InkCraftBack Tattoo Designs for Women and the Bra Line
30 women's back tattoos photographed on skin for InkCraftBy Uladzimir TumanauUpdated
Many women's backs narrow into a marked waist curve, and clothes reveal the back in sections rather than all at once. These back tattoos for women are shown mostly on the bare back, each beside its flat design, so you can judge where the cut of your own tops would fall.
- new school · colourTry it on — Color new school monsters tattoo on a woman's back
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework tattoo on a woman's back
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental cat tattoo on a woman's back
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork lips tattoo on a woman's back
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental lily tattoo on a woman's back
- neo traditional · colourTry it on — Color neo traditional tattoo on a woman's back
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework tattoo on a woman's back
- traditional · colourTry it on — Color traditional angel tattoo on a woman's back
- illustrative · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey illustrative shark tattoo on a woman's back
- traditional · colourTry it on — Color traditional owl tattoo on a woman's back
- neo traditional · colourTry it on — Color neo traditional cherry blossom tattoo on a woman's back
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork butterfly tattoo on a woman's back
- illustrative · colourTry it on — Color illustrative heart tattoo on a woman's back
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework tattoo on a woman's back
- biomechanical · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey biomechanical tattoo on a woman's back
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework moon tattoo on a woman's back
- geometric · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white geometric shark tattoo on a woman's back
- watercolor · colourTry it on — Color watercolor tattoo on a woman's back
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork tattoo on a woman's back
- Japanese · colourTry it on — Color Japanese hummingbird tattoo on a woman's back
- watercolor · colourTry it on — Color watercolor angel tattoo on a woman's back
- tribal · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white tribal star tattoo on a woman's back
- new school · colourTry it on — Color new school elephant tattoo on a woman's back
- neo traditional · colourTry it on — Color neo traditional cat tattoo on a woman's back
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork lion tattoo on a woman's back
- Japanese · colourTry it on — Color Japanese tattoo on a woman's back
- illustrative · colourTry it on — Color illustrative dragonfly tattoo on a woman's back
- illustrative · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey illustrative skull tattoo on a woman's back
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental bee tattoo on a woman's back
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork lily tattoo on a woman's back
Every pair is one tattoo: the design as it was drawn, and a photograph of that same design on the body.
These 30 tattoos on women's backs, in numbers
- Body parts
- 1
- Black and grey
- 17
- Colour
- 13
- Most common style
- dotwork
The bra line and the open back
A bra strap crosses the back at about the lower tips of the shoulder blades, and that band decides more than it seems to. A piece entirely above it stays whole in a racerback or halter top; one that runs across it is split in two by every bra you own and reads as a single image only in a backless dress or swimwear. Either can be right, but choose on purpose.
Open-back tops, low-back dresses and swimsuits each show a different window. Stand in the clothes you actually wear, have someone take a photo from behind, and mark where the fabric stops. A piece placed inside that window looks intended; one running a centimetre past its edge looks cropped. Placing a design on that photo shows the result before anything is booked.
Waist curve, long hair and a narrower frame
Where the back curves in at the waist, a design that follows the curve looks settled and one that ignores it looks pasted on. Tall and tapering compositions, a column, a climbing stem, a snake, wings drawn tall rather than wide, fit a narrower upper back better than a broad horizontal panel sized for wider shoulders. Symmetry still works here; it just needs less width to read.
Long hair worn down covers the top of the back for much of the day, so an upper-back piece stays hidden until hair goes up. The skin over the shoulder blades also changes little with weight or pregnancy compared with the stomach or hips, which makes the back a steady place for a large piece. Sittings, aftercare and sun are on the back page.
Common questions
- Where should a back tattoo sit so a bra strap does not cut through it?
- Either wholly above the strap, between the shoulder blades and the base of the neck, or wholly below it, towards the waist. Check with the bra you wear most, since strap height varies by style. A piece meant to cross the line can work, but it only reads whole when the back is bare.
- Will a back tattoo show in an open-back dress?
- That depends on the cut more than the tattoo. Low-back dresses usually open the centre of the back down towards the waist, while halter and racerback styles uncover the shoulder blades and leave the middle covered. Choose the garments you want the piece to work with before fixing its height and width.
- Do back tattoos change shape during pregnancy?
- Much less than stomach or hip pieces. The upper and middle back take little stretch, and a design between the shoulder blades usually looks the same afterwards. Work reaching down to the waist sits closer to the area that changes, so keep that lower part flowing rather than rigid.
- Which styles work best on a woman's back?
- Linework and dotwork keep a piece light on a narrower upper back and suit designs sized to sit above the bra strap. Illustrative and neo-traditional work carry colour and detail at the larger scale a full back allows. Ornamental pieces use the mirror line of the spine, and botanicals such as a lily or cherry blossom can be drawn to follow the waist curve.
See it on your own skin first
InkCraft places a design on a photo of you — scaled, wrapped and shaded to the spot you pick, so you can judge the size against your own body before it is permanent.