6. Pop Culture Western Tattoos

Cowboys have been powerful symbols in pop culture for decades. In fact the tradition of using cowboys in dramatic productions dates back to the Wild West itself. Famous soldier, bison hunter and performer “Buffalo Bill” Cody was romanticizing the American West and the rough and tumble cowboy lifestyle way back in 1872.  

More recently, the exploits of frontiersman and gunslingers have been immortalized in films like Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns and the classic account of the shootout at the OK Corral, Tombstone. Adults and children alike remain fascinated with the cowboy and many choose to get these pop culture tomes to the Wild West inked on their bodies.  

7. Cowboys on Horeseback Western Tattoos

The cowboy’s relationship with horses is deep and complex. These powerful and beautiful animals were steeds, companions, co-workers and valuable commodities. There may be no single image that more instantly evokes images of the rough and tumble life on the range than a lone cowboy sitting high on his horse.  

As these pieces demonstrate, a variety of approaches and styles can be successfully applied to these cowboys in the saddle tattoos, from black and gray photo-realistic designs to the classic look of the American traditional style. These clean tattoos are some great examples of this quintessential representation of the American cowboy. 

8. Gunslinger Tattoos

One archetype that has made its way into American culture is the gunslinger. Perpetual solitude, drifting from one sunbaked town to the next with only his pistol and his horse as companions, this trope was best personified by Clint Eastwood in the classic Italian Westerns like A Fistful of Dollar and A Few Dollars More.