InkCraftThigh Tattoos for Men: Upper Thigh Designs
24 men's thigh tattoos photographed on skin for InkCraftBy Uladzimir TumanauUpdated
On most men the thigh is the biggest area of skin that everyday shorts keep covered, and on many it carries dense hair. Those two facts shape a thigh piece more than anything else: it can be as large as you want without showing at work, and it has to read through regrowth.
- geometric · colourTry it on — Color geometric tattoo on a man's thigh
- new school · colourTry it on — Color new school tiger tattoo on a man's thigh
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork tattoo on a man's thigh
- geometric · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white geometric heart tattoo on a man's thigh
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork tattoo on a man's thigh
- illustrative · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey illustrative tattoo on a man's thigh
- neo traditional · colourTry it on — Color neo traditional tattoo on a man's thigh
- biomechanical · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey biomechanical star tattoo on a man's thigh
- tribal · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white tribal tattoo on a man's thigh
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental tattoo on a man's thigh
- geometric · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white geometric tattoo on a man's thigh
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework tattoo on a man's thigh
- fine line · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white fine line tattoo on a man's thigh
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental tattoo on a man's thigh
- fine line · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white fine line tattoo on a man's thigh
- Japanese · colourTry it on — Color Japanese rose tattoo on a man's thigh
- watercolor · colourTry it on — Color watercolor dragonfly tattoo on a man's thigh
- tribal · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white tribal tattoo on a man's thigh
- watercolor · colourTry it on — Color watercolor tattoo on a man's thigh
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork tattoo on a man's thigh
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental tattoo on a man's thigh
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework tattoo on a man's thigh
- illustrative · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey illustrative tattoo on a man's thigh
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork tattoo on a man's thigh
Every pair is one tattoo: the design as it was drawn, and a photograph of that same design on the body.
These 24 tattoos on men's thighs, in numbers
- Body parts
- 1
- Black and grey
- 18
- Colour
- 6
- Most common style
- blackwork
What hair does to a man's thigh piece
Most men's thighs carry their heaviest hair on the front and outer side and much less on the inner face. The artist shaves the whole area before the stencil goes on, so for the first couple of weeks the tattoo looks exactly as drawn. Then the hair returns across it, and from then on the piece is judged through a light screen: solid black, firm outlines and large shapes still read, while hairline detail and pale grey washes go quiet until the next shave.
Choose the design with that screen in mind if you are not going to keep the leg shaved. Push the contrast, keep the main subject big, and treat fine texture as a bonus you see up close. If you already shave your legs for cycling, swimming or sport, none of this applies, and the thigh will carry fine line as well as anywhere on your body.
Shorts, quads and which way up
Most men's shorts end at or just above the knee, so a thigh tattoo shows in swimwear, running shorts and at home, and almost nowhere else. The person who sees it most is you, looking down at it from a chair. Decide early whether it should read the right way up from there or for someone standing in front of you, because it cannot do both.
Training changes a man's thigh more than it changes most placements. Squats, cycling and sprinting add girth to the front and outer quad and fill out the teardrop of muscle above the inner knee; a long lay-off lets it soften again. That change stretches a design across the leg rather than along it, so an exact circle drifts toward an oval and a face widens, while animals, foliage and ornament take it without anyone noticing. If a design has to stay geometric, ask for it where the leg is flattest rather than over the widest part of the muscle.
Common questions
- Do I need to shave my thigh before the appointment?
- No. The artist shaves the area on the day with a fresh disposable razor, so the stencil sits on smooth skin right to its edges. If the hair is very thick, running clippers over the thigh the day before saves a few minutes and some irritation, but leave the close shave to them.
- Front or outer thigh for a man's first big piece?
- The front if you want to look at it, since it faces you whenever you sit. The outer side if a leg sleeve might follow, because it runs straight down into the outer knee and calf. Both sit on muscle; the thigh page sets out how each one feels in the chair and heals.
- Will a thigh tattoo show in ordinary shorts?
- Rarely more than its lower edge. Shorts that end near the knee cover the thigh while you stand and ride up a few centimetres when you sit or crouch. A design that stops a hand's width above the kneecap stays out of sight; one that runs down to the knee will peek out below the hem.
- Which thigh tattoo designs suit a man's leg?
- Ones that use the size and still read through hair. Blackwork, tribal and bold ornamental pieces keep their shape under regrowth, and geometric work belongs on the flatter front of the thigh, where straight lines stay straight. Illustrative subjects such as a tiger or a rose can run the full height of the outer thigh, the widest stretch of skin on a man's leg.
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.