Lotus flower tattoos are intrinsically beautiful depictions of peace and relaxation, often featuring high in the list of 50+ best tattoo design ideas.
A lotus flower tattoo design is renowned for its symbolism among yoga practitioners and spiritual teachers. Their unfolding is often equated to a man’s inner development and psychic growth, or in a mandala tattoo of the lotus, balance.
There are a variety of different color meanings associated with this type of floral tattoo. Pink lotus and white lotus flowers are associated with purity. Red lotus flower, purple lotus, and blue lotus flower blooms can mean ascension, spiritual enlightenment, and spiritual rebirth. A green lotus flower is commonly linked to self-improvement, while as often is the case the black lotus symbolizes authority, power, and death.
Lotus tattoo designs are taking the millennial generation by storm and also the older tattoo lover looking to apply Buddhist principles to their tattoos of divine beauty and spiritual enlightenment.
Anyone can enjoy a remarkable transformation with this type of flower tattoo design. Read on for 103 astounding lotus flower tattoo designs to ignite your inspiration when planning for your next tattoo.
Lotus Flower Tattoo Ideas
This powerful black lotus small flower tattoo is a cleverly etched piece of art linking with clean, fresh Kanji inked down the subject’s back. The use of clean black ink lines mixed with shrewd, crisp shadow gives it real presence, while the flower’s more subtle details are also expertly delivered. The spinal position is a nice piece of technical execution.
The spiritual sensibilities within this 3D abstract lotus help fashion this inner bicep artwork. It’s a galaxy brain watercolor tattoo of the path to enlightenment – featuring the stylized lotus, crystals, and interesting solar system background fill. It’s bright and innovative ink for a new generation of tattoo enthusiast.
This lotus tattoo is a beautiful, flowing mix of blackwork ink and negative space. The tattoo artist has applied expert use of both techniques and also threaded in dotwork principles to create a simple, yet tremendously eye catching piece of body art. The key here is the cursive like flow which lightens the dark tone of the lotus and stem.
An awesome Buddhist inspired flower tattoo, with brilliant black mala beads threading around the bright blue and pink lotus petal and then surrounded with classical Japanese wave shading.
An excellent Japanese style tattoo featuring a number of deftly etched lotus flowers. This artistic sleeve tattoo incorporates excellent color throughout the piece, with the purple lotus flower filling bright sections alongside the ubiquitous koi, and excellent gray shading for connective fill. The pink lotus flower in particular looks sensational, utilizing a vivid ink color well held by a darker relief tone and crisp black outline.
Focusing on the second image of the sketch style lotus. It’s cleverly colored in with nice gray scale gradient shading well supported by the wisps of negative space alt fill. The artist has done an exceptional job differentiating between the flower shade and fill with sharp black line.
A cool alternative to the regular black band tattoo. This image again works within the Irezumi style to incorporate classic tattoo elements such as koi, waves, and the coolly drafted lotus flower design. The tattooist’s use of thicker line borders create contrast to the colorful patterns within.
A wonderful tiger tattoo softened by a well etched sacred lotus. The big cat is a fantastic piece of body art, it looks languid and comfortable yet retains the realism needed. The lotus works as a great point of comparison and smartly goes without black line ink to keep it flowing gently. The stamen and pollen in yellow work effortlessly against the vivid pink lotus petal.
This three quarter sleeve/shoulder tattoo incorporates a fantastic base black and gray, with lotus flowers concentrated throughout the middle of the ink. It’s a classic style tattoo that uses other Buddhist concepts – mala beads, Sanskrit script – along with Japanese principles to fill out the image. It’s not as flashy as some images you’ll find on this list, however the execution of concept and technique is brilliant.
Another great example of Japanese sleeve tattoo. The lotus flower is a complementary piece along with traditional choices in crashing white caps, koi and a hungry hummingbird. Again, not flashy, but extremely deftly applied.
This is a well-worked Japanese style small tattoo featuring a delicately applied lotus flower. The shading is very light, but works well with the crisp black outline and fuzzy black filler. The shade is mirrored by funky wave and cloud patterns the color of fresh milk.
An interesting lotus flower tattoo etched sharply in black line and supported by a range of fill from negative space and black shading. I’m not sure whether the subject’s intention is to remain free of detail within the lotus, or apply a vivid color such is orange or pink for an amazing contrast effect.
The original – and masterful – tiger tattoo has been updated with supporting gray scale lotus flowers at top and bottom. They work to fill and lengthen the tattoo into a major piece without resorting to a bunch of black ink fill. The best part though is the uniquely applied strips of shade which provide a fantastic amount of nuance and detail for a supporting image. This is top quality tattooing.
The black line ink is key to this lotus flower tattoo in the Japanese style. It’s applied with great clarity and a fine line that retains this effect despite black also being used in the traditional shade applications. This enables the compact details to stand apart from each other and create tremendous delineation between heavy shades.
Wow. This blue lotus flower design could be the most unique technical application on this list. The vivid royal blue is achieved by painstakingly stacking the ink in fine line after fine line. Using white and yellow highlights in the same technique further the crisp, clean impression by subtly contrasting the electric blue. Also, the shadow is well done by utilizing a bruised purple instead of more traditional black or gray.
A subtly detailed mix of techniques in a simple but effective small Japanese tattoo. There’s not a lot to it – just the flower in pink and alternating blue ink shading opposing it cleanly.
Another interesting Buddha inspired tattoo, and a reminder that the higher you place him on your body in a tattoo the better it is as Buddha ink on legs and feet is considered disrespectful. The coolest part of this tattoo is the decision to use unblemished skin and a few clean, snaking lines as unique alternative fill. The lotus flower and Buddha himself work brilliantly in contrast, however this effect may be just a way point before more detail and color is added to the sleeve.
Okay, we’ve got a legitimate bad ass Buddha statues tattoo here. It’s a masterful technical application of nuanced gray scale shading, gray ink, and amazingly subtle negative space that builds on brilliant line work in the main focal points of tiger, lotus, and Buddha. It’s unlikely you could find a better depicted Eastern influenced piece of body art.
This is a seriously wicked mix of Hannya mask, Samurai lower mandible guard and helmeted skull ink tattoo (the original ink). There just happens to be a lotus threaded in as well for variety. I love it, there’s depth, innovation and a sense of the dangerous in this upper arm tattoo. One area that could do with some improvement though is the shading – it’s neither deep or clean enough to truly succeed in support of the great main ink.
The fine detail in this small tattoo lotus flower sets it apart from others of it’s kind. The absolutely top class water droplets look real on the subtly shaded petals, right down to their tiny shadows. I like the use of circular negative space which adds to the soft border and balances well with the black ink fill.
This is a killer black line and color tattoo. The amazing trio of claws slicing through the lotus flowers is tremendous – with the sharp, silver tips looking particularly dangerous. The crispness of line work in the lotus flower creates strength amongst the two tones of pink color, and contrasts against the brutal claws.
Like the graduating shadow fill helping illuminate the blooming lotus flower. The verticality of the shafts is clear and clean, working in concert with the gathered storm clouds towards the top of the Japanese inspired tattoo.
This lower arm sleeve is a bit confounding, with the piece literally a flower and wave fill from being finished yet looking fully healed. Can’t believe that this little bit would remained undone, it would just seem like a blemish having to look at it alongside the awesome remaining art work.
This is a lovely black and gray traditional lotus flower tattoo. The elegance of the piece is fantastic – every square of the ink and negative space looks fresh and clean, with fine detailed lines mixing into the central triangular stigmas and round pistil.
Also, if you’re after a floral tattoo in this style but are not sure where to place it, then going the route of a temporary tattoo may help you decide. A temporary tattoo can approximate some ink – like the small tattoo example lotus above – and help with size, placement, or visibility issues you may have.
This is cool. Sure, lotus flowers don’t possess this type of visible veined line but in the context of this work look fantastic. Love how they contrast with the subtly shaded gray at the base of the lotus and fatter black ink outline. The other backing flowers have a cool, tribal vibe about them.
Yeah, the lotus flower is cool and all but CHECK OUT THE SKULL (apologies for shouting). It’s amazing how the gold plating and filigree pops off the subject’s skin, with the eyes looking like mesmerizing curved cymbals ready to clang when they make contact with someone else’s orbs. This buddhist relics can often be found in shrines to some of the more bloodthirsty characters.
The whole piece is top drawer – the lotus mix of yellow and red is realistic but just strange enough to flash – and the balance provided by the elaborate negative space smoke effects and waves is also superb technical work.
This is a strange lotus, it’s captured and etched in a way that seems counter to how they bloom in reality. The colors are nice – the blue and pink complements – but the shading is a bit weak. It would get stronger overall with more clarity in the shade fill and if it’s extended to support the virulent green Hanyya mask.
Lotus Flower Tattoo FAQs
What is the meaning of the lotus flower tattoo?
The Lotus flower is also known as Padma or the Sacred Lotus and tattoos depicting the bloom look to symbolic meaning of spiritual enlightenment, self-regeneration and rebirth, and as a symbol of purity.
In tattoo designs depicting the opening of the lotus flower, the petals symbolize spiritual awakening and the expansion of the soul. These kinds of tattoos are becoming more popular with Eastern religious (Buddhism and Hindu) and meditation practices (Mandala, Yoga) becoming a more widespread part of Western civilization.
What do different color lotus flowers mean?
The color of a lotus affects its symbolic meaning in Buddhist teachings, a perception that can also translates to the world of tattoo:
- White lotus and pink lotus flowers (the most common) are attributed to purity
- Red lotus, purple lotus, and blue lotus flower blooms can mean ascension, spiritual enlightenment, and spiritual rebirth
- A green lotus flower is commonly linked to self-improvement
- The black lotus symbolizes authority, power, and death
How much does a lotus flower tattoo cost?
There is no fixed price for a lotus flower tattoo. The price is determined by size, style, color, and time taken to complete the art work. Lotus flower tattoos can stand alone but are also often part of larger pieces.
The hourly rate of an experienced tattoo artist for large scale pieces average between $150 – $200 depending on the skill and tenure of the artist. Less experienced artists can charge as little as the shop minimum price per hour ($50-$75) while in demand artists with long wait times can charge anywhere from $300-$500 per hour.
For any new tattoo style and tattoo artist, it’s best to check out their prior work to ensure you’re comfortable before proceeding with a booking and deposit. You can check their gallery of work online, via social media, or through an in-studio visit. There will be a folder of their best ink work available for you to look at, and the booking manager or artist themselves can handle any questions you may have.
Did you enjoy these lotus flower designs? If you’re looking for more galleries of awesome Eastern influenced tattoo inspiration click on the links below:
- Top 63 Mandala Tattoo Ideas
- Buddhist Statues and Buddhist Relics Tattoo
- Sanskrit Tattoo Designs
- Top 103 Watercolor Tattoo Designs
- Top 47 Flower Tattoo Design Ideas
- Top 47 Koi Fish Tattoo Concepts
- 104 Unalome Tattoo Ideas
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