8. The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

The wolf in sheep’s clothing tattoo is a great phrase based tattoo often applied in American Traditional and neo-traditional styles where symbolism is equally important to the tattoo’s design elements.

Dictionary.com defines the phrase a wolf in sheep’s clothing as “a person or thing that appears friendly or harmless but is really hostile.”

The phrase dates back to the Bible and is often deployed in an amazing wolf tattoo to represent betrayal, duplicity, and suspicion.

9. Realistic Wolf Tattoo Meaning

In its most realistic tattoo form, the wolf is a creature to be marveled at – the mixture of realism created by technical delivery of fur, fang, and face.

Modern society has viewed the wolf as a cold-blooded predator, despite its widely-witnessed intelligence and inquisitive social interactions with humans. Once hunted for both sport and vengeance, conservation efforts have taken great strides to educate and enlighten.

Realistic tattoo design requires a talented tattoo artist that can manipulate both the central image of the wolf, as well as its surroundings with technical assurance and skill with shadow, line, and shape. 

10. Geometric Wolf Tattoo Symbolism

With geometric wolf tattoos, solidly defined physical characteristics of a realistic wolf blend with the abstract use of line and shape.

Geometric wolf tattoo ideas are often ways to interpret themes of duality – such as the juxtaposition between intelligence and animal ferocity, or violence and protection.

The piercing eyes and jagged teeth are often turned into foundational focal points of a geometric wolf tattoo idea, however, the most popular designs tend towards splitting the symmetry of a wolf’s angular face with realism and fractal linework.

11. American Traditional Wolf Designs

Inked in broad, colorful strokes or detailed black and white, the wolf tattoo is a mark of one who is at once fiercely loyal to their pack yet unafraid to venture out alone into the treacherous unknown.