It looks absolutely gorgeous in realistic black-and-grey, which is the most common design. The rise of watercolor tattoos also birthed more colorful wolf tattoo designs, with the usual black and gray colors replaced with a full range of rainbow colors.
Similar to a lion tattoo, a wolf tattoo is best portrayed with only the wolf head inked on the skin, preferably on the biceps, upper back, shoulders, and other places where the design won’t be compromised by a body curve. You can go with a smaller design in order to make it fit in smaller canvases such as forearms and wrists. But we recommend against it as a wolf tattoo is one of those detailed designs that look best when given a big space.
A wolf tattoo holds several meanings. It symbolizes bonds and family due to the fact that wolves stick together in a pack out in the wild. This makes it great for siblings looking for matching tattoo designs to show closeness. On a related note, it also symbolizes great loyalty as wolves are known to be very loyal creatures, especially to mates.
A wolf pack is typically led by an alpha wolf, who is known to stay at the back when traveling in order to protect the pack from potential dangers appearing from behind. This makes a wolf tattoo a well-suited choice as a symbol for both leadership and protection.
For people who survived particularly trying times in the past such as a troubled upbringing or the loss of a family member, a wolf tattoo also holds great appeal. Wolves have been surviving in the harsh wilderness for thousands of years, making them excellent symbols for survival and fortitude. Free spirits might also find a wolf tattoo attractive due to the wild and liberated nature of wolves.
Fans of the hit HBO TV series Game of Thrones will surely find a wolf tattoo irresistible. The wolf is the trademark symbol of House Stark, which is home to fan-favorite characters Jon Snow and Arya Stark. Though the direwolves have been largely absent in Season 7, they remain one of the most popular creatures in the show.
Like all other tattoo designs, choosing which wolf tattoo design to roll with depends on where you want it to be inked. If you want a big one, we suggest going for a head-only realistic design, which can be very expensive due to the amount of detail. If you want a smaller and less detailed one, we recommend a full-body depiction that shows a wolf silhouette howling to the moon.
To help you make the ultimate decision on the design, we compiled some of the best wolf tattoos around. This will give you an idea how each design looks on different body parts. Be sure to check whether the tattoo artist is up to the task, though. We highly suggest looking for an artist that specializes in realistic tattoos for the best results.
