From the painters’ canvases to the pages of writers, the Gothic style has changed and shifted throughout the years. Today, gothic tattoos might be the best representatives of this rather eye-catching style.
Ironically, these often dark and dreary optical creations come from some of the most brilliant minds. For tattoo artists, dark-colored ink is the paint, and a person’s skin is the canvas.
However, before picking the design, you might want to know the characteristics of gothic style tattoos. Luckily, works of the same style use similar elements. One of the more visible characteristics is the grim and dark themes. Many goth tattoo designs include creepy animals, holy figures, and ritualistic symbolism.
However, the use of colors — or, more correctly, the lack of them — sets these tattoos apart visually. Usually, gothic tattoos primarily use black ink. However, there are cases where a more eye-catching color gets used, and this mixture of shades can help craft some super realistic ink works.
Now that we have grasped the basics, you might go ahead and look at some gothic inkspiration. Below, we’ve compiled a goth sleeve tattoo or two for you to enjoy and described some of the most common symbols used in these creations.
As you go through the entries, make sure to upvote the ones that you liked the most. Also, don’t forget to share your opinions about the tattoos in the comments!
#1 Monster Coming Out Of The Dark Tattoo
Image source: wbtattooart
#2 Gothic Style Crow Shoulder And Chest Tattoo
Image source: fantinitattoo
#3 Love At First Sight Upper Arm Tattoo
Image source: utopiatattooshop
#4 Cathedral Calve Tattoo
Image source: comma_ttt
#5 “Defend Animals” Gothic Lettering Piece
Image source: tariameorzo
#6 “Several Curves” Eccentric Shoulder Tattoo
Image source: jeon______
#7 Custom Beetlejuice Piece
Image source: sameastwick
#8 “Petite Chrysanthème” Forearm Tattoo
Image source: tulipe.tattoo
#9 Spooky Cat Tattoo
Image source: arcstattoo
#10 Salem Upper Arm Tattoo
Image source: mattwmurray
#11 Big Ominous Raven Forearm Tattoo
Image source: hipner.magdalena
#12 Stylized Large Animal Back Piece
Image source: freeorgy
#13 Dark Aries Hand Tattoo
Image source: yztattoo_cad
#14 Framed Angel Tattoo
Image source: its_banzo
#15 Dark Lightning Body Tattoo
Image source: ladefaction
#16 Sophisticated Raven Tattoo
Image source: eunyutattoo
#17 Contrasting Girl Tattoo
Image source: inkdistrictamsterdam
#18 Spider Skull Tattoo
Image source: cassper.ink_
#19 Skull Cherries Upper Arm Tattoo
Image source: evil.chef
#20 Skulls And Snakes Full Arm Piece
Image source: arcstattoo
#21 Dragon Circle Tattoo
Image source: mammon_black
#22 Large Contrasting Octopus Tattoo
Image source: ricktattoo
#23 “Hail Cycling” Arm Tattoo
Image source: tattoosbylandon
#24 Dressed Up Girl Contrasting Tattoo
Image source: o_one_art
#25 “The Mysterious Elegance Of The Death” Arm Tattoo
Image source: evil.chef
#26 Full Back Gothic Moth Tattoo
Image source: arcstattoo
#27 Enigmatic Stag Creature Tattoo
Image source: blialcabal
#28 Mothra Large Chest Piece
Image source: lustandconsume
#29 Highly Stylized Baroque Skull Tattoo
Image source: o_one_art
#30 Holbein’s “The Advocate” Tattoo
Image source: mollyemrick
#31 “Can’t Trust No One, Even Yourself” Arm Tattoo
Image source: deadboimatti
#32 Mesmerizing Dinosaur Skeleton Full Chest Piece
Image source: bemben_tattoo
#33 Nekomata Upper Arm Piece
Nekomata are a type of cat yōkai that feature in Japanese folklore, classical kaidan, essays etc.
Image source: weiii_tattoo
#34 Headless Horseman Full Back Tattoo
Image source: old.masters.ink
#35 Grand Death Eagle Sleeve Piece
Image source: fredao_oliveira
#36 “The Bird In The Frame”
Image source: ariefasant
#37 Big Scary Fly Hand Tattoo
Image source: marco.odio
#38 Crow Sleeve Piece
Image source: angeloparente
#39 Snake Skeleton Full Arm Tattoo
Image source: _lipa_
#40 Dark Gothic Neck Tattoo
Image source: 721tattoo
#41 Freehand Skull Tattoo
Image source: heukdo__
#42 Victorian Dress Arm Tattoo
Image source: wee_lucie
#43 Stylized Bat Tattoo
Image source: megferrytattoos
#44 Devil Playing With Fire Tattoo
Image source: charmant.bourreau
#45 Hallucigenia Tattoo
Image source: arcstattoo
#46 Dark Freehand Arm Piece
Image source: 721tattoo
#47 Dark Church Leg Tattoo
Image source: blackphillip_ink
#48 Freehand Seraphim Tattoo
Image source: heukdo__
#49 “Cupid” Arm Tattoo
Image source: jeon______
#50 “Sacred Heart” Chest Tattoo
Image source: its_banzo
#51 Baroque Lion Tattoo
Image source: ariefasant
#52 Wheel Of Fortune Forearm Tattoo
Image source: ariefasant
#53 Dramatic Valkyrie Full Back Tattoo
Image source: tattooist_hwi
#54 “The Drolatic Dreams Of Pantagruel” (1565) Series Tattoo
Image source: mollyemrick
#55 Gothic Hand On A Thigh Tattoo
Image source: bakcylink
#56 Thorny Branches Elbow Tattoo
Image source: arcstattoo
#57 Dark Symmetrical Thigh Pieces
Image source: arcstattoo
#58 The Morrígan Upper Arm Tattoo
War and fate are the Morrígan’s main areas of focus, especially when it comes to predicting negative outcomes, death, or victory in battles. As part of this role, she frequently takes on the form of a crow, referred to as the badb.
Image source: weiii_tattoo
#59 Soldiers With Wings Thigh Piece
Image source: tattooist_hwi
#60 Alien “Face Hugger” Tattoo
Image source: eyepatch.tattoo_
#61 “Ornament And Architecture Reaching For The Sky” Arm Tattoo
Image source: jon108osiris
#62 Junji Ito Inspired Sleeve Tattoo
Image source: johnnyfleshtattoo
#63 Gnarly Looking Massive Leg Tattoos
Image source: ladefaction
#64 “Baby Teeth And Iris” Tattoo
Image source: _onirma
#65 Dark And Interesting Arm Piece
Image source: _darktorch_
#66 Gothic Dolphin Piece
Image source: arcstattoo
#67 “Dizzy Eyes” Tattoo Over A Tattoo
Image source: ryuji_003me
#68 Full Skull Design Tattoo
Image source: comma_ttt
#69 Attacking Eagle Tattoo
Image source: ricktattoo
#70 “Playful Fight” Contrasting Tattoo
Image source: davide.mancini
#71 “Angel Of Death” Calve Tattoo
Image source: davide.mancini
#72 Butterfly Skull Thigh Piece
Image source: ink.knox
#73 Black Widow Hand Tattoo
Image source: ink.angelsz
#74 “Insanity” Written In A Gothic Font On A Thigh Tattoo
Image source: deadboimatti
#75 Contrasting Weapon Tattoo
Image source: deadboimatti
#76 Memento Viviere Collarbone Tattoo
Image source: deadboimatti
#77 Three Gothic Crosses Arm Tattoo
Image source: chico.choo
#78 90’s Style Gothic Heart Tattoo
Image source: faerieliner
#79 Skull Behind The Ear Tattoo
Image source: stainedglassdeviltattoo
#80 Gothic Stylized Skull Tattoo
Image source: thedarkestwork
#81 Bones And Skull Traditional Tattoo
Image source: danmorristattoo
#82 “The Eyes, Chico, They Never Lie” Arm Tattoo
Image source: _donbraga
#83 Babies In A Monsters Mouth Arm Tattoo
Image source: arcstattoo
#84 Stylized Dagger Tattoo
Image source: jessdarkart
#85 Dark Gothic Cathedral Calve Tattoo
Image source: strchn
#86 Sick Moth Tattoo
Image source: cassper.ink_
#87 Bold Stylyzed Octopus Tattoo
Image source: ryuji_003me
#88 Spine Forearm Tattoo
Image source: heukdo__
#89 “Lovely Candle” Tattoo
Image source: its_banzo
#90 Strange Contrasting Arm Piece
Image source: angeloparente
#91 Red Vampire Arm Tattoo
Image source: sharon.bmash
#92 Light Gothic Statue Piece
Image source: sameastwick
#93 “Dark Art” Full Back Tattoo
Image source: gghost_tattooer
#94 Entertaining Jester Etch Tattoo
Image source: kajetankarczewski
#95 Get Blessed By This Frog Tattoo
Image source: kajetankarczewski
#96 “Shrimp With Flaming Village” Upper Thigh Tattoo
Image source: rodrigoalmanegra_tt
#97 Stylized Skull With A Chicken Foot Tattoo
Image source: presotto.tattoo
#98 Stylized Lettering With A Cherub Tattoo
Image source: 721tattoo
#99 Back Tribal Tattoo Piece
Image source: blxckink
#100 Gothic Font Tattoo
Image source: charmant.bourreau
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