Reviewed & updated: December 7, 2022 by Jamie Wilson BA
If you’re looking for some good cowboy tattoo ideas, then you’re at the right place. Here you’ll find the list of the best cowboy tattoos.
You can learn all about cowboys and cowboy tattoos from here.
Cowboys are North American animal herders. A testament to the American way of life of yesteryear, cowboys have evolved to be an eponymous part of popular culture.
Over the years, cowboys have often been used as symbols to learn the valuable lessons of loyalty, honour and fair play. You will found that cowboy tattoos have a special place among all the potential tattoos that you might come across.Some people even get cowboy tattoos as a memorial for their lost loved ones, who might have lived a life of cowboys. Continue reading to learn more about the number of cowboy tattoos you can get and also learn about what they mean.
American Traditional Cowboy Tattoo
American traditional tattoos are classic tattoos that will never go out of style just like cowboy fashion. The bold lines and bold colours of these tattoos define them and go perfectly with cowboys and their bold nature.
The picture above shows a traditional sleeve tattoo of a cowgirl riding on a horse through a desert with a few birds flying in the sky. You can choose from a number of options already available to the tattoo artists or your own unique design.
Cowboy Bebop Tattoo
‘Cowboy Bebop’ is a science-fiction anime series. The anime surrounds a few characters who are bounty hunters or otherwise known as cowboys. They run around space in the future to capture criminals. The term space cowboy certainly comes to life in this anime. You can also learn a lot from this anime.
The picture above is a silhouette tattoo of one of the protagonists of the anime, Spike Spiegel. The ‘see you space cowboy’ tattoo beside it is a popular phrase from the anime which appeared in the ending titles. The term since has been used as a manner of saying ‘good night’ by a number of fans.
Cowboy Hat Tattoo
If you learn about cowboys, you will see that they can’t continue without a number of things and one of them is their hats. Without the cowboy hat, their apparel stays incomplete. That’s why even if you tattoo a cowboy hat on its own, people will still easily understand the symbolism behind your tattoo.
The picture above shows a small minimalistic tattoo of a cowboy hat. The tattoo design contains only the outlines of the hat. It still holds all the meaning of a cowboy tattoo.
Cowboy Skull Tattoo
Skull tattoos hold as many positive meanings as they hold negative ones. In this case, the life of a cowboy was full of danger, and someone donning this tattoo meant they were not afraid of death. Nowadays, everyone gets these tattoos as an honour to their lives and they look cool as well.
The picture above is of a skull tattoo with a cowboy hat on its head and a few roses below that. You can include more elements into the design to make it more meaningful and cooler.
Space Cowboy Tattoo
The term space cowboy probably came into existence as a slang term. However, with time it was included in many songs and many TV shows, movies, and more. Before anyone knew it, it became a household term, but with no negative connotations. Nowadays, it basically indicates cowboys in outer space.
The picture above shows a colourful tattoo of a man with a mask on his face and a planet in the background, giving the vibe of the space. The term, ‘space cowboy’ is etched below the tattoo.
Realistic cowboy Tattoo
Realistic tattoos are mostly done in black and grey ink. Whatever the design may be, realistic tattoos always look astonishing. These tattoos include delicate details of a certain design that the wearer wants and make the object come alive. That’s why these tattoos can be the best option one can choose to get.
The picture above is of a realistic tattoo of a cowboy riding on a beautiful healthy horse through the desert. The details of your design can be captured more beautifully in black colour, but choosing colourful ones can also turn out to be pretty amazing.
Cowboy Boot Tattoo
Another one of the most important parts of cowboy apparel, that cowboys cannot continue their lives without is the amazing cowboy boots. These are usually sturdy yet fashionable. The life of a cowboy wasn’t easy and the boots needed to be as strong as the wearer. That’s why if you just get the cowboy boot tattoo, it will still bear the meanings of a cowboy tattoo.
The picture above shows a small fine line tattoo of a cowboy boot. You can change the boot design, get a big one in beautiful colours for your cowboy boot tattoo.
Animal Cowboy Tattoo
The animal which is mostly associated with a cowboy is the horse. However, we’re not talking about a horse tattoo when we say animal cowboy tattoos. We mean, cute animals, posing as cowboys. The idea has been around for a long time and we are surely not complaining. Their cuteness will continue to charm you, till you fall in love with the designs.
The picture above is of a cat tattoo with a cowboy hat on its head. The most popular phrase of a cowboy is ‘howdy’, which means ‘hi’. Playing on the word by combining with ‘meow’ of a cat, ‘meowdy’ is written above.
Memorial Cowboy Tattoo
Many people get the cowboy tattoo as a memorial tattoo. They get it to honour someone they knew who lived the life of a cowboy. There are a number of cowboy tattoos that you can get for your memorial tattoo, but people mostly get cowboy boots with cowboy hats kept on top for their memorial tattoo. The design of the boot and the hat can be anything. However, mostly the hats are kept on top of the boots.
The picture above shows a simple fine line tattoo with no shading. It’s a small memorial tattoo of a cowboy boot with a hat on top and the most famous phrase of a cowboy, ‘howdy’ etched on top of it.
Cowboy Horseshoe Tattoo
The life of a cowboy revolves around their horses. These horses can’t go on without their horseshoes. That’s why horseshoes are an important object in a cowboy’s life. In addition, horseshoes are considered a lucky charm, or something that can protect you.
The picture above is of a classic tattoo of two hands shaking and a horseshoe tattoo in the background. The wearer must mean to bring good luck in their deals of everyday life ll as a cowboy.
You have learned about what cowboy tattoos are best and what they each symbolize. If you are going for your first cowboy tattoo then we will give you a few more suggestions before you continue. You can add watercolour to make your cowboy tattoo look a bit trendier. You can also throw in a few abstract or geometric patterns into the mix to make it look a bit carefree. If you’re getting a cowgirl tattoo, you will find that giving her a flower in hand, like she’s holding a weapon can make it look extremely classy. There are many other western tattoos other than cowboys tattoos, like tattoos of bulls, horses, north American tattoos, and more. We’ll leave the choice up to you to ink.
feature image from Pinterest
