Tattoos

85 negative space tattoo motifs with pros and cons for them

Negative space tattoo designs are pretty new and are becoming increasingly popular. The technology itself has been used in photography, fine arts and advertising for many decades. The optical illusion of the Rubin vase, the WWF and Oscars logo are among the best-known examples of how effectively negative space asserts itself and impresses itself on our memories. Tattoo artists only use black ink to accentuate blank areas on the skin. The style craves originality and an escape from the mainstream styles and the results are absolutely stunning every time. When used creatively, positive and negative spaces can tell a story together, through visual compositions alone. We show you 85 negative space tattoo motifs as well as some pros and cons to get such a tattoo.

Rubin vase interpreted as a bitten apple skull

Cranes as if drawn by quick strokes of ink

A pointy tattoo with a point

Albino crow on a black background from flowers

Hyperrealism will always remain a popular and formidable art movement

Advantages of negative space tattoo designs

These tattoos are creative, minimalist, daring and fantastically original. They never go out of style and are very rarely regretted.
Because of the unique skin tone of each person, negative space tattoo designs are very individual. You can turn small imperfections like scars or birthmarks into beautiful effects instead of hiding them.
You can transform your body into a real optical illusion with such a tattoo. Our brain is preprogrammed to see shapes where there are none and to fill in an incomplete picture. So you can only point to one motif and leave many areas on your skin empty.
Many styles can be used when designing a negative space tattoo, most notably dotwork, blackwork, sketch and Tribal.

Despite the absence of any outline, this panda bear is clearly recognizable

Chopped up origami crane in dotwork style

These sheets look like X-rayed

Only black ink is used for negative space tattoo motifs. Therefore, they are more durable, so they blur and fade more slowly than colored tattoos and do not have to be re-engraved until many years later.
Negative space tattoo designs contain a lot of voids and only use black ink, which adds to their charm. Therefore, they are significantly cheaper than colored or detailed designs.
It’s a style that works well for both men and women due to its abstract nature.
You can also effectively combine this tattoo style with your partner or best friend. One receives the positive space version of a chosen motif, such as B. a heart, puzzle piece or yin and yang, and the other the negative space equivalent.

This is how you can show your limitless love for one another

This tattoo would look very nice on a couple’s arms as well

Negative space tattoo motifs are probably the best cover-up tattoos and can easily cover up bad tattoos. Simply blacken it and use the blank spaces as an effect.
They can be as big or small as you want and don’t have to conform to your natural body lines and shapes.

Your negative space tattoo designs can be very small

A semicolon tattoo supports people suffering from depression

Your tattoo can also be very large and very detailed

Real masterpieces

Disadvantages of tattooing negative space tattoo motifs on your skin

They use up a lot of ink and can hardly be removed at all if you regret it. Laser therapies are expensive and leave unsightly pale patterns and scars.
All tattoos that are on visible places such as wrists, hands or neck are difficult to hide. With their intense black color, negative space tattoo motifs immediately catch the eye. Unfortunately, this can still lead to violent arguments in a conservative workplace or in the family.
Our tip: Shoulders, chest, back, or legs are safe places and are less likely to come out. Thus, you also protect your tattoo from harmful UV rays.

Such a large tattoo can hardly be hidden even under long sleeves

Only your hair or scarf can hide a neck tattoo

An unusual interpretation of “Mona Lisa” on the shoulder

The ribs are also a safe place for this kitten

Three layer dotwork tattoo on the thigh

So much black ink attracts a lot of sun and warmth. Other tattoos also need special protective creams on a regular basis to be cared for, Negative space tattoos in particular.
Negative space tattoo designs are more painful and slower to heal than other designs. That’s because the same area has to be stabbed multiple times to achieve a solid black color. However, this should not be a determining factor. Tattooing may hurt for a few hours for the artist, but the design stays forever.
These tattoos allow only a few corrections and large motifs can usually only be covered with a complete blackout tattoo.

So you can cover up old unsightly tattoos super easily

Immerse yourself in the ocean. Which monsters still inhabit these incredible depths?

Conclusion: Negative space tattoo motifs look fantastic for many people with their unique charisma. For others, however, they seem far too unusual and daring. In the end, it is entirely up to you to make the right choice for you.