The thigh is becoming an extremely popular area to get personal body art designs.
The upper thigh offers a large space with a relatively high pain threshold. It can be hidden or displayed with ease depending on the individual situation, so is a great position to depict your tattoo idea.
The large surface of the upper thigh area rivals the back when it comes to space that a tattoo artist can work with. A tattoo artist enjoys their job when given the chance to get creative with the range in size and application choices for your tattoo ideas.
Thigh tattoos are also popular between genders as men and women have become more inclined to utilize the different parts of the thigh for their tattoo choices. Whether it’s a large outer thigh tattoo sleeve or a more intimate and sexy inner thigh tattoo art, the thigh area is the new go-to tattoo placement zone for inexperienced and hardcore tattoo lovers alike.
Read on for 79 tremendous examples and find a thigh tattoo design you can use as inspiration for your new tattoo.
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1. Portrait Thigh Tattoos
Given its size and shape, the outer thigh is an excellent place for a portrait tattoo. The slope of your thigh vaguely mimics the shape of a human head, and the expanse of skin gives all the space you need. Placing a portrait on your thigh is a hugely personal choice. Since you can cover it up quite easily, you might choose the thigh tattoo placement for a portrait of a family member or somebody else who means a great deal to you, rather than a more visible arm tattoo or small tattooon the inner bicep.
Thigh tattoos for men or the girl in your life feature portraits that can be photo-realistic, old school, or anything in between; a professional tattoo artist can do all sorts of cool tattoo designs in this position. Beautiful thigh tattoos don’t have to be large, intricate designs either; often, a small thigh tattoo or tiny tattoo can be executed with style and precision.
Thighs are also great places for testing out newer techniques like trash polka or watercolor, especially if you already have several pieces of more traditional body art elsewhere. If you’d like your portrait titled, varying thigh tattoo writing styles add that extra-personal touch with a name, date, or quote.
2. Women’s Thigh Tattoo Designs
Whether a sexy thigh tattoo idea or a large design meant to show off the skill and art of a big tattoo idea, tattoos for women are mad. Flower tattoos, neo traditional wild and domesticated animal ink, sugar skull and animal skull tattooideas, cross-stitch and badass side thigh abstract black and gray mandala tattoo art are just some of the possibilities. These beautiful tattoos for women aren’t your classic small butterfly or rose thigh tattoo picked from a wall of flash and then hidden away.
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3. Animal Thigh Tattoos
While animals are among the most popular tattoo art subjects anywhere on the body, the space and curve of a thigh make them a wildly popular choice, just like portraits. The photorealism tattooing style offers the most lifelike animal tattoos, with fur and feathers that look so real they might just move at any second. However, traditional old-school tattoos, those featuring non-realistic blackwork, and even the oddball genre of colorful, cartoonish new school can all make for some incredible thigh tattoos.
Regardless of the artistic method chosen, your animal tattoo design should really speak to you. A beloved lost pet is a classic and heartfelt choice. Perhaps an elephant, lion, or dragon tattoo should live on your thigh to guide and advise. Or maybe you just really love wolves! Whatever the reason, thigh tattoos large in size and style are exceedingly bold ways to show your animalistic side.
4. Asian Inspired Thigh Tattoos
Ancient and classical Asian artwork has been inspiring tattoos and tattooists for generations. Rich in design and meaning, the artwork of Japan, China, Vietnam, Mongolia, India, and many more eastern nations is beautiful and historic. Remember that some of the best thigh tattoos don’t stop at the knee; they can go up the hips or extend far below the knee. These badass leg tattoo concepts offer even more room and pack a massive visual punch!
For a modernized twist on traditional Asian artwork, consider style versus subject. Tigers and koi fish are gorgeous and classic, but how about a rabbit to commemorate your Vietnamese zodiac sign? The truly adventurous and bold may consider an illustration from the Kama Sutra, the ancient Indian Sanskrit book of lovemaking for an extra sexy inner or outer thigh tattoo. Asian artwork from many countries is packed full of fascinating themes, so don’t be afraid to think outside the box when approaching design and thigh tattoo placement.
5. Colorful Thigh Tattoos for Men
If you’re looking for a place to go bold and colorful for your new tattoo, you needn’t look any further than your own leg. Colorful thigh tattoos are stunning when rendered skillfully. They run the gamut from traditional designs to neo-traditional and everything in between. They can be relatively small and singular to really pop a favorite design or huge and cover far more than just your thigh.
When considering any thigh tattoo, be aware of your pain threshold and communicate this to your tattoo artist. In our opinion, any great tattoo is worth the momentary pain of having it inked. However, the inner thigh is particularly sensitive, with thinner skin and more nerve endings, so be prepared to suffer a (tiny) bit for that spectacularly bright new piece of tattoo art.
6. Black and Gray Thigh Tattoos
Bold and beautiful, black and gray tattooing — also called blackwork — is an exceptionally popular choice in thigh tattoosfor men. Many different styles of tattoos have their roots in good old black and gray. Tribal, Chicano, geometric, dotwork, and photorealism styles are all most commonly inked in black and gray, with truly stunning results.
Virtually any style of tattoo can be done in blackwork, even those that more traditionally use color. This can be done in order to blend with a body full of black and gray art or to put a personalized spin on a particular design. Try it out for yourself by simply using your phone’s photo app to put a black and white filter on any photo you like. Experiment and you’ll soon see that the world of blackwork is anything but boring black and white.
7. Horror Tattoo Leg Sleeve
This breathtaking piece showcases the true potential of the leg and thigh area for tattoo placement. All these faces might look confused or even distorted on a smaller area, but here, they can all shine individually and come together to create a masterpiece of the macabre.
Thigh Tattoo FAQ
Is a thigh tattoo a good choice?
The thigh and upper legs are an increasingly popular area to get tattooed. A thigh tattoo presents the opportunity to cover a large surface area if desired and suits every style of body art application.
Full thigh tattoo designs offer a unique style, while smaller designs are quite easy to cover up or hide as the situation dictates. It’s easy to get creative with leg tattoos. They can be a deeply personal and sexy tattoo or a tribute tattoo for something more privately meaningful.
The relatively high pain threshold for the thigh area also makes tons of sense for those looking for an easier time at the tattoo shop, while the skin here shifts way slower over time, so thigh designs will automatically be more immune to aging.
The presumed extra privacy of thigh tattoos also enables designs that are more personal or sexy, particularly for the inner thigh.
A thigh tattoo design can join and extend along glutes, hips, and pubic area towards the abs. If done right, these tattoos can be an amazing design which features across much of the wearer’s body.
Do thigh tattoos hurt?
Some thigh tattoo options offer some of the least painful areas for an individual to get tattooed, especially on the outside and front of the thigh. The inner thigh, however, can be particularly painful, as it’s one of the more sensitive areas of the human body. There are quite a few nerves located in this area, so be aware that it could make you extremely uncomfortable when getting that sexy inner thigh tattoo.
Make sure if you’re undertaking an inner thigh tattoo experience, that you book into an appointment with an experienced professional tattoo artist. They can help in a variety of ways should the pain threshold be an issue – from the way they use the tattoo machine to breaking up painful zones or even taking regular breaks.
Did you enjoy these descriptive man and woman’s beautiful thigh tattoos design ideas? Click on the links below for more awesome galleries of tattoo art to inspire your next tattoo:
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