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Are you thinking about getting an eagle tattoo? It doesn’t matter if you want it to be a back piece or anywhere else on the body, it’s going to look amazing either way.
There’s a lot of meaning behind this tattoo. The eagle represents freedom, power, courage, bravery, strength, and the ability to overcome any obstacle that stands in your way. The eagle is a strong and free bird that roams the skies and having this image on your body will always remind you that you’re stronger than you think you are.
We’ve compiled 24 examples for you to inspire you to create your own design and commemorate your strength on your body for all eternity.
Shoulder eagle tattoo
The composition of an eagle tattoo on your shoulder has to be immaculate for it to look realistic. Here you can see a perfect example of a well-done tattoo. The eagle is designed to look like it’s landing on the back, but the composition follows the natural curve of the shoulders.
Even though there’s a lot of dark shading and the tattoo is void of colors, there’s still a lot of contrast, because the head is mostly negative space. Anywhere where the skin peaks through it creates a balance in colors.
This is a similar design, however, it’s on the chest. The eagle looks like he’s hunting down prey and the facial expression of the eagle makes it look malevolent and dangerous. The shading of the feathers makes it look quite realistic, and the little lines underneath the eagle represent the movement of the bird.
Traditional eagle tattoo
A traditional tattoo will always be popular. Traditional designs are known for their big patches of color, which can definitely be seen in this design. The eagle still looks dangerous, but the composition of the tattoo makes it almost look like a cartoon character. The red circle underneath the eagle adds a lot of depth to the design.
Here we have a traditional eagle tattoo where the artist only used a couple of colors. The red is vibrant and well-saturated, but the black and gray shadows are actually what give this design dimension. The wings are nicely spread-out and the artist made sure to use the negative space to make the feathers stick out.
A traditional tattoo can also be done in black and gray. In the photo above, you can see a traditional design where there are no colors, but it’s still a recognizable art style. Even though it’s done in a difficult area, the eagle follows the shape of the collarbone perfectly.
Chest eagle tattoo
Continuing with this same placement, it’s important to note that the composition of these designs has to be coherent with the shape of the body. In the photo above, you can see quite a realistic design that’s packed with details even though it’s so small.
This eagle tattoo reminds of the story of Icarus. It’s flying towards the sun! The big wings of the eagle are spreading out perfectly over the chest and into the shoulders. The design is symmetrical, and the shading makes it easy to differentiate each feather of the eagle.
Tattoo of the head of an eagle
You don’t have to do an entire eagle to get the message across. You can also do the head of an eagle and still get the same meaning. Some would even prefer this, as it showcases the exact predatory gaze of this bird. The dark wing behind the head, in this design, makes the head of this bird the star of the show. It’s definitely a realistic and eye-catching design.
You can also choose to add other little designs to your eagle tattoo. In the photo above, you can see a realistic head of an eagle, that’s flowing into a forest of trees. The small black eagle that’s flying around is a wonderful touch.
Here we can see quite a similar design, but the main difference is eye-catching. The blue eye in this eagle tattoo is perfectly saturated, and it creates a stark difference to the rest of the design.
Talking of blue eyes, your tattoo can become a full-sleeve tattoo, with more than just one image in it. Your eyes are immediately drawn to the detailed image of the eagle, but it flows into the face of the woman. The blue eyes are still a statement piece of this artwork.
However, you don’t have to do an entire eagle head. You can simply do the face if that’s the part that you want the most. This design looks like something straight out of a comic book, and it’s impressive that black lines create even more depth to the tattoo. There’s a lot of shading going on, but the blue eyes are still perfectly saturated.
A tattoo of an eagle in action
An eagle in action is definitely a statement piece. You can have a design that shows just how powerful this predator is in comparison to a snake. You can have your own meaning, and present your struggle through life by telling others that you won’t let them poison you.
This composition looks immaculate. The eagle is flying down from the shoulder, but it’s catching the snake that flows perfectly with the shape of the arm. The shading shows the eagle’s feathers just as well as the scales on the snake.
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Here we have a more traditional design that you can also take inspiration from. The bold lines combined with the dark shadows bring this image to life. As it’s a chest piece, the wings of the eagle still fully follow the shape of the collarbone, but the head of the snake is right above the heart. The meaning is undeniable.
In this example, we have a smaller yet more detailed version of the fight for dominance between an eagle and a snake. Even though this tattoo is so dainty, you’re still able to make out the feathers, the facial expressions, the scales, and even the claws on the eagle.
Detailed black and gray eagle tattoo
Sometimes, you really don’t have to think too much about this. There’s a chance that you can get a wonderful black and gray eagle tattoo with just enough detail to create an immaculate image. In this example, you can see an eagle in action, and the claws have amazing contrast, as the one behind is completely black. The wings are majestic, as every feather is readable, even though there’s a lot of shading.
This eagle tattoo is created with the surrounding text in mind. There’s no outline on this tattoo, which makes it look even more realistic. Even in this small space, you can see every feather on the body and wings of this predator.
Geometric design of an eagle tattoo
Geometric tattoos are extremely popular right now. You’ll see many people who incorporate geometric designs into their tattoos. Above, there’s a semi-realistic eagle that’s put in the middle of this geometric shape. The negative space of these shapes makes it look like the eagle is flying right at you. The darker shading around the head brings the head into full focus.
Even though you may not believe that an eagle tattoo would look good in combination with your other geometric tattoos, think again. The eagle is strategically put on the shoulder to make way for the other tattoos. However, it’s still a big piece of art that will catch everyone’s attention.
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Full-sleeve eagle tattoo
A full-sleeve eagle tattoo is also an amazing option. In this example, the head of the eagle is lying snugly on the shoulder, while the wings are following the shape of the arm. Those little swirly lines actually represent the way wind flows through the wings of the eagle.
On the upper part of the arm, you can see the head of an eagle, but the rest is turned into the feathers of the wings. This design was successful in turning this person’s arm into the entire wing. There’s not a lot of negative space, it’s a very dark design, with a lot of black and gray work.
Talking of dark designs, this malevolent-looking eagle could scare everyone. However, it’s a powerful statement to the world. The thunder that’s coming from the top of the tattoo is easily transforming into the realistic head of this eagle. This tattoo is dark, and moody, but it’s detailed and perfectly done.
The shadows that were done behind this eagle head are what put this entire design into perspective. The actual eagle was done using the negative space of the skin because the rest is so dark. This composition follows perfectly the shape of the arm, and the eye is definitely the main star of the show.
A splash of color
Whatever you choose to do with your eagle tattoo, you can always add a splash of color. In this design, there’s no outline, it’s mostly done using shading. It looks like an actual art piece. However, combined with the black, there’s also a little bit of brown and yellow, which add dimension to the tattoo.
