Western-style tattoos are a favorite amongst those that hail from the Wild West. From cowboy boots to black and grey portrait or cowboy tattoos, these designs are full of spirit and unbridled freedom. Whether you’re Indian or a cowboy at heart, you’re sure to find inspiration from these Western-style tattoo ideas.
Don’t forget skulls and other wildlife remains to add a mystical spirit to your design. Bows, arrows, dreamcatchers, horseshoes, mares, and lassos can all start the inspiration process and give you a peek at the Wild West.
For the ladies, the South is spellbinding and beautiful in its wide-open space. You may favor pin-up girl tattoos, corset or garter designs, and even pistols to celebrate your pioneer spirit. Sunset designs can also represent the West, especially when paired with lovely desert hues. Wild brush and tumbleweed along with insects all begin to take you home. Get inspired by these ideas and fall in love with the mystical desert.
1. Horses
Animal tattoos are just one way you can pay ode to a beloved pet or noble steed. Horse tattoos make a popular choice and can be incorporated into a more grandiose design that channels the spirit of the West. From Black Beauty to Old Molly, if the hoof fits, ink it. While horse tattoos can include mere outlines of a horse, you can also get creative with portrait design. Consider tattooing a horse in a cameo jewelry-inspired tattoo for some Western Victorian charm.
2. Guns
Are you quick on the draw? There’s no need to explain the allure of a gun tattoo to those who walk on the wild side. Ladies can stick a barrel in their garter strap for something sexy whereas men can cross two together and banner up with something like “Wanted Dead or Alive.”
3. State Tattoos
From Texas to California and all the miles in between, state tattoos can mark where you’ve come from or where you are headed. Add animal skulls and dreamcatchers for added Western mystique or opt for a license plate on your favorite pick-up for a cowboy tattoo idea that’s as free-spirited as the dirt road ahead. Whatever you do, make sure your state tattoos are depicted properly. Make sure the shape and spelling are always correct!
4. Pin-Up Girls
Swinging from the banisters in the wild days gone past, lovely pin-up girls make a sexy choice for a western-inspired tattoo. While many old-school pin-up girls have retro looks, you can make her country Western-inspired in no time. Western pin-ups are perfect for guys or gals who want to depict some down South sauciness. Add some cowboy boots to your gal and a kerchief around her neck, and don’t forget the hat placed at a slight tilt. Go ahead and call her fancy!
5. Insects and Reptiles
While certainly not for the squeamish, insect tattoos such as the scorpion make a natural fit for a western-inspired tattoo design. Whether to pay tribute to your own Scorpio zodiac symbol or to scare off nearly anyone with an eight-legged tarantula, desert-dwelling insect tattoos are western rugged tough, and in many cases deadly. From Rattlesnakes to spiders, there’s something crawly in the West that can easily be depicted in an insect or Western snake tattoo.
