Shoulder tattoo styles feature distinctive designs, shapes, sizes, and application techniques to make outstanding body art. Shoulder tattoos are popular precisely because they’re versatile in size and offer interesting placement choices.

Animal motifs, Japanese influences, traditional tribal tattoo, and black and gray warrior styles are great men’s tattoo ideas, while for women designs can be traditional, like a butterfly tattoo or rose shoulder tattoo, however increasingly contemporary options like a tiny tattoo or small tattoo are sought after.

All it takes is knowing what tattoo will suit you and look the absolute best down the road. Read on for the photo guide of the top 59 best cool shoulder tattoo designs, and the list of 50+ best tattoo ideas for 2020.

See more about – The Top 135 Best Tattoo Ideas for Men

1. Warrior Shoulder Tattoo Ideas

This Spartan tattoo is almost a cover-up; it helps link together disparate elements of his other work with a large black and gray shaded image that pulls the other pieces in.

An enjoyable black work neo classical play on Japanese Irezumi. This is an elaborate piece despite only being in black and grey. The interplay of shapes and expert use of shading really makes this a standout bit of art.

The most popular shoulder ink often incorporates the shoulder itself, the pectoral, bicep, and/or blade in the execution of designs. This creates great variety in pricing options and the time taken to tattoo the shoulder area, but also makes for impressive final options.

The black and gray examples of bad ass warriors above incorporate brilliant shading and detail to create each tattoo design crisply. In some cases, the top shoulder is a transit point for the art as it flows into an arm tattoo or chest tattoo.

2. Women’s Shoulder Tattoos

Image: @dietattoogesellschaft_mondsee via Instagram