Tattoo Ideas For Men

Tattoos are not only a lifelong piece of art on your body, but they are also a deeply personal experience. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide of tattoo ideas for men, exploring style, placement, and symbolic meaning. showcasing inspiration from our gallery of completed work, we hope to direct you in making an informed and empowered decision regarding your tattoo. 

With over 25 years of experience and award-winning tattoo artists, we’re confident you’ll find inspiration in our collection of tattoos for men.

Sleeve Tattoo Ideas 

Sleeve tattoos are one of the most common tattoo ideas for men. Not only are they timeless, but they also cover an often visible part of the body. A sleeve tattoo is a great option for someone who wants to rock their ink proudly. However, if you are concerned about the visibility of your tattoo, quarter sleeves and half sleeves are also an option! 

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There are many ways to go about getting a sleeve tattoo completed. At Zealand Tattoo, we often custom-design the whole piece to suit your stylistic needs and the shape of your body. Then, we go ahead and achieve an awesome piece of ink over one or more sessions, depending on the size of your design and how long you want to be tattooed for. We often create large-scale Black and Grey and Realism sleeves. You can view our Black and Grey Gallery here for inspiration.

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Another common way to achieve a sleeve tattoo is to create one out of smaller designs. Sleeves often end up being achieved incidentally as a byproduct of getting lots of little tattoos. This is a legitimate way to achieve a sleeve tattoo, but it just creates a different effect. This kind of style might be referred to as patchwork. 

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Both options end up looking amazing; however, designing a full sleeve before tattooing the arm allows for a well-thought-out, cohesive, large concept piece. Designs like this allow our artists to demonstrate their extensive skills as award-winning artists.

Chest Tattoo Ideas

Chest tattoos can range from smaller to larger tattoos. Maybe they cover one side of the chest or both. Some even travel up onto the neck. Especially in Japanese styles, it's common for sleeve tattoos to spread onto the chest. This kind of tattoo is known as a chest-plate tattoo. You can visit our Japanese Gallery for inspiration.

Chest tattoos are a great idea for anyone who doesn’t want their tattoos to be obviously visible. The chest is a great well well-hidden spot, however, it is also large and is a great location for a big, bold design. 

Given the nature of the body, it is also a great spot to put any symmetrical designs. Artwork, as such, brings a visual sense of balance to the body. Having said that, different sides of the body represent different things. In Polynesian culture, the left side was designated for women and the right side for men. In modern holistic psychology, the left side represents the creative side and the right, the logical, rational.

Shoulder Tattoo Ideas

Shoulder tattoos are versatile and dynamic. There are so many different effects you can achieve with a shoulder tattoo, and they can traverse so many different areas of the body: the neck, the arm, the chest, the back.

Tattoos on the shoulder can be the finishing piece to a patchwork style sleeve, capping off neatly and stylishly a bunch of smaller tattoos. Or shoulder tattoos can be stand-alone designs, emphasising one’s figure. 

Again, shoulder tattoos are a great option for symmetry. This can bring a sense of balance to the body. It is not uncommon for shoulder tattoos to travel up the sides of the neck, perfectly framing and enhancing the natural curves of the body. 

For men, popular ideas for shoulder tattoos are designs like modern tribal, which we specialise in here at Zealand Tattoo. For some inspiration, you can visit our Maori Gallery and Polynesian Gallery.

Leg Tattoo Ideas

Leg tattoos come with great versatility. From full-on leg sleeves to patchwork, the possibilities are endless. Legs are another great opportunity to create symmetrical designs. They are a popular placement choice for large designs, which might be considered part of a bodysuit. Again, legs can be a good choice of placement, particularly the upper leg if you’d like your tattoos to be less visible. 

The legs, in some cultures, represent the roots of the body, the grounding part. This can be considered when choosing what designs to place on the legs. They are a large enough space that you can create something epic and symbolic. Polynesian and Maori designs look awesome on the legs fully wrapping calves and thighs to create strong sturdy foundations.  

Small Tattoo Ideas

Small tattoos can have just as much significance as a large tattoo. As much meaning, detail, and creativity can be worked into a much smaller area. Designs like these are often put on areas such as the hands, the feet, and the ankles. However, they can be placed anywhere on your body. 

We often create small, stylish designs based on customers' ideas. Our award-winning artists are always on hand to help bring to life our customers' visions. For inspiration, you can visit our Gallery of small tattoos.

Minimal Tattoo Ideas

Minimal tattoos are inspired by minimalism, the idea that you should only own what adds value to your life. These kinds of tattoos are clean, sleek, and stylish. They are simple, focusing on clean lines and straightforward designs, offering timeless appeal. These tattoos make a strong statement without being overly complex. Minimal styles often include fine-line and ornamental. 

Traditional Tattoo Ideas

Traditional tattoos might refer to something different depending where in the world you are. The most popular traditional tattoos in New Zealand would be Maori (Ta Moko) and Tongan tattoos. Ta Moko represents a person's identity, family heritage, and social status, with each design uniquely tailored to the individual. On the other hand, Tongan tattoos (known as "Tatatau") holds deep cultural significance. They are traditional in the sense that they are culturally traditional in Aotearoa. 

Traditional tattoos, Trad tattoos, or American Traditional refers to Traditional American tattooing, which flourished in the 1930s with artists like Sailor Jerry popularising the style. It is characterised by bold black lines and bright colours. The subject matter is often themes such as tigers, women, anchors, and swallow birds. It is one of the most iconic tattoo styles and arguably the easiest to achieve. 

This style of tattooing, as with other traditional styles such as Maori, Polynesian, and Japanese, is timeless because it demonstrates not only the beauty of tattooing but also the history. 

New Tattoo Ideas

Looking for fresh inspiration? There are always new tattoo trends on the horizon,  new techniques that give way to unique and innovative styles. As modern, award-winning tattoo artists, we are able to create custom designs tailored to your specific needs, whether you’ve been inspired by other styles or have a completely unique idea in mind. Nothing is too wild or bold for us. Get in touch today to discuss your tattoo ideas.

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If You Love These Designs, Choose Zealand Tattoo

With more than 25 years of experience with award-winning artists. Zealand Tattoo has been at the front of innovative, personalised tattoo design for decades. With tattoo studios in Christchurch and Queenstown and over 1,000 five-star reviews, you know you will get a high-quality premium tattoo.

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