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Home Tattoos 101 Best Stippling Tattoo Ideas You Have To See To Believe!

101 Best Stippling Tattoo Ideas You Have To See To Believe!

by Jamie Wilson
Stippling Tattoos

Want to create a stunning art piece for your next stripping tattoo? Check these really cool tattoos that scream ‘SKILLS’ the loudest way possible. 

Stippling Tattoo
@alianilercel via Instagram – Love this design? Try a Temporary Tattoo

Also known as ‘dotwork tattoo’, stippling tattoos teaches us how ‘Every dot counts’.

Stippling has owned its place in the  art world. These tattoos are deeply meaningful while at the same time, showcase immense artistic skills.

Stippling refers to the art form wherein the artist creates shapes, patterns and shades using nothing but just dots. An artist would combine tiny dots to give the effects of shading, creating depth in the most realistic way. What we love about these art forms are how they give a beautiful vintage paper print-like effect. So if you are someone who is a proud old school when it comes to your taste, or maybe you are just someone who appreciates unique artworks and understands the dynamics of different artistic styles, these tattoos are for you. When it comes to stippling in tattoos, the artist uses the same form but by hand poking small dots onto your skin. Also, since these tattoos deal one dot at a time, it means they are the least painful. However, given the fact that the entire design depends on how the dots are being used, these tattoos tend to be very sensitive and require careful hand poking. One dot here or there, you might as well end up turning your most wanted and admirable tattoo into one of your most regrettable tattoos. With that said, let us dive into the artistic world of dotted tattoos and discover the best tattoo for yourself.

Mandalas Stippling Tattoo

Mandalas Stippling Tattoo
@kristophertaylor13 via Instagram – Love this design? Try a Temporary Tattoo

One of the most used stippling designs are Mandalas. Mandalas are circular shaped figures that represent the Universe in Hinduism and Buddhism. A stippling method makes a great art form to signify the universe. The tiny dots in these designs could be perceived as each element that makes up the whole universe and how every single dot is important for the same. You can get these Mandalas in black, grey or even red ink and also add in a few floral details like the one in the image below.

Mandalas Stippling Tattoos
@hayliefarrelltattoos via Instagram – Love this design? Try a Temporary Tattoo

Spiritual Stippling Tattoo

Spiritual Stippling Tattoo
@alianilercel via Instagram – Love this design? Try a Temporary Tattoo

Stippling form is also famous among those seeking an artsy spiritual tattoo that is not just aesthetically pleasing, but also holds a lot more meanings than meets the eyes. The most popular tattoo design among all spiritual tattoos is the Hamsa Hand. According to many cultures, the Hamsa is a symbolism for good fortune and fertility. The Hansa hand is often found being used as an amulet as a protection against the evil eye in the Middle East. Ink on this spiritual tattoo in the most artistic way you could ask for and let the Gods of fortune light up your path in life.

Tiger Stippling Tattoo

Tiger Stippling Tattoo
@dot.s_tattoo_smp via Instagram – Love this design? Try a Temporary Tattoo

Tiger is the symbol for power and elegance, and do we need to mention their beauty? Those signature black stripes on their body makes them a great art concept for power. Used mostly as a power tattoo, tiger tattoos are highly popular among men and if you are looking for a tiger tattoo design inspiration  and do not want to make it look like any of those regular tattoos, you might want to give this tattoo style a thought. These tattoos go best on the biceps, chest, and forearms.

UFO Stippling Tattoo

UFO Stippling Tattoo
@charmink.tattoo via Instagram – Love this design? Try a Temporary Tattoo

When it comes to outer space opinions, it is safe to say that the world is divided between two groups. One who believes in aliens, and the others who think they are just a hoax. If you are one of the believers and are fascinated by the whole concept of not being alone in the Universe, a fun tattoo like this is for you that would fit perfectly right on your arm.

Small Stippling Tattoo

Small Stippling Tattoo
@handpoked_gelfwai via Instagram – Love this design? Try a Temporary Tattoo

Looking for an artistic tattoo that is not that big and reflects your ‘simple living high thinking’ personality, this tiny dotwork tattoo style is the perfect option for you. You can create a miniature tattoo like this however you wish to and convey it to your tattoo artist so that they have a proper idea and can combine your idea and their plan the perfect way possible.

Runic Stippling Tattoo 

Runic Stippling Tattoo 
@theravenfromthenorth via Instagram – Love this design? Try a Temporary Tattoo

Runic tattoos that date back to the Viking periods, has also been a popular tattoo style. Although many tattooists take advantage of their creative freedom and use different styles, dotwork tattoos, a stippling form like this one, is also a famous choice among tattoo enthusiasts when it comes to striking tattoo art. 

Hannya Mask Stippling Tattoo

Hannya Mask Stippling Tattoo
@j.montgomery_tattoos via Instagram – Love this design? Try a Temporary Tattoo

Used in Japanese Noh theatre and characterised by bull-like horns and metallic eyes, hannya masks represented a jealous female demon. If you are into theatres, you can create an epic tattoo design by combining these two epic art pieces; the hannya mask and stippling tattoo.

Sacred Geometric Stippling Tattoo

Sacred Geometric Stippling Tattoo
@isismuniztattoo via Instagram – Love this design? Try a Temporary Tattoo

Sacred geometric tattoos are highly symbolic and perceived as sacred. These tattoos use shapes and patterns in nature that also have religious iconography attached to them. These tattoos have no rules or patterns to follow and therefore allow the artists to be creatively wild with their artwork. If you are into sacred and spiritual tattoos, these kinds of sacred geometric tattoos are meant just for you.

Hummingbird Stippling Tattoo

Hummingbird Stippling Tattoo
@albamartintattoo  via Instagram – Love this design? Try a Temporary Tattoo 

Hummingbirds are tiny little vibrant coloured birds that are just too good to be true. Hummingbird tattoos, however, have a lot beyond their cuteness. These tattoos mean freedom, strength and a strong will. Incorporate this tiny bird and the art of dotwork tattoo drawings with single needlework like this tattoo here if you have been planning to get a hummingbird tattoo. 

Elephant Stippling Tattoo

Elephant Stippling Tattoo
@kylejosephtattoo via Instagram – Love this design? Try a Temporary Tattoo

One of the most noble animals, elephants are known for their kind, loyal and human-friendly nature. Elephants are known to be mighty and strong, so much so that they could even scare off the big cats. Spiritually, elephants are symbols of good luck and wisdom and it is believed that an elephant showers us with blessings with their trunk up. If you have a soft heart for this cute giant mammal, and want a symbol of good luck onto your skin but also in an artistic way, dotwork tattoos will prove to be the perfect choice for you. 

Stippling tattoos are purely art and require a fine set of experienced hands and a lot of carefulness considering the fact that it involves thousands of tiny dots. One tiny more dot could ruin your entire artwork. This is why, we would recommend you to get yourself a tattoo artist with a history of dealing this form and such details. Talk your vision through with your tattooist and together, you could come to one unique piece of art. As dotwork tattoos are composed essentially of repetitions of dots, a regular tattoo gun may not always be the best choice. These tattoos require the use of hand poking to achieve the precision needed for the dots, which is more time-consuming, but believe us or not, it is totally worth it. 

We hope you found your inspiration for your next stippling tattoo and if you want to look for more inspirations, you can do so by searching for the hashtag #stipplingtattoo on Instagram and other social media platforms like Pinterest and Facebook. If you wish to learn more about stippling tattoos, check out our suggestions below:

  1. Stippling tattoo technique
  2. Stippling tattoo designs
  3. Stippling tattoo artist near me
  4. Tattoo cross hatching and stippling
  5. Dotwork tattoo inspirations 

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