Africa means many things to many people and, as the cradle of humanity, has inspired a wealth of cultural reverence that continues to find its way into some of the most beautiful and powerful tattoos in the world today.
The continent has drawn people from far and wide for hundreds of years, seeking to savor the stunning scenery, wildlife and history.
Recent centuries of war, poverty, and exploitation have endangered the region, making it all the more valuable to those who wish to honor and protect it.
Today many people choose to celebrate Africa and its diverse culture through tattoo tributes. perhaps you have deep ancestral ties or wish to commemorate a significant experience; you may simply have a passion for the continent and its people. Regardless of your connection, there are many ways to pay tribute to African tattoos.
Popular tattoo choices include simple map outlines of the continent, often with a heart or significant symbol engraved within, as well as images of Africa’s famous wildlife: zebras, lions, elephants, and giraffes. Another option is to have the stunning savannah backdrop inked on your back or forearm, enhanced by the setting sun. some may choose to have a portrait of a loved one or personal hero incorporated into their tattoo scenario.
An African-inspired tattoo is not only a nod to the continent and the many aspects it contains, but also a show of respect and compassion for all humanity, which began in the same cradle.
This is a cool cover from Africa. there’s clever use of appropriate animals to achieve great contrast in black and gray shades, and linking between images with descriptive shadows help to link beautifully, especially the negative space horizon view of the trees.
Realistic animal tattoo at its finest. this is a great technical piece that cleverly chooses contrasting animals for focus. this allows for the opportunity to experiment technically to create hides, bones, and leathery skin.
This is an outstanding piece of tattoo art. the child’s features and skin tone are beautifully drawn with crystal-clear precision. I love how the paint stains the skin.
the image looks photographic and is executed with great tact.
The continent provides a border and barrier to the image within this 3d tattoo. creating the tree as a shadow between the contours of the skull is a brilliant effect, and the shading of the facial detail is spot on. I also like the artist’s alternate fill negative space that separates the little elephant from the background.
This is a fantastic African forearm sleeve tattoo. the iconic baobab tree stands out from the deep orange glow as the animals relax below it. the balance between color, shape and shade is achieved perfectly here, especially the tree itself.
Another beautiful black and gray tattoo of the African continent. sharp contours support the elegance of the hoop earrings and headscarf. they enhance the subtle shades of black and gray that pop up elsewhere.
a smart idea that mixes a tattoo of a compass with a continent. it’s a clever way to symbolize that Africa is home no matter where the subject is. Using white ink highlights on the compass star separates it from the background and completes the nice depth of the tattoo.
A beautiful continent tattoo that uses vivid colors throughout. I love the serious expression of the child, the joy of the mother and the shimmering backdrop formed by the outline of the continent. it’s a well-balanced piece of body art.
great. This bad ass tattoo features impeccable technique. the painstaking and intense dot work demonstrates an astonishing degree of detail in the pyramid framework. the simpler black shapes of the giraffe, elephant, and baobab tree stand out beautifully against the precisely graduated dots.
I love the way the elephant trunk shapes Africa, it works well with the image. the large unit shading is epic, turning gray into differently textured skin throughout. the sky scene is also good. contrasts brilliantly with the size of the elephant as it fills the rest of the boundary.
Nice tattoo of an African band. the clever solo line below provides ballast for the smooth black line and shadow effects to work from negative space. at the top edge, the dots extend along the edge in a drawn wall shape to close the artwork.
This is a masterful tattoo on the lower forearm. the bright watercolor rainbow stands out from the realism of the lion and the baobab tree. it’s nearly flawless, from the blue splash above, to the ferocious mane of the lion’s rex, to the shadow effects that bridge the tree and ground.
This is a great black and gray African tattoo. the thick black lines of the lion mix with small well-directed fragments to define this epic mosaic-style piece. discreet shading helps keep it from getting too dark, while dots help oppose linework.
This amazing new wave tattoo may be the best example of contrasting color tones in art on the skin. using scarlet against yellow makes the color crackle against the shadow, while flipping the black and gray to paint the face and a funky baobab is an inspired change in technique. the beautiful hair cascading through the zebra pattern also works tremendously.
The effect of this lion’s fur is brilliantly etched. part of it is golden and thick (chin) while it becomes paler at other points (mane) in contrast to make it less bright than other images working in full color.
This is a great black tattoo that demonstrates how incorporating a single idea within a border image can be just as revealing as one filled with different images. the artist’s ability to put detail into every crack and crevice of the fingerprint shows effortless technique.
This tattoo shows an outstanding use of negative space. Rather than fill or use in shading there’s a number of negative space shapes created with detail throughout – especially the alt line continent and the dove flashing above savanna. The spare nature of these parts shows well against the brilliant detail of the timepiece.
This is an evil continent tattoo that uses a unique fill color and geometric patterns to form a nice, sharp image of Africa. the chaos of links and rings contrasts nicely with the almost blue of the shadow and the crisp black border.
