Manly unicorn tattoo

Unicorn Tattoos

Unicorns come in many shapes and sizes and can be designed in countless ways, while they are for the most part seen as a very feminine tattoo its certainly not exclusive to any gender, some of the best unicorn tattoo designs are on men and look great. There’s a huge spectrum of feminine to masculine unicorn tattoos and on the very feminine side a girly unicorn design can be taken to the next level which actually results in some of the best and most vivid color tattoos out there, artists like Laura Anunnaki and Lilian Raya have done some unicorn tattoos that are extremely well done and hard to believe they are actually on skin and not digital or painted pieces.

The History of Unicorns

Stories and art depicting unicorns goes way back and is part of many cultures history, in Asia the unicorn is mentioned in 2700bc it is described with the same characteristics as many other cultures and even how the unicorn is portrayed as today, gentle, pure, elusive and majestic. It’s said in Asian folklore that Confucius was the last person to ever see a unicorn alive.

In Christianity, the unicorn according to art historians was a symbol of Christ and was mentioned in the bible 8 times

The unicorn in European tales and art goes back thousands of years and is also very similar to descriptions of unicorns all over the world, being pure, having a long spiraled horn, lives in the forest away from people and usually has a white coat.

There are some historians who believe that unicorns are not just the mystical creature we think of today but an extinct animal that was once real, this comes from ancient paintings from all over the world and stories told of the elusive unicorn.
These historians believe that humans hunted, killed and wiped out the entire population of unicorns.

31 Majestic Unicorn Tattoos

Laura Anunnaki

5 Things to Consider When Getting a Unicorn Tattoo

1. Style

There are countless ways to design a unicorn tattoo, from the glamoured up, with extra sparkles and vivid colors style to black and gray realism and everything in between, it all depends on the type of person the tattoo is for.

2. Symbolism and Meaning

Because unicorns have been a mythical creature for so long, throughout history, the symbolism of the unicorn has changed and evolved while some meaning has stayed the same for centuries.
The most common are feminity, power, beauty, spiritualism, and mystique. If you are wanting the unicorn tattoo to symbolize something specific, let your artist know as this could change the way the design is done.

3. Tattoo Artist

Getting the right tattoo artist is essential for any good tattoo. Going to your nearest tattoo shop without checking if they do quality tattoos can lead to your tattoo being one of many unfortunate unicorn tattoos, instead research what artist you think will do the best job, putting in the time and money will pay off by being happy with your tattoo for the rest of your life.
Some people travel far and save to get the perfect unicorn tattoo from some top tattoo artists, some go the cheap and easy route, can you guess which is which below?

4. Design

There are a few ways to go about getting the right unicorn design for you, the most common way is to get the design done by the tattoo artist, usually done by consultation, letting them know what you have in mind and showing examples of other designs you like.

Another way is to have a design that is already done by another artist, although permission from the original artist is required and some tattoo artists prefer not to and sometimes refuse to tattoo another artists work, this usually isn’t the case with well-known work like movies and tv, “the Last Unicorn” is a popular tattoo that can be done in the artists own style.

The last most common way to get the right design is to draw it yourself, whether you have the artistic ability to do the design well or not doesn’t matter as the tattoo artist will be able to take your idea and turn it into a design you can be happy with.

5. Color or Black and Gray?

Color and black and grey tattoos both have their good and bad sides, a colored unicorn tattoo can look amazing, it also adds to the meaning and feeling behind the design as well as giving it that iconic unicorn look but there is a downside, using the colors typically used in a unicorn tattoo can lead to fading, it’s still possible to make the vivid colors last by getting touch-ups when fading starts.

For a long-lasting unicorn tattoo that doesn’t need return visits to the tattoo shop, bold black and grey is the best option.

If you are looking for a daring tattoo design, unicorn will be a great choice for you. There is no denying that unicorn art is one of the most sought after tattoo designs. A quick look at some of the stunning unicorn tattoos and you will know the reason why it is so popular. A beautifully designed unicorn tattoo looks supremely majestic. Many say that it is the best a tattoo artist can draw and the best a tattoo enthusiast can get.

Unicorn, as we all know, is a fictional animal that has remained as the part of many legends, fantasies and folklores. Sometimes depicted as beast, this animal has a long and spiralling horn that juts out of its forehead. In many illustrations you will find the unicorns created in the likeness of a horse. However, sometimes they bear the resemblance of a goat. Unicorns have long been considered as the symbol of harmony, peace, and purity.

Designing a unicorn tattoo is not very easy. You need an expert for it, such as Tattoo Stylist.Think it through before you make the choice. Also, there are many design ideas available. We have made a list of some of the most incredible ones available. Take a look.

See Also:- Monkey Tattoo Designs

See Also:- Dog Tattoos Designs And Ideas

The unicorn is one of civilization’s most popular and enduring mythological creatures.  In an unprecedented era of tattoo creativity, the horned is used to represent innocence, grace, magic and mystique.  

Unicorns were first described by the Greek historian Ctesias when he chronicled the distant land of the Indus Valley Civilization in the Fifth Century BC. They were described as an “Indian ass” with cloven hooves and a single horn in the center of its head, curved and spiraling to a sharp point.  

The Ancient Greeks considered the unicorn a real beast rather than a mythical creature like the winged steed Pegasus. Many other Greek writers described them luridly in their natural histories.   

While unicorns are now considered mythical – although in Scotland they are the official National animal – they remain popular worldwide in fairy tales, books, film, television and fashion.  

While enchanting to children the unicorn keeps fascinating people as they grow from small boys kids into adults and are linked to symbolism involving magic, mystery, naivety, beauty and love.  

Unicorn tattoo designs are an enduringly popular concept for a range of amazing ink applications and styles. Whether the wearer is a girl or boy, different interpretations promote impressive mythological creature symbolism.  

It’s not all rainbow ice cream though – there’s an increasing subset of ink styles switching the natural innocence and magic of the unicorn for more darkly aspected tattoo design.  

Read on for insights and examples into some of the best tattoo artwork dedicated to the unicorn.

1. Funny Unicorn Tattoo Design

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Source: @ekurastattoo via Instagram

These awesome examples show there’s some fun to be had with unicorn tattoos. Throwing a horn on a seahorse is clever, humorous, and could lead to them beating out the narwhal for horniest sea creature.  

The vividly neon rainbow being rent by a rampaging chainsaw clamped unicorn is effective both in concept and application, while the rest of these more lighthearted pieces offer cool individuality and deft highlighting touches – check out the white ink flourishes on John Wick unicorn – from each highly skilled tattoo artist.  

These unicorns are unapologetically fun and funky. Onward noble steed!  

2. Delicate Unicorn Tattoos

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In many western civilizations, it was written into myth and magic that the elusive unicorn could only be caught by a virgin. These pieces of body art help give credence to this traditional type of story and make for a winning tattoo idea.  

These deftly etched unicorn designs do a fantastic job in showing more traditional concepts of the best. Whether it’s the use of a clean continuous line augmented by a touch of watercolor to the unicorn horn, or circular black ink providing the backdrop for a demurely naked girl riding the best.   

A two headed, no butt unicorn is a unique tattoo design with soft shading giving adding impressive extra detail to the negative space pale skin, while others utilize fine balance of linework, thicker lines and fractal geometry in crafting their unicorn design.  

3.  Cartoon Style Unicorn Designs

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These cartoon style unicorn tattoo designs show off the concepts people keep hold of from when they were kids. There’s great range in these body art pieces such as Marvel prankster Deadpool on a rearing, tubby little stuffed toy unicorn, and the tremendous classical anime starlet with purple background and aqua marine hair.   

Cartoon work is versatile. There’s nice contrast between the confused looking fellow with cleverly touched white ink and red hair perched on a cloud, and the crisply drawn linework unicorns that could come straight from the guide to being a little girl.  

4. Black and Gray Unicorn Artwork

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Source: @olivergraves9(artist) via Instagram

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Source: @janechocho(artist) via Instagram

These interesting examples take the traditional approach of black and gray gradient color and shading, then flip the script by going with unique concepts and choice of delivery. Love the use of the Pegasus – the winged horse of Greek Mythology adds gravitas – allowing the tattoo artist the opportunity to incorporate cool technical applications to the traditional grayscale palette.  

While the common perception of unicorn tattoo design features elements of innocence, beauty, grace, and love, some subjects and their artists just don’t roll like that. Here, the traditional use of baubles and beads, flowing mane, magic and fancy coats are shunted aside or subverted in favor of a darker, more tattered mythological creature consumed by rot and ruination.  

5. Neo Traditional and New Wave Unicorn Tattoo Ideas

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These days, awesome artwork often combines the killer traditional elements of master sailor Jerry, Mike Malone or Zeke Owen, and then ramp up the madness by using modern color, technical skills, and weird subject choices. Building on the bedrock of old school, these examples shatter the boundaries of color concepts and style. If you want a rocking horse unicorn coupled with vivid neon cupcakes, then step into the new wave chair.  

You dig color? How about an animal with a virulent purple mane, a red eyed blue beast with brass horn on the run, or even a beast rocking the portrait rainbow look so fresh that the hair almost shimmers?   

Some neo unicorn designs get completely weird like a traditional sun shape in the background of a precisely etched skeleton. If you can’t get it in a traditional style, get down with a new wave artist because you’ll always be welcome.  

6. Linework Unicorn Tattoo Art

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Source: @lenafurberg (artist) via Instagram

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These linework examples run the gamut from simple, cleanly delivered pieces with small spaces of shading against skin, through to massively bold, large scale unicorn designs (the last unicorn could eventually be made into a fully realized body art piece).  

They all share a great use of lines – short brief accents, hatchwork, or long flowing strokes of fine line. The classy linework delivery helps flesh out each tattoo idea with touch to deliver fantastic skilled art centered the magnificent mythological creature.  

7. Color Unicorn Tattoo Ideas

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These colorful tattoos lack the over the top quality of the neo-traditional artwork above, however they balance classic unicorn design and different colors with technical artistry. 

Dotwork is a painstaking, difficult type of style to get right, but being able to put it into a deeply layered framed fractal pink unicorn concept with a multitude of rainbow colors – and some traditional equine art – takes mastery and concentration.  

Other pieces strongly work through structured unicorns balanced by a range of solid colors. The watercolor tattoos especially standout melding with top notch outlines to manufacture a unique tattoo. Watercolor tattoo is also useful technically, being able to act as a whimsical solo color or combining with a group of bright splashes to brighten up the total image. 

8. Unique Unicorn Tattoos

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I can’t say I’ve ever seen a mermaid/Pegasus/unicorn mash up before, but yeah, I’m down for it when done with such precise attention to detail and use of flowing line. The little pixelated fella is also cool but reminds me a bit too much of the shitty video games of my youth.   

These badass tattoos could probably find themselves in other sections, but offer enough variety to stand out for their individual interpretation of the unicorn, even if one of them looks like (purposefully) a folded paper donkey with a horn stuck on the end.

Unicorn Tattoo FAQ  

What is the symbolism of a unicorn tattoo?  

Traditionally the unicorn is a symbol of magic and mythology, associated with the innocence of childhood and concepts of beauty, grace, love and purity.  

The horned steed has a longtime association with many different mythologies – different depictions can be found in a variety of ancient civilizations such as Indian and Greek historical art.  

There is much fantasy to depictions of the unicorn in tattoo art, with some contemporary wearers opting for darker symbolism in the etching of their beast in contrast to the brightly optimistic traditional symbols. This shift from some subjects is a noteworthy development and will be interesting to see continue to be explored.  

What is the Pegasus?  

The Pegasus was the mythical winged horse of Greek mythology who the hero Bellerophren rode to battle the Chimera. There’s plenty more to the Pegasus story than that – the details of his birth, and his change into a constellation by the hand of Zeus are way out there. For our purposes, noble winged steed used to fight a lion with a goat’s head sticking out of its back and a tail made from serpent suits well enough.  

Yes, there a plenty of hybrid Pegasus/unicorn tattoo mash ups. Funnily enough, they’ve been referred to as Pegasus Unicorns (although the wag that first came up with the term Pegacorn needs a high five). Realistically, there’s not a lot differentiating them except one has wings, and the other has a horn.  

Mythical equine creatures should really stick together. 

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