Mandala tattoo designs are something that every tattoo artist has up his sleeve. A mandala tattoo is a combination of geometrical symbols that are most commonly put into a circle.
Each person can have their own interpretation of this tattoo. People always look for meaning in their tattoos, and mandalas are most often considered to be a symbol of perfection and balance, as they’re almost always symmetrical.
The earliest evidence of mandalas dates back even B.C.E. because it was shown in Buddhism. It appeared in China, Japan, and Tibet by the fourth century. However, in Hinduism, it’s almost always shown in the rooms of their prayers. In other religions, mandalas symbolize the balance between the body and the soul.
If you want to put this wonderful artwork on your body, you can incorporate different symbols into it to represent whatever you want. You can use this to show a transformation that you’ve gone through because you became more balanced when you came out on the other side of your hardships.
In this article, we’ll give you some great mandala tattoo designs to inspire you. You may want to combine these designs into something unique, as your tattoo will be even more special if you have a personalized design.
20 mandala tattoo designs
1. Tiny mandala tattoo
For the people who aren’t ready for a huge commitment, it’s best to start off with a tiny mandala tattoo. You can place it on any part of your body that you think would be good for this design.
On this photo, you can see an interesting design that will definitely be elegant on your body, but it’s still not too flashy.
2. Foot mandala tattoo
The upper side of your foot is an unusual place to do a tattoo, but it’s definitely gorgeous. In the photo above, you can see a perfectly balanced mandala tattoo design. The balance is obvious in the colors and the placement of the tattoo, which will be an amazing addition to the art on the rest of your body.
3. Hand mandala tattoo
A mandala tattoo on your hand is quite a statement piece. It’s the first tattoo that anyone will see, so these mandala tattoo designs are perfect for someone who needs some inspiration on what to do next.
My recommendation would be to get smaller geometrical pieces within the mandala tattoo so that you have something that’s very detailed and beautiful. Because it’s such a small area, bigger elements could look patchy – which isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
4. Palm mandala tattoo
The palm has an amazing shape for mandala tattoo designs. You can evidently see that in the picture above that a simple design falls perfectly into the shape of your palm and it will always remind you to stay balanced.
You can also add simple designs on the fingers, like you can see on this photo where there are small dots on the fingers.
5. Fade-out mandala tattoo
Fade-out mandala tattoo designs aren’t hard to do. When you look at the picture above you’ll see that the fade-out is made from different little shapes or even with simple dots and shadows.
This tattoo design is good for people who don’t have a full idea of what they want done around the mandala. When you have a fade-out tattoo it’s much easier to incorporate other tattoos around it.
6. Shoulder mandala tattoo
A mandala tattoo design goes amazing with the shape of your shoulder. Especially if you choose to do a round mandala, because this way it’ll follow the natural shape of your body.
The mandala tattoo design above is creative yet minimalistic. It’s quite a feminine placement and the design adds to the gentleness of a woman.
7. New school mandala tattoo
New school probably isn’t the tattoo style that you’d think of when you’re thinking about getting a mandala tattoo. However, this may be the inspiring moment that you need to get something unique, colorful, and bright.
The thing with new school is that you’d have to get a bigger tattoo, as this style is known for big patches of color, as seen in the photo above.
See also: From Dainty To Daring: 21 Cute Finger Tattoo Ideas To Try
8. Sleeve mandala tattoo
A full-sleeve mandala tattoo design isn’t simple. These tattoos need multiple sessions. The mandala tattoo designs on this person’s sleeve are unique, but still well composed to fit the curves of the arm. The tiny details are what make the tattoo so eye-catching.
9. Head mandala tattoo
This edgy placement is wonderful. In the photo above, you can see how the mandala tattoo designs can follow the shape of your head perfectly, while also incorporating some details that make this piece breathtaking.
10. Dotted mandala tattoo
Dotted mandala tattoo designs aren’t that popular because they’re extremely hard to do properly. These tattoos heal wonderfully.
In this example, you can see little spots of black and gray that are perfectly contrasted, and give your entire tattoo a very seamless effect.
11. Half-mandala tattoo
If you don’t want the circle shape of an entire mandala, you can always do a half-mandala tattoo. In this case, you can see a wonderful placement of a half-mandala with a personalized touch to it. Your half mandala can have many different shapes, but this one in particular is a combination of bigger and smaller details that are feminine and soft.
12. Calf mandala tattoo
With mandala tattoo designs, you can’t go wrong no matter where you choose to place them. As you can see in the photo above, the mandala tattoos on calves look stunning. They’re big and bold, but the line work is crisp and clean. Which is exactly what you’d want from a tattoo!
13. Full-back mandala tattoo
Another bold choice! A full-back mandala tattoo may be an extreme step but just look at this design. The center is packed with little details that spread out perfectly over the entire back and follow the shape. Even the little dots around the mandala tattoo can give you an amazing opportunity to incorporate other tattoos into it.
14. Watercolor mandala tattoo
Watercolor tattoos are beautiful because they add a little splash of sunshine to your otherwise black tattoo. These tattoos can have lighter colors and thinner lines so that your mandala can be fully colored.
15. Trash polka mandala tattoo
Trash polka definitely isn’t for everyone. It’s a very dark tattoo style, however, if done correctly it can look wonderful. It usually combines black, gray, and red. That’s why it’s so rare to see a mandala that’s done with these colors, but it’s definitely something that could catch your fancy.
16. 3D mandala tattoo
If your artist is good with colors and contrast, then you may want to choose 3D mandala tattoo designs. You can incorporate any color that suits your personality. However, 3D mandala tattoo designs can also be black and gray. In both situations, you’ll have a unique and wonderful tattoo.
17. Chest mandala tattoo
A chest piece is an amazing way to tie two sleeves together. In this photo, you can see a combination of different styles. It’s a black and gray tattoo with thick and fine lines. It has a dotted finish, that turns into a fade-out.
The mandalas aren’t simple circles, but actually, they’re made to represent different shapes of flowers that are coherent, and artistic. If you want a more feminine design, you can choose something more minimalistic.
18. Neck mandala tattoo
A neck mandala tattoo is an amazing option for the rebel within you. As you can see, the tattoo itself has many different shapes. It’s a combination of thick and fine lines that create the perfect depth for your tattoo. Of course, you have to be careful with the placement, but this tattoo design is good for anyone who wants to make a statement.
19. Creative mandala tattoo designs
Your mandala tattoo designs don’t have to be boring. You can incorporate many different types of images into your tattoo that would flow perfectly with the initial design.
20. Multiple mandala tattoos
You can also do multiple mandala tattoo designs next to each other. This way you’ll be able to have multiple artworks in one place, and they’ll still be coherent. It doesn’t matter if you combine all of them into one tattoo, or you simply choose to do it as shown in the photo above.
