InkCraftKnee Tattoo Ideas for Men, Kneecap and Above
20 men's knee tattoos photographed on skin for InkCraftBy Uladzimir TumanauUpdated
Most men's shorts stop within a few centimetres of the kneecap, so a knee tattoo on a man is framed by the hem far more often than hidden by it. The cap is also one of the less hairy patches of his leg, which changes how the piece reads beside any work above and below.
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental snake tattoo on a man's knee
- illustrative · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey illustrative dragonfly tattoo on a man's knee
- biomechanical · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey biomechanical eye tattoo on a man's knee
- illustrative · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey illustrative raven tattoo on a man's knee
- watercolor · colourTry it on — Color watercolor tiger tattoo on a man's knee
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork tattoo on a man's knee
- geometric · colourTry it on — Color geometric dragonfly tattoo on a man's knee
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork tattoo on a man's knee
- tribal · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white tribal ornament tattoo on a man's knee
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork sun tattoo on a man's knee
- fine line · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white fine line tattoo on a man's knee
- traditional · colourTry it on — Color traditional tattoo on a man's knee
- geometric · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white geometric phoenix tattoo on a man's knee
- geometric · colourTry it on — Color geometric compass tattoo on a man's knee
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework compass tattoo on a man's knee
- fine line · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white fine line bird tattoo on a man's knee
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork tattoo on a man's knee
- geometric · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white geometric tattoo on a man's knee
- biomechanical · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey biomechanical raven tattoo on a man's knee
- illustrative · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey illustrative eagle tattoo on a man's knee
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 knees, in numbers
- Body parts
- 1
- Black and grey
- 16
- Colour
- 4
- Most common style
- geometric
Framed by the shorts line
In ordinary shorts the knee is the top of what shows. The hem sits just above or just below the cap, and a tattoo there reads as the upper end of the lower leg rather than the lower end of the thigh. That is why a man's knee piece so often ends up as the joint in a lower-leg sleeve: the calf and shin below are already on show, and the knee closes the picture where the fabric cuts it off.
Many men have noticeably less hair over the kneecap than on the thigh above or the shin below, because trousers and kneeling wear it down. A knee piece therefore reads cleaner than the work around it. In a sleeve that runs through the joint the contrast shows: the cap stays crisp while the calf softens under regrowth, and a heavier line weight across the whole sleeve evens it out.
Kneeling, sport and older knees
If your work or sport has you kneeling, whether that is a trade, floor-laying, gardening or martial arts, the skin over the kneecap thickens and darkens, and it keeps taking friction for as long as you do it. Put bold, simple shapes on the cap and keep the detail on the softer skin to either side. Football, rugby and mountain biking graze knees too, and a design with strong outlines forgives a new scar far better than a delicate one.
With age the skin just above a man's kneecap gathers into loose folds when the leg is straight, and the joint looks knobblier as the muscle around it thins. A design centred on the cap moves with that less than one spread over the folds above it. The knee page covers the session and why the first weeks need care.
Common questions
- Will a knee tattoo show in knee-length shorts?
- Usually. Knee-length shorts end at the top of the cap or just above it on most men, and the hem climbs higher when you sit or crouch. If you want it covered in shorts, the design has to move above the knee, where it becomes the bottom of a thigh piece instead.
- Should a man start a leg with a knee tattoo?
- Rarely. The knee is easier to add than to start from: it is where a thigh piece and a calf piece meet, and filling it first fixes the style both of them will later have to match. If you already have work above and below the joint, the knee is the natural next appointment.
- Can a knee tattoo go over a surgery scar?
- Often, once the scar is flat and pale. Knee surgery usually leaves a straight line down the front or small keyhole marks at the sides, and artists either work them into shading or let a line of the design follow them. Raised or recent scars need more time to settle first.
- What knee tattoo designs work for guys?
- Designs built out from a centre. Geometric and dotwork pieces, such as a compass, a sun or a round ornament, spread evenly as the cap bends, and dotwork shading still reads through the hair above and below the joint. Illustrative and biomechanical work, an eye or a raven for instance, suits the knee when the main shape is bold and the finer detail sits to either side of the cap.
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.