Top 103 Fox Tattoo Ideas [2020 Inspiration Guide]

To reach a cunning level of camouflage, men of all backgrounds choose fox tattoos. They are always the right mixture of friendly and flamboyant.

Are you ready for a tattoo that reveals your quick wits and sly talents? If so, then you could poignantly benefit from a foxy imprint. Fox tattoos are well-received in all sorts of social circles. They are tied to urbane older men in pop culture, so established gentlemen can secure their status as a “silver fox” with the right form of body art.

Guys who have pride in their red hair can also represent this happily with a fox design. Their are Asian mythologies that exalt the fox, and Native American religions espouse similar stories; therefore, people who are interested in mystical occurrences also get fox tattoos with regularity. They are coy and playful critters, but there is usually more going on underneath the surface. In fact, they are keen masters of deception and manipulation. If you value these characteristics, then a fox icon is your shrewdest selection possible.

Every culture has offered an interesting take on the fox, so you can experience a diverse range of expression with these little guys. Take a peek here to see what we mean!

1. Black and Gray Fox Tattoos

These black and gray fox tattoos are used in conjunction with a variety of fine black line shapes and outlines to build vibrant pieces in a range of shapes and sizes. There are a variety of styles on display – geometric and realism based art, compact American traditional inspired tattoos, and foxes fashioned from flowing curves – all of which aim to flesh out each one with comprehensive gray scale shading.

2. Avant-garde fox tattoos

This beautiful array of foxes showcases the best in alternative color techniques. They build on characteristics found in the art world to craft bold tattoos emphasising unique balance between color, line, and geometry. They come in a range of sizes, but all show a mastery of technical tattoo.

3. Innovative black and gray tattoo

These fox tattoos opt for a strong focus on black line and geometric fundamentals. These principles provide the basis of extremely innovative works featuring line, dots, negative space and subtle shade techniques to build flashy tattoos in different positions. Love how the line work in particular stands out – they create amazing technical displays of framing, border and contrast that transforms normal shapes into stunning examples of quality body art.

4. Colorful fox tattoos

These new wave tattoos do a fantastic job of creating unique and interesting foxes. They mix a range of color techniques with abstract line work, patterns, and style effects into stylish body art. These techniques often create significantly better image flow based on placement and size.

5. Japanese inspired fox tattoos

Kitsune is the Japanese word for fox, and are integral to Japanese folklore. Stories depict foxes as intelligent beings possessing supernatural abilities – often acting as messengers between humans and spirits. Because of this close relationship, Kitsune are a popular motif in Irezumi tattoo and Japanese inspired body art for both symbolic and stylistic reasons. 

6. Watercolor fox tattoos

Watercolor fill is a brilliant concept for top quality artists to show off design skill and color innovation. Despite their differing aspects each example uses bright color to help the ink flow and coalesce in each tattoo. Watercolor can fade more quickly than traditional color but the use of quality ink and artistry eliminates issues relating to longevity.

7. Neo traditional fox tattoos

Fox tattoos are killer when opened up to new wave ink expression. The animal’s reputation for cunning and trickery works in translating symbolism – as an old school image the fox is ripe for mixing traditional elements into contemporary body art. Traditional staples such as thicker, bolder lines, negative space, and flatter, compact color fill are augmented by vibrant color palettes, geometric pattern effects, and innovate design.

8. Realism fox tattoos

This mix of fox tattoos are amazing. They show foxes in real situations, building a variety of different effects to heighten realism, versatility and expertise in technical approaches to fashioning epic fur effects and facial expressions. In some, painstaking care has been taken to build habitats optimizing size, shape, and scale of the fox image with contrasting color, shading and linework.

9. Fox Hand Tattoos

This is a tremendous mix of styles depicting quality hand tattoos. They capture a wide array of technical effects – ranging from full color to realist shading and geometric line work – and the artists have effectively utilized each subject’s full hand to maximize the size and shape on skin. It’s important for hand tattoos of this type to have strong outline ink for clarity on tougher canvas.

Fox Tattoo FAQs

What does a fox tattoo symbolize?

The most common traits associated with the fox are cunning and heightened perception. They’re often able to see through through deception clearly to the heart of a situation, while also turning the tables on their counterparts.

Foxes are often seen as tricksters, being able to innovate through tough and unusual circumstances with courage, deft thinking, and swift response to trouble.

In Nordic and European cultures the fox is linked to a deceit but also quick thinking and action. In Japanese mythology foxes often served as messengers between humans and the spirit world.

How much does a fox tattoo cost?

The cost of a fox tattoo comes down to various factors impacting on time. The less time your fox wolf takes to get inked the less it will cost.

Small black and gray shaded fox tattoos can take an hour or two – minimalist black line ones even less – and cost as low as $200, while large complex pieces might start at $1000 and climb higher for painstaking dot work detail, classy watercolor, or intricate 3D pieces. 

The average cost for an experienced artist is usually around $150 – $200 an hour. In demand, harder to book artist charges start at $300 and can go up to $500. Make sure before you commence your fox tattoo that you have a good grasp of the cost framework. 

If you enjoyed these fox tattoos, make sure you check out similar examples of style and symbolism by clicking the links below.

Eighty Kitsune Tattoos for Men – Japanese Fox Ink Ideas

100 Watercolor Tattoo Designs for Men – Cool Ink Ideas

100 Neo Traditional Tattoo Designs for Men – Refined Ink Ideas

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