InkCraftWomen's Knee Tattoo Ideas, Framed by Hemlines
20 women's knee tattoos photographed on skin for InkCraftBy Uladzimir TumanauUpdated
A knee-length skirt or dress ends right at the joint, so a knee tattoo on a woman spends much of its life half under a hem. The design has to work whole in shorts, cropped at knee length, and framed above a tall boot, often in the same week.
- geometric · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white geometric tattoo on a woman's knee
- watercolor · colourTry it on — Color watercolor galaxy tattoo on a woman's knee
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork tattoo on a woman's knee
- geometric · colourTry it on — Color geometric bird tattoo on a woman's knee
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork tattoo on a woman's knee
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework cross tattoo on a woman's knee
- Japanese · colourTry it on — Color Japanese tattoo on a woman's knee
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental tattoo on a woman's knee
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork tattoo on a woman's knee
- tribal · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white tribal ornament tattoo on a woman's knee
- tribal · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white tribal tattoo on a woman's knee
- tribal · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white tribal tattoo on a woman's knee
- tribal · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white tribal tattoo on a woman's knee
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental raven tattoo on a woman's knee
- tribal · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white tribal tattoo on a woman's knee
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork lion tattoo on a woman's knee
- biomechanical · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey biomechanical hummingbird tattoo on a woman's knee
- Japanese · colourTry it on — Color Japanese koi fish tattoo on a woman's knee
- fine line · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white fine line compass tattoo on a woman's knee
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork eye tattoo on a woman'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 women's knees, in numbers
- Body parts
- 1
- Black and grey
- 16
- Colour
- 4
- Most common style
- tribal
Hemlines that stop at the knee
Knee-length skirts are cut to end just above the cap, just below it or across it, and each crops a knee tattoo differently. A radial design centred on the cap survives a hem cutting through it better than most, because any half of it still reads as part of a circle. A design above the cap shows mainly when you sit; one below it shows whenever you stand. Try the stencil against the hems you actually wear before fixing its position.
Tall boots add a second edge. Knee-high boots finish just under the joint, and with a short skirt the knee becomes the one band of bare leg between hem and boot top. A piece sized to that band looks framed on purpose; one that runs down the shin disappears into the boot and reads as cut off.
A smooth kneecap, and how it ages
Women who shave their legs usually shave the knee too, so a knee piece stays in plain view all year and fine linework is not lost under hair. The cap itself is tougher and often a shade darker than the leg around it, and the finest lines look slightly muted on it. Let the cap carry the stronger shapes and keep hairline detail for the smoother skin to either side.
Knees change with age in ways few people plan for. The skin above the cap loosens and folds, and on many women the soft pad on the inner side of the knee fills out with weight and years. A design kept to the cap and the outer side holds its shape longest. Sitting for it and healing it are covered on the knee page.
Common questions
- Will a knee tattoo show when I sit with my legs crossed?
- Almost always. Crossing one leg over the other lifts the hem and turns the upper knee toward the room, so a piece that a below-the-knee skirt covers while you stand is on show once you sit. Plan for a knee tattoo to be seen whenever you are seated.
- Should a knee tattoo match my thigh or shin work?
- If you already have a piece above or below, yes: the knee is what the eye crosses between them, and a change of style there splits the leg in two. If the knee is your only leg tattoo, it is free to be whatever suits the cap, and later work can take its line weight from it.
- How big should a knee tattoo be on a slim leg?
- About the size of the kneecap and the ring of skin just around it. On a slim leg that is a smaller area than it looks from above, and a design much wider wraps round to the sides, where it is seen only in profile. Measure the cap with the knee straight, then again bent.
- What makes a pretty knee tattoo for ladies?
- One clear centre with room around it. Ornamental and geometric designs built out from the middle of the cap, such as a compass or a ring of pattern, keep their shape as the knee bends, and blackwork or dotwork gives them weight on the tougher skin there. For something more unique, a bird, a koi or a hummingbird can curve round the cap rather than cross it.
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.