We’ve got you covered in the realm of tats here at Creem, and this time we’re stimulating you visually with red ink tattoo designs fit for a wide variety of personalities. These tattoos are one of a kind and compiled so that you can become inspired to design your very own piece of body art.
Enjoy! And feel free to show your favorite design to your personal professional tattoo designer. Maybe you and him/her can come up with the perfect design together based off the inspiration you find here at Creem!
1. Lovely Little Lilly
You don’t have to go all out to start – you can choose a simple little red ink tattoo to test out how red ink will look on your shade of skin first.
2. A Banksy Original
We love the street artist Banksy. His political works make a great tat for conversation starters.
3. Scarlett Magic
A design like above is also a great way to test out red ink on your skin. Remember, there are diff shades you can choose from.
4. Geometric Mini Mouse
Sometimes all you need is a single detail in a piece of body art to have color to help make it more eye-catching.
5. Detailing Floral & Bird Art
This piece isn’t done yet, but red additions will make it seemingly pop from the skin.
6. Graphic Spacial Designs
Surrounding a vivid red piece of body art with black really brings out the design, especially if you’ve got light skin.
7. A Samurai’s Commitment
Red and black ink are classics together when deciding to get Asian characters.
8. Mysterious Hidden Metaphors
A wise elephant, compass, the sun, and a plethora of odd shading. Red only enhances this mysterious piece.
9. Flowering Beauties
You can use red ink combined with orange to shade in lovely floral designs.
10. Swirling Crimson Flow
This red ink tattoo doesn’t need other colors to look beautiful and original.
11. Transcendence
Gorgeous yet dark, this piece of body art uses black and blood red to display a lovely silhouette.
12. Geography of the Mind
Not all of us need intricate details in our tats. Simplistic can be the way to go, and red is a great color that can enhance even the simplest designs.
13. Curious Little Birds
Red birds are beautiful and meaningful in some mythologies. Research red animals and see if any are right for you.
14. Delicate Message
Can’t tell you what this says, but we’re sure it has to be beautiful with such a gorgeous design surrounding it.
15. Freeing the Cardinal
Cardinals are gorgeous birds, especially in winter snows. Have a fav sports team with the Cardinal as a mascot?
16. Intriguing Highlights
Remember, art can be anything you desire – even the shading can be completely original.
17. Brush Stroke
This is a very symbolic piece – a red brush stroke – and depends on how the wearer views its meaning.
18. As the Moon Engulfs the Sun
Blue for the Moon, Red for the sun. Lots of times, red is used in place of yellow since yellow can sometimes look sickly on paler skin.
19. Crimson Ruby
Love the detail in the black and red shading done here. Ensure your tat artist is good enough to pull an intricate design like this off!
20. Black & Red Abstract Dimensions
Snowflakes, mandalas, geometric shapes, all combined into one big piece of amazing black and red body art.
21. Feathers of Blood
What does red mean to you? What would a red feather mean to you?
22. A Raven’s Paradise
Vivid, deep, blacks and reds look amazing when done up and down the thigh, yes?
23. Enticing Lips
If you’ve a favorite actress or artist you’re in love with, you can get their face done on you with only the lips done in red.
24. Protective Dragon
Familiar with the author Sherrilyn Kenyon? Her character Acheron has a baby dragon-demon tatted on his body that comes to life to help him on his journeys.
25. Nightmare Before Christmas
Who doesn’t love this cult classic?
26. Blood Skull
Wow. To be bold enough to have a red ink tattoo like this covering your chest and neck…
27. Scarlett Mandala Centerpiece
Be aware that tats on bone (such as the spine) are going to hurt a bit more than on the fleshy parts of your bod!
28. Thinking Shaman
A Native American Shaman with red details done beautifully.
29. Birdy Silhouette
Combine your favorite colors to create a very simple yet meaningful design.
30. Shading Sensation
You can see this tat fades from black to red quite evenly.
31. Lovely Ribbon Support with Love
Simple yet clever, this red HIV/AIDS support ribbon symbolizes love and support for the cause.
32. Tribal Ear
We’ve never seen a red and white tat on an ear until now. Any ideas yet?
33. Creating a Storyline
There’s no swirling designs in this tat, it’s edgy and intricate with well placed wording and mini red ink tats here and there to add dimension.
34. Flaming Wound
Instead of blood, flames flow out of this wound.
35. Intricate Detail
Lovely and intricate, no other color besides red needed.
36. Gorgeous Female Sleeve
Interesting how the details on the petals look like muscle flesh…
37. Autumn Sleeve
This guy placed leaves with birds instead of traditional flowers.
38. Delicate Blossoms
Large and mini flowers done in red & black.
39. Enormous Tribal Body Art
We thought we’d throw in this piece to show how amazing red can look with other colors.
40. Patterns & Maps
The map transforms into a skull and vice versa.
41. Anchoring Love
A red anchor and symbolize what you’re attached to; what keeps you anchored.
42. Lifeline
A lifeline can transform into any word written in cursive.
43. Flowers of Death
For the darker part of your personality, you can combine red flowers with a black skull.
44. Red Roses
Roses are of course a popular flower done in red ink.
45. Tribal Details
If you’ve a tribal tat already, fill in the spaces with some red detail.
46. Adding Dimension
Red smoke can make an interesting addition to a creepy tat.
47. Mandala Flower
A single red tat inside several black ones will catch your audience’s eyes.
48. Red Coy Fish
Coy fish can be done in any color, red being a favorite.
49. Representing the Tribe
Mandalas and feathers. Get in touch with your inner spirit.
50. Little Red Riding Hood
Have a favorite story line you can relate to and transform into a tat?
51. New Twist on Stars
We’ve all seen these types of stars – but have we seen them look like this?
52. A Composition’s Beauty
We love this design because it’s rare one sees paper music, roses, and a pocket watch all together – classic symbols of the past.
53. Simplifying Blooms
A lovely flowing red ink tattoo in flowers.
54. Flaming Love & Roses
Red can symbolize power, and a red candle burns to bring power to the one that’s lit it.
55. Inferring Blood Lust
This beast is clean of blood, but is surrounded with its lust.
56. Bird of Flight
Yellow and red can go well together – and not just in flames!
57. Delicate Details
This tat covers nearly the entire back, but not a lot of ink was used. Do you like intricate and delicate details like above?
58. Falling to Pieces
Any animal that has spots can be done similar to this design.
59. A Gothic Trend
Roses and skulls – a classic for those of us in the gothic and rock culture.
60. Playful Flight
These little birdies look like they’re playing within each other. Experiment with different poses of the animal or animals you decide to get inked on your skin.
61. Angry Coy
Not every coy fish can be happy.
62. Ravaging Religion
What beliefs fill you within?
63. Matching Body Art
Are these shoulders or knees? In any case, the red ink looks fab here.
64. Ripe Berries
Lovely berry details in an otherwise traditional black tattoo.
65. Dia Des Los Muertos
Perfect for that time of year when we worship our ancestors.
66. The Heart’s System
The heart doesn’t have to be red, just the added details.
67. Wise Elephant
This elephant has a distinct look, with red being the major color used.
68. Floral Mystique
Wild flowers can be more beautiful than those grown in a greenhouse.
69. Body Portrait
There are many faces in this amazing piece of body art, all with forms of red inked into them.
70. Way of the Samurai
Brush strokes and the silhouette of a samurai about to battle.
71. Flaming Feathers
These feathers use mostly reds and yellows, blue at the bottom – just like a flame.
72. Indian Ink
An interesting combo of Indian henna and Native American design.
73. Words to Live By
Quotes don’t always have to be done in black ink.
74. Protective Snake
Not all snakes are green.
75. Lingering Lingerie
Yes, red is perfect for lingerie on ladies if that’s your thing.
76. Shoulder’s Cover
These flaming petals make for a great shoulder cover.
77. Celtic Knots
A cross with Celtic knots to show off your heritage can look unique with red ink details.
78. Asian Dragon
Asian dragons are often seen in mythology and art as having added red detail.
79. Speaking Wolf
This red makes the wolf’s fur look bloody.
80. Geometric Filler
Imagine this in any other color… It wouldn’t be the same.
81. Graffiti
Red can fade evenly into yellow as a graffiti text filler.
82. Cherry Love
Lovely little cherries shaped like hearts.
83. Mehndi Hand
A classic and symbolic piece of art.
84. Fall Leaf
If you love Autumn, a red and orange leaf can symbolize this.
85. Reminder of Love
A simple reminder to love and to be loved.
86. Torn Bicep
Of course, anyone that’s into bodybuilding might like something like this.
87. The Evil Within
If you were to unzip yourself, what would be inside?
88. Devil’s Face
This is a little satanic, but some people are into that.
89. Alien Showcase
A creepy red alien. If you’re into freaking people out, totally consider an alien.
90. Riding the Red Waves
This ocean is surrounding with red mystifying creatures.
91. A Star’s Flower
Red and black flower with stars, a tradition design turned unique.
92. Fiery Dragon
Sometimes, all the red ink you need is to detail the fiery flames coming forth from the dragon.
93. Transformers
Using red is perfect for a Transformers tat.
94. Black and Red Tribal Body Piece
Tribal tattoos will always be trendy, but adding your own red details will set yours apart.
95. Traveling Map
Maps and mandalas detailed with red ink to make the designs more eye-catching and to differentiate one tat from the other.
96. Matching Details
We saw the delicate tat on this woman’s back, but the arm tat is a gorgeous, matching intricate piece of body art displaying how amazing using only red ink can look.
97. Time for Loving Life
Remind yourself that time is limited in this life. This tat also could be symbolic of Alice in Wonderland…
98. Single Blossom
Reds and pinks and oranges can shade evenly together to create a gorgeous flower design.
99. Rising Phoenix
This rising Phoenix is a great tat for those of us that believe in reincarnation or simply rising from the ashes of our defeats.
100. Pink Floyd
If you love Pink Floyd’s music, or the science behind light waves, this tat is easy to get done by any tat artist.
101. Scarlett Details
Thick black tats surprisingly look darker and deeper when done with red.
102. Dimensional Skull
Another Dia Des Los Muertos skull done in black and white with unique detail. Skulls like these can have any type of detail you choose, from flowers to blood.
103. Puzzle Pieces
Compare the right to the left side. See how red can enhance a tat tremendously? You can also experiment with differing shades of red in your details.
104. Me & You Forever & Ever
If you want to get “wedding ring” tattoos with your significant other, they don’t have to be done in black and they don’t have to be “rings”!
105. Bloody Hand Print
Yes, this is creepy hand print is definitely dark but awesome – and looks like blood when done in red ink.
Thanks for viewing our red ink tattoo designs! We hope you enjoyed them and found the inspiration you were looking for to create the perfect personalized body art you’re anticipating to get inked into your own skin!
