InkCraftMen's Shoulder Tattoo Ideas on the Deltoid Cap
23 men's shoulder tattoos photographed on skin for InkCraftBy Uladzimir TumanauUpdated
Broad shoulders give a man one of the largest rounded surfaces on the body, and it is often where a bigger piece starts. These shoulder tattoos for men are photographed from the side, most in tank tops, with how to size one to the deltoid and where it leads next.
- biomechanical · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey biomechanical tattoo on a man's shoulder
- Japanese · colourTry it on — Color Japanese koi fish tattoo on a man's shoulder
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork hummingbird tattoo on a man's shoulder
- watercolor · colourTry it on — Color watercolor skull tattoo on a man's shoulder
- geometric · colourTry it on — Color geometric tattoo on a man's shoulder
- watercolor · colourTry it on — Color watercolor tattoo on a man's shoulder
- traditional · colourTry it on — Color traditional phoenix tattoo on a man's shoulder
- tribal · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white tribal butterfly tattoo on a man's shoulder
- geometric · colourTry it on — Color geometric tattoo on a man's shoulder
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental tattoo on a man's shoulder
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork tattoo on a man's shoulder
- new school · colourTry it on — Color new school tattoo on a man's shoulder
- geometric · colourTry it on — Color geometric ornament tattoo on a man's shoulder
- watercolor · colourTry it on — Color watercolor tattoo on a man's shoulder
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework tattoo on a man's shoulder
- tribal · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white tribal cherry blossom tattoo on a man's shoulder
- neo traditional · colourTry it on — Color neo traditional cat tattoo on a man's shoulder
- new school · colourTry it on — Color new school sunflower tattoo on a man's shoulder
- tribal · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white tribal tattoo on a man's shoulder
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork cherry blossom tattoo on a man's shoulder
- new school · colourTry it on — Color new school phoenix tattoo on a man's shoulder
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork tattoo on a man's shoulder
- new school · colourTry it on — Color new school skull tattoo on a man's shoulder
Every pair is one tattoo: the design as it was drawn, and a photograph of that same design on the body.
These 23 tattoos on men's shoulders, in numbers
- Body parts
- 1
- Black and grey
- 10
- Colour
- 13
- Most common style
- new-school
Sizing a design to a broad deltoid
On a wide frame the deltoid cap is a generous dome, and a design has to be big enough to own it. A piece the size of a palm sits on a large shoulder like a badge; one that covers the cap from the collarbone line to the top of the bicep looks like it belongs there. Training broadens the deltoid over the years, and a design that already fills the cap keeps its proportion to the shoulder as it does.
Muscle added quickly often shows first at the front of the shoulder, where the deltoid meets the chest, sometimes as stretch marks. That front edge is also where a shoulder piece most often continues onto the chest, so it is worth deciding early whether the design stops there or keeps going.
Tank tops, shoulder hair and the next piece
A t-shirt covers a shoulder piece completely and a tank top shows all of it, along with the edge of the chest and the top of the shoulder blade. That makes the shoulder one of the easiest large tattoos for a man to keep out of work and still wear on a hot day. The edges that show in a tank top are the same ones that lead onward, to the chest, the back or down the arm.
Hair on the tops of the shoulders and the upper back tends to increase with age on many men, including some who have little of it in their twenties. A design with bold outlines and dark mass stays readable if that happens; fine shading across the top of the shoulder may not. Pain and healing are on the shoulder page.
Common questions
- Does a small shoulder tattoo work on broad shoulders?
- Mainly as the start of something bigger. On its own, a piece for a broad shoulder should cover most of the deltoid cap, from the front edge near the collarbone round to the back of the shoulder. That usually means a piece you would measure with a hand span rather than a palm.
- Can a shoulder tattoo go over gym stretch marks?
- Usually, once they have faded from red or purple to pale silver. The scarred lines take ink slightly differently, so they may show as faint texture, and solid dark areas disguise that better than open linework. An artist will want to see them before agreeing a design.
- Should a man's shoulder piece lead onto the chest or the back?
- Whichever you are more likely to want next. Toward the chest, the piece shows in an open shirt and can join a chest panel; toward the back, it stays more private and joins the shoulder blade. If you are unsure, ask for the edges to fade out softly so either direction stays open.
- Which shoulder tattoo designs suit a man's deltoid?
- Designs with a centre that can wrap the cap: a tribal or geometric piece built around the dome, a phoenix or a koi curled to its shape, a skull set square on the side. Blackwork and tribal keep their edges if hair thickens on the shoulder later; watercolour and new-school colour need a firm outline to hold their shape on a broad, rounded muscle.
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.