Reviewed and updated: October 25, 2022 by Jamie Wilson BA
If you are looking for tiger tattoo designs that are traditional in style and laden with symbolism, then this list of traditional tiger tattoos is for you.
Traditional tattoos have been gaining popularity in the tattoo world lately.
Because of their bold, bold lines and bold use of color, traditional tattoos are popular with most tattoo enthusiasts. The tiger is a popular choice for traditional tattoos.
The tiger has different meanings and symbolisms in many cultures worldwide. It is the national animal of India, while the Chinese god of wealth and fortune, Tsai Shen Yeh, usually rides a tiger. In Japan, the tiger and the dragon are considered to be forces that can control rain and wind. One of the four sacred animals, the Japanese tiger represents the fall season, is a symbol of the north, and is also said to have the ability to maneuver the wind. If you are looking for a traditional style tiger tattoo then this specially curated list of traditional tiger tattoos is a must have for you.
Japanese Traditional Tiger Tattoo
Of all the schools of traditional tattoo design, the Japanese form of traditional tattoos remains one of the most popular styles within the tattoo community. One of the most important aspects of traditional Japanese tattoo ideas is that every single imagery used in these tattoos has a specific meaning and purpose. The traditional Japanese tiger tattoo embodies all the qualities generally attributed to the real animal – raw power, independence, strength, courage and innocence. The traditional Japanese tiger also stands for longevity and longevity. In Japanese culture, the traditional tiger images are also used to ward off negative energies, misfortune, disease and to keep evil spirits at bay. Opt for this white tiger Japanese tattoo design if you want to pay homage to your Japanese roots.
Traditional tiger head tattoo
The imagery of people adorning animal headdresses can be traced back to ancient warriors, stemming from the early Norse, Aztec, Native American Indian, African and ancient Roman traditions. In such tattoos, like this traditional tiger head tattoo, the cowl is often adorned by the female warriors. This stunning traditional tiger head tattoo uses shades of brown and black to bring to life the portrait of an ancient warrior wearing a tiger skin headdress. Get this traditional tiger tattoo if you want your body art to represent the unleashing of the animal instinct within you.
Snake and Tiger Traditional Tattoo
The tiger and a snake are among the most dangerous animals in the jungle. Both the snake and tiger tattoos are symbols of male sensuality and sexuality, as well as a person’s passion and masculinity. A tiger tattoo can also be a symbol of personal strength, protection and courage while the snake is a symbol of power, desire and temptation. Because of this contradictory nature of the two themes above, these snake and tiger tattoos can be a representation of leaving behind toxicity and virulent traits and habits that you may have.
American Traditional Tiger Tattoo
Another popular school of traditional tattoos, the American traditional tattoo design implements the bold borderline technique with solid black color and a limited color palette that uses only green, red, blue, and yellow. The American traditional tiger tattoo is a bold choice when looking for tattoos that are symbols of brute strength and power. The giant wildcat is generally respected and feared for its courage, hunting skills, fierce nature, and sheer strength. Staying true to its traditional American roots, this traditional tiger tattoo design also consists of bold border lines, a limited color palette and depicts the big cat in a convincing, spooky way with sharp, protruding claws and bare, shiny teeth. Go for this traditional tiger tattoo if you want your body art to pay homage to your Native American roots.
Skull and traditional tiger tattoo
Tiger tattoos represent power, protection and a sense of superiority. On the other hand, the human skull is a symbol of death and the inevitability that awaits every human being. However, this particular traditional tiger tattoo with a skull in its mouth symbolizes that not all people are afraid of death. The use of vibrant hues and strikingly bold lines used in this tiger tattoo makes it an absolute eye catcher in keeping with other traditional tattoos.
Traditional tiger tattoo on chest
While those who are getting tattooed for the first time or are on a tight budget opt for minimal tattoo ideas that are small and have less complex designs, the seasonal tattoo enthusiasts opt for tattoo sleeves or a tattoo design, which is not only large and complex, but also boasts a wide range of colors and intricate details. This traditional tiger tattoo design is perhaps a dream project for most tattoo enthusiasts out there with its huge size, many fine details and patterns centered around a huge Royal Bengal tiger and a ferocious viper. The sheer size and compelling expression of the ferocious beast taking on the venomous viper is enough to instill fear in the faint of heart. However, only settle for this large traditional tiger tattoo if you are happy with the size and the look as it takes a lot of time, money and passion to be perfectly executed by an experienced and professional tattoo artist.
Traditional Tiger Tattoo Arm Sleeve
Tiger tattoos often symbolize sheer power and represent strength. While the beginners are looking for minimal tattoos, the seasonal tattoo enthusiast is opting for tattoo sleeves. A tiger tattoo sleeve is a very cool choice to get inked as a sleeve tattoo offers a much larger canvas to draw the black striped wild animal. With much more skin area to work on, tattoo artists can use their expertise to make the giant tiger look fearsome and impressive, in keeping with traditional tiger tattoos. However, we would only advise seasonal tattoo enthusiasts to go for these traditional tiger tattoo sleeves as it can be a bit too overwhelming for those getting inked for the first time.
Black and Gray Traditional Tiger Tattoo
While most of the traditional tiger tattoo designs on this list use a color palette made up of rich and vibrant hues, this particular tiger tattoo draws on the classic tattoo inks of black, white, and gray. These colors were once the only color palette used in the tattoo industry, but with the advent of new technologies, a whole range of shades, even consisting of neon colors, were introduced. However, black and white continued to be the classic tattoo color favored by conservative tattoo artists and the popularity of grayscale and black and white tattoos never waned. This particular white tiger tattoo design is a testament to that with its subtle use of black and white ink as well as an extensive shading technique to make the terrifying wild animal look alive. Go for this white tiger with black stripes if you prefer the conservative tradition of tattooing to the new and popular tattoos that use a wider range of hues.
Flower and traditional tiger tattoo
Due to their simple two dimensional designs, overcrowded use of the color palette, and common use of bold black outlines found in most traditional tattoos, the traditional American floral tattoos are highly sought after in the tattoo community. Each traditional floral design has a specific symbolism and quality. This particular traditional tiger body art features a tiger head connected to a flower drawn in a traditional design. While most traditional tiger tattoos depict the wild animal in a frightening way that is very similar to this tiger tattoo, the presence of a flower adds a feminine flair to the image that somewhat softens the frightening and bold look of the overall tiger tattoo .
Traditional tiger and panther tattoo
Often regarded as the most powerful and superior of all jungle cats, the tiger and panther tattoos usually consist of both animals in conflict with each other. This traditional tiger tattoo design paired with a panther tattoo uses the same technique, drawing both cats in a traditional style. With each of the cats on both legs, this tattoo can symbolize an inner struggle that a person often goes through in life.
Following current trends, traditional tiger tattoos will remain a popular tattoo choice among tattoo enthusiasts. As always, opt for an experienced and professional tattoo artist to protect yourself from future skin problems. Have fun coloring!
Featured image from Pinterest