More than 50 amazing large tattoos

Getting a tattoo is a huge commitment. And deciding on having a large design inked on your skin is even more so.

If you’re looking for some tattoo design inspirations for your next one, you came to the right place. Here is a diverse collection of tattoo ideas covering a multitude of styles.

Be inspired by the amazing large tattoos other people have gotten inked.

#1 Movie-inspired

Done in a realistic tattoo style, this 90’s movies inspired tattoo sleeve is every film buff’s dream come true. List down your own movie favorites and get badass characters tattooed on your arm.

#2 The Godfather

Here’s another awesome tattoo that took inspiration from cinema. This time the sleeve depicts scenes from the iconic mafia film The Godfather. Nothing quite says cool like having Don Vito Corleone himself displayed on a bicep.

#3 Oriental design

Japanese style tattoos have long been popular among people who constantly get inked. The style boasts of color and a unique design palate that calls on traditional Japenese art and folklore.

#4 The sea in color

This cosmic design of a whale coming out of what seems to be a black hole in space makes for a great back tattoo as well as a conversation piece.

#5 Selective color

This grim reaper tattoo gets a very apt pop of color with the incorporation of the orange fire tones in the lamp bringing more life (no pun intended) to the rather dark design.

#6 Perfect color combo

The use of red ink in this fantastic black and white arm sleeve collage is reminiscent of the trash polka tattoo style design.

#7 Wearing religion on your sleeve

Religious imagery is often associated with Chicano style tattoos. The design has transcended ethnicities as its elements have become popular to a larger group of tattoo enthusiasts.

#8 Make a political statement

religion — NextLuxury
Source:

NextLuxury

Get creative and mix various tattoo styles to come up with your own design. Here, elements of the classical realism style and religious tattoos meet each other resulting in art that makes a statement.

#9 A cathedral on your chest

Give new meaning to the phrase ‘take me to church’ with something like this tattoo design reminiscent of the paintings found in the ceilings of old Catholic churches.

#10 Mixing iconography

Fill your skin canvas with various iconography from both religious and popular cultures to come up with a design that’s truly your own.

#11 Comic book sleeve

Take advantage of colored ink and immortalize your favorite comic book characters and scenes. The arms seem to be the best place for these designs because of their length which somewhat resembles a comic strip.

#12 Marvel meets DC

Create a comic book world crossover and have both your DC and Marvel favs in one place.

#13 Shoulder garden

The shoulders are an ideal place for both large and small tattoos. They can easily hide and display designs depending on what you wear.

#14 Pushing daisies

flowers — tattooeasily via Pinterest
Source:

tattooeasily via Pinterest

Don’t want to make your flower design tattoo too ‘girly’? Consider ditching colored ink and sticking to a black and white scheme with plenty of shading.

#15 Garden visitors

bird — chrissy_gibson1 via Pinterest
Source:

chrissy_gibson1 via Pinterest

If you want the opposite, not wanting to end up with a tattoo that looks too harsh, opt for thinner lines and a dash of subtle color.

#16 A sleeve of flowers

Have your favorite kind of flowers with you at all times by having them tattooed in a similar way as this full sleeve design.

#17 Attracting butterflies

butterfly — archzine via Pinterest
Source:

archzine via Pinterest

Go symmetric and have both of your shoulders covered. You can easily flaunt your tattoos by wearing a trendy off-shoulder top.

#18 Overgrown flowers

leaves — sharna_lee_turner via Instagram
Source:

sharna_lee_turner via Instagram

Here’s another beautiful rendition of the same concept but covering more skin area from the neck down to the biceps.

#19 A show of patriotism

Show your patriotic side by having a large realistic flag tattooed on your shoulder.

#20 Spiraling up and down

swirl — tattoosandmmore via Pinterest
Source:

tattoosandmmore via Pinterest

There’s nothing wrong with opting for a decorative design if you’re not a fan of political statements.

#21 Leg climbing

Tattoo sleeves can also be worn on one’s leg. You can opt for a leg sleeve if your design ambitions need a bigger canvas.

#22 One-sided

The back of the knee and the ankle are some of the most painful places you can get a tattoo on. So, if you want something like the photo above, you better think twice.

#23 No inch left uncovered

leg — Pinningfashion via Pinterest
Source:

Pinningfashion via Pinterest

Arm sleeve designs also translate well when done on the legs. Case in point is this seemingly Buddhist inspired design.

#24 Matching and symmetrical

Make the full commitment and go for a symmetrical design on both of your legs.

#25 Knee-length

Who needs cute knee socks when you have something as awesome as this knee-length tattoo sleeve?

#26 A not so little secret

Want a large tattoo that you can still hide relatively easily? Get one on your thigh. Flaunt it during trips to the beach in your favorite swimsuit.

#27 The Lion King

Incorporate animal designs with floral elements to get a nature-inspired tattoo.

#28 Full bionic arm

This is a fantastic take on the bio-mechanical style which takes the mechanical aspect to the next level.

#29 Elephant paisley in technicolor

Get creative when it comes to mixing design elements together. See how the elephant’s trunk perfectly fits the paisley shape?

#30 Scriptures to remember

writing — The Trend Spotter
Source:

The Trend Spotter

Keep your favorite biblical passages with you at all times by having them permanently inked on your arms.

#31 Watercolor style

The watercolor style of injecting color in this tattoo complements the flow of the design’s drawing.

#32 Perfect contrast

Pale skin is the perfect canvas for black ink tattoo designs such as this one. The contrast between the skin and dark ink makes the floral design stand out more.

#33 Heart on your sleeve

Literally wear your heart on your sleeve by incorporating your favorite quotes into your tattoo’s design.

#34 Free flowing

Want a large tattoo that doesn’t look too dense? Opt for a design similar to the one above.

#35 Short sleeve scenery

Here’s another good example of the same concept. Doesn’t this landscape tattoo remind you of postcard scenery?

#36 Asian-inspired full sleeves

arms — crazyforus via Pinterest
Source:

crazyforus via Pinterest

Women can also opt for Japanese style tattoos. The style’s use of flowing lines and pops of color actually complements more feminine tastes.

#37 Pastel roses

arm — fashionladyblog via Pinterest
Source:

fashionladyblog via Pinterest

Make your love for roses known to all by displaying your favorite flower in a full-color sleeve.

#38 Chinese goddess

Traditional Chinese paintings also make for good tattoo designs and the back is the perfect canvas to reinvent them on.

#39 She wolf

Show off your inner she-wolf with a highly-detailed back tattoo like the one above. Notice how the geometric shapes perfectly outlines the wolf’s face?

#40 Crowned lion

If the lion is your spirit animal, take your favorite design elements and create your own special design.

#41 Phoenix rising

The watercolor technique used in this phoenix tattoo plays well with the mystical creature’s ethereal appeal.

#42 Equal division

half — gmoney23 via Instagram
Source:

gmoney23 via Instagram

The spine is one of the most painful places you can get a tattoo on. But if you’re willing to fight through the pain, getting something like this halved design might be worth it.

#43 Ready to fly

Having wings tattooed on one’s back isn’t really groundbreaking, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add your own flair to it.

#44 Beauty & darkness

skull — tattoodaze via Pinterest
Source:

tattoodaze via Pinterest

Mix elements from seemingly opposing concepts to come up with a tattoo design that is unique.

#45 A branch of cherry blossoms

Forego the harsh lines of black ink and go for a full-color tattoo like this beautiful bird-on-a-tree design.

#46 Perfect scenery

Improb via Pinterest
Source:

Improb via Pinterest

Take advantage of the chest’s width and recreate a memory from your family’s vacation photos somewhere near your heart.

#47 Bold and tribal

Tribal designs have been popular as tattoos for a long time now. Show off your heritage or creativity on your skin and design one of your own.

#48 Coming down for the kill

chest — The Trend Spotter
Source:

The Trend Spotter

Here’s a way to show some patriotism without being too on the nose. Nothing says American like a majestic eagle.

#49 The faux beard

Face tattoos are harder to pull off and for good reason. Although a beard tattoo can be hidden by growing a real beard over it in many cases.

#50 Secret cyborg

surreal — The Trend Spotter
Source:

The Trend Spotter

Biomechanical designs are another popular tattoo. So, if you have dreams of becoming a human-robot hybrid, you can sort of make them come true.

#51 Smoke and skulls

full tattoo — The Trend Spotter
Source:

The Trend Spotter

Show off your dark side with this excellently done black and white design.

#52 Vertical landscape

arm tattoo — The Trend Spotter
Source:

The Trend Spotter

Although you may think it’s counter-intuitive, designing a landscape lengthwise as an arm sleeve can turn out great.

#53 Abstract waters

tattoo sleeve — The Trend Spotter
Source:

The Trend Spotter

This black and white tattoo of waves is reminiscent of the ones found in Japanese style designs but without the color elements.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Article Sources:

NextLuxury

To learn more read our Editorial Standards.