InkCraftElbow Tattoo Ideas for Men, Built to Bend
20 men's elbow tattoos photographed on skin for InkCraftBy Uladzimir TumanauUpdated
A man's elbow is often the join between two busier pieces rather than a piece on its own, set between a thick tricep and a heavy forearm. These elbow tattoos for men are shown on skin, with how the size of the joint, the hair around it and your sleeves shape the design.
- watercolor · colourTry it on — Color watercolor tattoo on a man's elbow
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork cherry blossom tattoo on a man's elbow
- fine line · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white fine line owl tattoo on a man's elbow
- illustrative · colourTry it on — Color illustrative galaxy tattoo on a man's elbow
- biomechanical · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey biomechanical sun tattoo on a man's elbow
- illustrative · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey illustrative lotus tattoo on a man's elbow
- neo traditional · colourTry it on — Color neo traditional tattoo on a man's elbow
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork hummingbird tattoo on a man's elbow
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental tattoo on a man's elbow
- illustrative · colourTry it on — Color illustrative woman tattoo on a man's elbow
- biomechanical · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey biomechanical lips tattoo on a man's elbow
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework tiger tattoo on a man's elbow
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework grim reaper tattoo on a man's elbow
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework lily tattoo on a man's elbow
- fine line · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white fine line heart tattoo on a man's elbow
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork sun tattoo on a man's elbow
- neo traditional · colourTry it on — Color neo traditional tattoo on a man's elbow
- illustrative · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey illustrative tattoo on a man's elbow
- illustrative · colourTry it on — Color illustrative tree tattoo on a man's elbow
- Japanese · colourTry it on — Color Japanese butterfly tattoo on a man's elbow
Every pair is one tattoo: the design as it was drawn, and a photograph of that same design on the body.
These 20 tattoos on men's elbows, in numbers
- Body parts
- 1
- Black and grey
- 13
- Colour
- 7
- Most common style
- illustrative
A broad joint between two thick muscles
On a well-built arm the elbow sits in a hollow: the tricep tendon runs down into it from above and the forearm muscles swell out below. A radial design has to be big enough to reach past the bony point into that surrounding ring, or it looks like a coin stuck on a joint. On most men that means a diameter nearer the width of the forearm than the width of the point itself.
Hair is uneven here. The back of the forearm just below the elbow is often thick with it, the point itself is sparser, and the tricep above varies from man to man. A design with a dense black centre and bold outer rings stays legible when the hair grows back; one built from fine concentric lines turns grey on its lower half first.
Rolled cuffs, desks and car doors
Roll a shirt sleeve to the elbow and the fold lands right on the point, half covering whatever is there. Rolled above the joint, the whole design is out; rolled below it, the design is gone. There is no in-between that looks deliberate, so place the design knowing which of the two you usually do.
Elbows also take years of leaning, on desks, car doors and bar tops, and the skin over the point roughens and thickens with it. Anything delicate on the tip wears there first, which is one more reason to keep the point itself simple. For pain and healing on the joint, see the elbow page.
Common questions
- Does an elbow tattoo on a man need a sleeve around it?
- No, but it will look like the start of one. With nothing above or below, most people read an elbow piece as a sleeve in progress. If you want it to stand alone, leave a clear band of bare skin around it and make it bold enough to hold that space.
- How big should an elbow design be on a muscular arm?
- Wide enough to reach from the tricep tendon above the point to the swell of the forearm below it, which on a large arm is closer to a drinks coaster than a coin. Too small, and the design sits on the bone and folds away into creases every time the arm straightens.
- Can an elbow tattoo be added to an existing sleeve?
- Often, and it is a common way to finish one. The artist builds the radial design outward to meet the edges of the work above and below, so bring the whole arm to the consultation. If the upper and lower pieces differ in style, the elbow can be the part that ties them together.
- Which elbow tattoo designs work on a man's arm?
- Anything built around a centre. A sun, a lotus or an open flower drawn in blackwork or bold linework keeps its rings as the joint folds. Illustrative and neo-traditional subjects, an owl or a tiger's face, work when their centre sits on the point and the detail stays round it. Biomechanical pieces can use the joint itself, as if the arm were a hinge.
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.