Think aloud
Dinosaur tattoos can be cute just as much as they can be intimidating. Once you choose to get this inked on your skin, you start to wonder what would be the perfect design for you.
These ancient creatures are absolutely astonishing, and we still don’t know much about them.
In the tattoo world, dinosaur tattoos symbolize physical and emotional strength above everything else. These animals were big and strong, which would be an amazing representation of the battles you’ve fought, and you came out as a winner.
However, you don’t have to tie such a specific meaning to it. You can simply commemorate your love for these creatures, or you can find them to be cute enough to get them inked. Good thing that we made sure to give you a huge selection of tattoos to inspire you to design your own.
Full-color dinosaur tattoos
Would you like a cup of dino? This adorable design represents a dinosaur in a tea-cup and the details are immaculate. Full-color tattoos can be stunning if they’re as saturated as the one in the photo above. Even the small details, like the circles on the body of this dinosaur celebrate the art.
You can get a more realistic dinosaur tattoo. As you can see in this example, there are not a lot of details within the design, but the shadows and the colors are well-saturated to give this design so much more life. The leaves around it tie the peace in gorgeously.
You can let your imagination run wild with dinosaur tattoos, just like in the photo above. The small creature is cute just as much as it’s ugly. However, you should be able to appreciate the tones of pink, that are combined with the saturated green. The facial expression is brought to life with almost no linework.
If warm tones are more your thing, then this is probably what you’re looking for. Here we have a T-Rex with a teddy bear on its back. The composition of this tattoo is immaculate, as the mushrooms and the leaves create a gorgeous frame around the main piece.
Designing your own dinosaur tattoo can definitely make you stand out in the crowd. I mean, just look at this punk icon! The Mohawk, the can in his hand, the piercings, and even the background. This tattoo shows personality, and if you want something unique, maybe you should focus on designs that remind you of your rebellious soul.
Skeleton dinosaur tattoos
If you’re a fan of heavy linework, then you should probably consider getting the skeleton of a dinosaur tattooed on your skin. This tattoo follows the movement of the ribs perfectly, but it’s still so easily recognizable. Everyone can tell what it’s representing.
Here we have another example of a dinosaur skeleton. I mean, this is everything that we know for sure about the dinosaurs, so you can imagine that this is the most accurate design that you can get. This is a leg tattoo, and as you can see, the artist was able to make the movement of the skeleton seem flawless.
Skull dinosaur tattoos
Sometimes, you just don’t feel like getting a full skeleton, right? So, the natural direction to move towards is getting the skull of a dinosaur tattooed. The strong jaw of the dinosaur can still show the strength of this beast.
This skull of a Triceratops has so much shading that it looks like it was done on paper. The linework isn’t that hard, but the shading was done with thousands of small dots.
See also: 24 Eagle Tattoo Examples To Express Your Free Soul
The placement of this tattoo is absolutely brilliant. Once you move your thumb, it’ll look like the dinosaur is closing and opening its jaw. Here we have some quite dainty linework that still solid, but the shading isn’t that heavy.
A half-sleeve on a leg, with a huge dinosaur skull and a humongous flower, is definitely a unique and daring choice. The skull is emerging from the gorgeously done flower, and the entire black and gray design is detailed. The perfect shading makes it more interesting the more you look.
Multiple dinosaur tattoos
Usually, people don’t get a bunch of huge dinosaur tattoos next to each other. However, they do tend to get small linework tattoos. These tiny tattoos are getting more popular with each day, and you should definitely consider this if you’re not ready to commit to a huge piece.
Again, in this example, you can see a line-up of dinosaurs, that actually look cute rather than dangerous. This design follows the ribs, and the dinosaurs are only inked onto the skin with lines. There are no details, no shading, nothing. That’s why it’s so unique!
This one probably isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s adorable nonetheless. The outlines of these dinosaur tattoos were done with color ink, and the artist was also able to keep the saturation over the stretch marks.
Adorable dinosaur tattoos
As stated before, dinosaur tattoos are meant to represent strength. But who says that there’s only one way to do that? This dinosaur tattoo is actually adorable, and the little sprout on its head is a great design choice.
Or how about a lovable dinosaur? This tattoo was one with heavy black outlines, but the red hearts in the middle are what’s making this tattoo pop. It almost looks animated.
Or, if you’re more the type of person who wants to represent the deep sea, you may want to consider getting a Plesiosaurus with blue hearts all over it. There are even little bubbles above its head! The saturation of this design is immaculate.
Realistic black and gray dinosaur tattoos
Okay, enough with the colorful and animated tattoos, let’s get to the realistic and dangerous designs! This Velociraptor is done with immaculate black and gray outlines and shadings. Because of the wonderful details it looks even bigger than it actually is.
This dinosaur tattoo is much darker than the previous example. However, this has an interesting composition that perfectly follows the shape of the leg. The face of it, with the open mouth, create a very dangerous expression.
This is a semi-realistic black and gray dinosaur tattoo. This design was done on the inner side of the arm. Within the dinosaur there aren’t any harsh lines, all the linework was done around it.
Now, this is a fully realistic Tyrannosaurus rex. This example represents the true meaning of dinosaur tattoos. The physical strength of this tattoo is obvious, and the details within it are completely made with small shadows.
This is almost a full-sleeve dinosaur tattoo. The head of the dinosaur lays perfectly on the shoulder of this man, while the rest of it falls down his arm. The stark shades of black and gray are what make this design so high-end.
No one said that you can’t put your own little twist on a semi-realistic dinosaur tattoo. How about some fairy wings? You can probably argue that this is the best representation of a strong creature that still has a soft side. This design is absolutely magical.
Floral dinosaur tattoos
Floral tattoos don’t have to keep the flowers in the middle of the entire design. As you can see, the little dandelions underneath the dinosaur are still giving way to the main piece of the entire tattoo. In this example, there are some thick outlines, but the shading was done gently.
So, how about a semi-realistic Triceratops head with flowers all around it? The design of the flowers could even remind you of trash polka tattooing. The flowers still don’t take away from the viciousness of that facial expression.
A traditional tattoo could be the perfect choice for you. However, adding a little flower at the bottom of it just makes it even more special. Traditional tattoos are known for their thick lines and heavy shading, so if you’re a fan of that, this is the perfect design for you.
