwining around her head, and they look like they’re moving around. But look at that face! Her face is filled with shadows that give way to some negative space in the middle of the face.
You don’t have to show many snakes to make it obvious that it’s a Medusa tattoo we’re talking about. The moon on her forehead is wonderful, and the details (like her nails) are perfect. The movement of the snakes is done well.
It’s quite rare to see the full body of Medusa when someone’s doing this tattoo. That’s why you should consider it if you’re willing to do a big tattoo. Here, Medusa has a crown that hiding her head of snakes, but her tail makes it obvious who we’re talking about.
This is a very feminine Medusa tattoo. There are flowers, and snakes that look friendly, and even her face looks welcoming. The shading in this tattoo is very light in some places, and then others have a lot of darkness to them. That’s what creates such amazing balance in this design.
Let’s be honest for a moment, Medusa would be furious. So, don’t shy away from getting something that’s this dark, with so much black ink, and a face that reeks of vengeance.
There’s a lot going on in this example. Medusa, herself, is surrounded by her guardians, but her face looks determined. What I like the most about this tattoo is the crown on her head that has no ink, it’s just negative space.
We all know that Tarot cards are quite popular right now. So, if you want to get a Medusa tattoo, you may want to consider turning it into the card of The Serpent. This tattoo is the perfect balance between darkness and light. There are some feminine flowers, but there’s also a black moon that’s dripping.
Medusa tattoo with colors
It’s important to understand that you can do whatever you want with your design. Here you can see that the shades of yellow, brown, and the white highlights make Medusa look like she’s crying golden tears.
You shouldn’t shy away from your favorite colors, either. If you want pink on your skin – then do it! The saturated pink in this tattoo is well-blended into the black and gray ink.
Sometimes, you don’t have to do much with color to make it pop out. A combination of black and red ink is perfect! Especially, if you’re thinking of combining these snakes together and doing it with fine outlines, as it was done in this example.
It’s easy to create a neon effect in a tattoo. You do the darker color first, and then you add the white lines within. However, that wouldn’t be nearly enough to make a tattoo good. What makes this Medusa tattoo astonishing is the overall design.
Full-color Medusa tattoo
What about a full-color tattoo? If you want a Medusa tattoo, then you can definitely experiment with the designs. Here is an example of what Medusa probably looked like. The snakes are golden, and the shadows add a lot of dimension to the whole design.
A Medusa tattoo can represent her however you want. Nonetheless, a vicious Medusa, that’s sticking her fangs and tongue out, while she’s being protected by her snakes, is a sight for sore eyes.
This is a very traditional tattoo style. It’s obvious with the huge chunks of colors and the thick outlines, but also the art style in general. The shadows are there to add dimension more than to make it look realistic.
This is another traditional Medusa tattoo, where the colors are well-saturated, the contrast of the colors is perfect, and it’s obvious who it is that we’re looking at.
Geometric Medusa tattoo
If you’re a fan of geometric tattoos, then you can definitely add your little ideas to your design. In this Medusa tattoo, she’s still the main star of the show. However, the surrounding details are what makes this design so unique.
The scales on her face have been used as shapes to add to the rest of the tattoo. Even though there’s no need for shadows around her, Medusa has some very good shading done. The snakes look alive, even though Medusa has been turned to stone. The little lines, and circles around her head, could be turned into anything that your heart desires.
