100+ Abstract Tattoo Ideas to Let Your Creative Side Run Wild

From swirls and freehand designs to tribal ink, there are plenty of abstract tattoos for you to choose from!

I have only really recently started getting into abstract tattoos. This is becoming a popular trend and I am finding an increasing number of clients requesting these designs. I find the concept and designs really intriguing and abstract tattoos are helping me develop and elevate my skills as an artist.

In this post, I will reveal the top abstract tattoo ideas and give you a few options and introductions for each category.

What Are Abstract Tattoos?

Before I share the top abstract tattoo ideas with you, I do want to touch upon what an abstract tattoo actually is. This is because there is no set definition for abstract tattoos - likely because the definition of what abstract art is equally is hazy.

Abstract art is about using shapes, colors, forms, and marks to represent the external reality or the world that we live in in an non-defined way.

In some cases, abstract art and abstract tattoos can represent a particular concept or idea. In other instances, abstract art and abstract tattoo ideas can be just about bringing an aesthetic composition to life.

You should also keep in mind that with abstract tattoos, there really are no rules. So, the term abstract tattoo can still be applied to a tattoo that only loosely follows the conditions of abstract art.

The Best Abstract Tattoo Ideas

Here are the top abstract tattoos that you can consider for yourself:

Swirl Abstract Tattoos

As titled, this kind of abstract tattoo involves swirls and whorls. In some cases, the abstract tattoo can involve concentric swirls.

In this event, there will be sort of a repeating pattern to the black ink abstract tattoo. Of course, you can feel free to have an abstract tattoo design where the swirls are entirely random.

If you want a more concentrated pattern for your abstract tattoo, I would suggest getting this design on your shoulder or near an elbow or your knee.

If you would like to keep the abstract art tattoo a bit looser, then you can get it on a larger area such as your arm, forearm, back, etc. These can also work as a sleeve tattoo.

One of the cool things about these designs is that they work as abstract tattoos for men as well as women.

Freehand Abstract Tattoos

This kind of abstract concept is similar to the swirl tattoo style. However, the design is a lot more random and is largely made up of abstract lines instead of curves.

This kind of abstract tattoo can often have a lightning-like pattern to them. It is quite common for these kinds of abstract tattoo ideas to be located down the arm. However, they can work anywhere on the body, really.

If you are on the lookout for minimalist abstract tattoos, I would suggest opting for a fine-line version of this tattoo. This way the lines are a bit thinner and there is a bit more space in between the lines.

Although this may appear as a rather simple abstract tattoo, you shouldn't be deceived. There is still a certain level of precision involved in such abstract tattoos. Due to this, you need a skilled and capable tattoo artist to help you achieve your desired look.

Brush Stroke Abstract Tattoos

Imagine dipping a paintbrush into a pot of paint and then swiping the brush across a blank canvas. You may be able to see that the edges of the brush strokes are jagged. Also, the paint is darker in some areas and lighter or even non-existent in certain spaces in between.

This is what brush strokes abstract tattoos look like. If you would like, you can also include paint splashes in between these designs. This idea can work well if you are looking to get artistic abstract tattoo designs.

Now, you may notice the similarities in swirls of abstract tattoo ideas and wonder what the difference is. Well, for one thing, brush strokes abstract tattoos will have the distinct elements that I have mentioned above.

Also, when it comes to such abstract art concepts, the design is a lot more random. You can even have the curves or lines crisscrossing one another.

For the most part, this kind of abstract tattoo is made up entirely of black ink. If you would like to switch things up, though, you can certainly add some color.

Since a deep black will likely be the primary color, go for bold blues and reds to help them make a statement against the black.

On the other hand, you can also create watercolor abstract tattoos from this kind of effect if you want!

Geometric Abstract Tattoos

Geometric abstract tattoo ideas are a great way to add some structure to your abstract art tattoos. This kind of abstract tattoo is also a great way to merge two fairly contemporary concepts.

So, if you want a more avant-garde-looking tattoo, this is a good style to consider.

Now, when it comes to geometric abstract art tattoos, there are different concepts that you can choose from.

You can have geometric shapes as well as random, non-conforming elements to your tattoo. Or, you can use various swirls, whirls, and other non-specific designs to create geometric shapes.

It all depends on the final look that you are going for. If you want something a bit more diverse or different, then go with the first idea. On the other hand, if you want a bit more structure or form to your abstract tattoo, then go with the second concept.

Plant Abstract Tattoos

When most people think of abstract tattoo designs, they tend to think of inorganic designs. This is because to a certain degree, abstract art is about stepping away from the traditional muses for art and doing something quite different.

Also, plants and abstract designs can feel at odds with one another. However, this is the reason that I love combining flowers, leaves, plants, and trees with abstract tattoo concepts. It creates a beautiful contrast and makes your tattoo really stand out.

Now, it is up to you to decide just how much abstract elements you want to introduce to your plant and tree tattoo. If you want to keep the flowers or plants fairly recognizable, then you can scale back on the abstract elements.

On the other hand, if you want to distort plants, trees, and other flora in your tattoo, you can introduce a greater number of abstract details.

Animal Abstract Tattoos

As with plants, animal abstract tattoo ideas are a great way for you to create two contrasting elements. However, since animals tend to have more details to them, you will find these kinds of abstract tattoo concepts to be a little different.

So far, the abstract tattoo ideas have involved swirls, lines, or geometric elements. And, these are certainly concepts that you can include in your animal abstract tattoos as well.

At the same time, you can feel free to switch things up as well. For instance, you can use partitioning and colors to create an abstract art feel for your animal abstract tattoo.

This can be an especially great idea if you want to get an abstract cat tattoo or an abstract dog tattoo. See, you likely have a more emotional connection to cats or dogs. Due to this, you may not want to distort their natural features too much. Or, you may not want to alter fundamental aspects of their appearance.

So, instead, you can have their images broken up into different sections. Within these sections, you can include different tattoo styles and colors. This can be a great way to show off the different aspects of your favorite animals' personalities.

Since these tattoos can be quite detailed, make sure to work with a tattoo artist that has some experience with realistic elements.

Portrait Abstract Tattoos

Portrait abstract tattoo ideas tend to be a bit different from other concepts. This is because many of them follow a similar pattern.

Here, the portrait or portraits are drawn with a single line, moving to form different features of the face. In some cases, the lines intersect with one another or they may not touch at all.

Of course, this is just one idea for you to consider. The great thing about this kind of portrait tattoo is that they are plenty of ways to get creative.

For instance, you can do a pretty realistic tattoo using abstract lines and shading. This way, you create a balance between the two concepts.

You can also do one part of the face using a realism style. The rest can then be done with random splashes of shape, designs, or paint.

Or, you can use segments and colors to add dimension and unusual details to an otherwise realistic portrait tattoo.

Heart Abstract Tattoos

If you are thinking of getting a more universal symbol, then an abstract heart tattoo is something that you may want to consider.

There are a few different ways that you can get this kind of abstract tattoo. The first thing you will need to do is to decide whether you want a realistic heart or the symbol of the heart. This all depends on how complex you want your tattoo to be.

After you have made this decision, you will need to determine what kind of eye-catching abstract design you are going to use for your tattoo. You can choose to draw the heart in an abstract way. Or, you can maintain the proper structure of the heart and impose elements such a wavy lines or whorls onto it to create a unique tattoo.

If you are in the mood for a more fun or eccentric design, then I would consider getting watercolor abstract tattoos for hearts.

Skull Abstract Tattoos

If you are looking for a more gothic approach to your tattoo, then an abstract skull tattoo may be just right up your alley.

The cool about this kind of tattoo is that there are a few different design options to choose from. If you would like, then you can have only a bare outline of the skull, adding enough of abstract components to make you have to take a second look at the design.

Or, you can choose to sketch out a skull design from negative space. This is a great way to create contrast while still adding a really spooky vibe to the design.

You can also get a more realistic skull tattoo but have half of the tattoo done up in with abstract elements. This can be a great way to depict two different versions of reality.

Keep in mind that such designs can be rather tricky so you are going to need a good tattoo artist to get the best possible result.

Landscape Abstract Tattoos

This is a really cool concept if you want to show alternate versions of reality. Now, when it comes to this kind of abstract tattoo, your first order of business is to figure out what kind of landscape you want to do.

For instance, do you want to go with the ocean, mountains, rivers, lakes, etc? This will help you to decide what kind of components to add to the tattoo.

However, you don't have to choose a definitive landscape if you don't want to. Instead, you can simply include fundamental elements and purposefully keep these elements blurred or obscured.

Celestial Abstract Tattoos

I have to say that these are some of my favorite abstract tattoo ideas. This is because, on the surface, the moon, sun, and stars are fairly simplistic designs.

However, you throw some abstract art into the mix and you are able to create something beautiful and unique. Not to mention, you can create something very artificial looking out of two wholly natural concepts.

Now, if you want, you can only have an abstract sun tattoo. Or, you can choose to have a moon in the tattoo as well.

The cool thing about including both the sun and the moon in your abstract tattoo is that you can also add some meaning to the design.

This is because the sun and the moon are considered opposites of one another. The sun is associated with masculine elements, while the moon is associated with more feminine energy.

However, although these two elements may appear to be opposing forces, they also balance out one another. So, featuring them in a single tattoo can be a way to acknowledge both sides of you or to appreciate that two forces have to be combined in a symbiotic way.

Tribal Abstract Tattoos

The first thing that I want to mention here is that this category is not referring to traditional tribal tattoos. Traditional tattoos are based on designs that are found in indigenous cultures such as Maori and Polynesian.

Abstract tribal designs, however, are a newer creation. They became quite popular in the 2000s. These are curved, spiky tattoos that don't follow any particular pattern. Due to this, they are in line with the abstract concept.

Miscellaneous Abstract Tattoos

If you are looking for unique abstract tattoo ideas, then this is the category for you. This is because there is nothing to really define such abstract tattoos.

These tattoos are as random and as haphazard as it gets. They can't really be defined as shapes, they are of all different colors, and they don't follow a pattern.

This can be a great tattoo to get if you, as a person, are hard to define too. If you are someone who is laidback goes with the flow, and is constantly changing direction, then such tattoos can be a good representation of who you are as a person.

What is the Meaning of an Abstract Tattoo?

Well, there isn't necessarily a meaning behind an abstract tattoo. This is because many abstract tattoos are created to be works of art, often separate from the meanings that we typically attach to objects.

That being said, there is no reason that your abstract tattoo can't have meaning attached to it. It all depends on the design that you choose and even the style. You can depict a great deal with these two elements.

For instance, a tightly formed design can indicate control while a looser concept can represent freedom. You should also keep in mind that color can add meaning to the design as well.

Well, there you have it - the top abstract tattoos for men and women all in one place! With so many styles and options to choose from, you are spoilt for choice. All you need to do is to determine which of these designs are a good fit for you.