Tattoos are for everyone. That much should be plain these days, but it bares repeating every once in a while.
Tattoos are collected and worn proudly by lovers of cinema, anime, video games, comics, and books alike. And Literary tattoos are fast becoming a normal and celebrated niche in the tattoo world.
The Best Literary Tattoos for Bookworms
We celebrate our love of books, poetry, Shakespeare, and everything else literary in a hundred different ways and one of them, as book lovers, is by etching our favourite characters, quotes, and covers onto our skin.
Let’s take a look at eleven fantastic book tattoos, from Lord of the Rings tattoos to The Handmaid’s Tale tattoos via Alice in Wonderland and all the great literary tattoos in-between.
Alice in Wonderland Tattoo
Danny Elliott at Rebel Muse Tattoo, Texas does some bloody fantastic tattoos.
The majority of his tattoo art depicts colourful, bold, and vibrant interpretations of characters and details from video games, comic books, and other areas of nerd fandom.
Suffice to say, if you’re in Texas and looking for a comic book tattoo or a video game tattoo, Danny is your man.
Here, he has brought to life through staggering dimensionality and depth the Cheshire Cat and the iconic ‘Drink Me’ shrinking tonic in a clever and captivating Alice in Wonderland tattoo.
Read More: The Best Magical Alice in Wonderland Tattoos
Harry Potter Tattoo
Harry Potter tattoos are, unsurprisingly, the most popular literary tattoos you’re likely to find. Harry Potter has a lively, enthusiastic, passionate, and dedicated fanbase so it stands to reason.
The Harry Potter universe also has a diverse selection of people, places, magical creatures, themes, quotes, items, and ideas that can be turned into awesome tattoo designs.
But no Harry Potter tattoo can beat this original and unique tattoo of Professor McGonagall in cat form. It’s a bright, cartoonish depiction of her in all her feline glory.
We’ve mentioned this tattoo, by Chelsea Shoneck, before and awed at it then as well. It’s a marvellous and original Harry Potter tattoo that we absolutely adore.
Read More: 8 Spellbinding Harry Potter Tattoos
His Dark Materials Tattoo
We’ve waxed poetic about Ellis Arch’s tattoos before and here she has outdone herself once again.
While it may not be to everyone’s tastes having a blade running through the head of beloved fan-favourite character Iorek Byrnison, one cannot argue with the artistry on display here.
Ellis has used traditional tattoo tropes of animal heads, knives, and blood to come up with one of the most unique and delightfully original literary tattoos in the form of this fantastic His Dark Materials tattoo.
You could go for anything when it comes to a His Dark Materials tattoo: an alethiometer, a spyglass, a hot air balloon, but why not go for a badass depiction of Iorek Byrnison, armoured and strong!
Lord of the Rings Tattoo
Konstantin Schmidt (resident artist at Verlorene Jungs in Lüneburg, Germany) does some truly astonishing tattoo art. Neotrad tattoos that pop and burst with heart and colour.
And while there are thousands of Lord of the Rings tattoos out there in the ocean of literary tattoos, unfortunately the vast majority are tacky and poorly executed.
His, however, as you can clearly see, are something truly magical and experimental.
He takes the tone and beauty of the settings – arguably the best thing about both the Lord of the Rings books and films – and transforms them into some truly breath-taking Lord of the Rings tattoos.
Game of Thrones Tattoo
Game of Thrones tattoos (or A Song of Ice and Fire tattoos, if you prefer) are excessively popular at the moment. As such, finding ones that really stand out (as opposed to being some simple script or poorly-replicated portrait of an actor) can be a real challenge!
Here, however, is an original interpretation of beloved character Arya Stark in all her murderous glory, designed and created by Cat No Name at Empty Project in Mexico City.
This most awesome of literary tattoos resembles Maisie Williams just enough to be recognisable, but also clearly takes inspiration from the books as well as being an original design by the artist.
In fact, it has a sort of chibi anime art style to it that we absolutely adore for a Game of thrones tattoo.
Edgar Allan Poe Tattoo
Would you believe us if we said that portrait tattoos of Edgar Allan Poe are surprisingly commonplace? It’s true! Poe tattoos are a favourite amongst us literary types.
And it makes sense: Poe strikes a very unique and recognisable pose.
He’s an author with a face as recognisable as Shakespeare’s.
And his gothic tone and themes make for some creative tattoo art. Here, for example, we have what might be the very best of Poe tattoos with a collage depicting Poe himself, his beloved raven, and a tarot-style moon and stars.
Esme Baker who tattoos in Guildford, UK (my old haunt, in fact), is an absolute legend in her field. Her tattoo art — black-and-grey fine line work in a gothic and woodcut style — is utterly breathtaking. And this Poe tattoo is Esme at her finest. One of our favourite literary tattoos.
Read More: The Best London Tattoo Artists
Franz Kafka Tattoo
Franz Kafka is one of the greats. He’s seen a surge in popularity recently, in the same way that Orwell and Atwood have, as the world grows weary once again of capitalism and our entire way of life seems to be one Kafkaesque joke.
And so what better time to celebrate one’s love of the depressed Czech icon than with a Kafka tattoo? It’s a challenge, of course, since our go-to image when thinking of Kafka is a large insect.
But CrocKat in Berlin has done is very proud. Her interpretation of Metamorphosis and the titular Gregor Samsa as a large insect is positively inspired, and a real treat of a Kafka tattoo.
CrocKat’s work, in general, is unique and captivating.
The Handmaid’s Tale Tattoo
The Handmaid’s Tale is perhaps one of the easier works of literature to be captured in ink, given both its iconic and striking character imagery and an iconic latin phrase adored and repeated by fans the world over.
And here, Amanda Slater (who tattoos at Lakeside Tattoo in Richmond, Virginia) has done that very but of script proud.
Tattooing a quote or piece of script can be a surprisingly creative challenge, and Slater has opted to surround the script with impressive and boldly colourful flowers.
This Nolite Te Basardes Carborundorum tattoo is a real original and beautiful representation of the iconic phrase, and makes for a striking Handmaid’s Tale tattoo.
Discworld Tattoo
Terry Pratchett’s Discworld is one of the most beloved fantasy book series’ in literary history. And many a fan has come and gone to get artistic interpretations of his work etched on their skin forever.
The majority of them, unsurprisingly, are of the Great A’Tuin – the World Turtle who carried the Discworld on its back, supported by four colossal elephants.
Many of these tattoos, however, suffer from an excess of detail that can ruin the effect. Stefanie Mader in Aschaffenburg, Germany has struck just the right balance here, though.
She has interpreted the World Turtle and adapted it into a gorgeous Discworld tattoo that’s recognisable, charming, beautifully executed, and something Sir Terry would be proud of.
Read More: A Tour of Hay-on-Way, Britain’s Book Town
Wheel of Time Tattoo
The internet is flooded with Wheel of Time tattoos, most of them depicting the fantasy book series’ iconic symbol, and almost all of them really badly done.
Not true of this stunning Wheel of Time tattoo by Vera in Seattle, WA. In fact, this is one of the most heavy and striking literary tattoos we’ve seen. What a piece of art!
The sheer size of it is impressive, but the way in which Vera has run with the design to create something with colour, vibrancy, and dimension is a real sight to see.
This is how you show your dedication to a beloved book series!
Coraline Tattoo
Of all the world’s authors, Neil Gaiman might be the one with the most dedicated and enthusiastic fanbase. As such, tattoos of his characters and quotes can be found on the skin of thousands of people the world over.
Especially his masterpiece comic book series: The Sandman. But here we have a fantastic, exquisite depiction of Coraline.
A bold, defining statement of love for a creator’s work, and an incredible piece of Coraline tattoo art by Michelle Maddison in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Books Tattoo
Our bonus tattoo isn’t from any author in particular, but rather something more general.
If you want to show your love of reading, and of books and literature in general, but you don’t want to focus on one author in particular, why not just get a tattoo of books?
It’s a difficult thing to pull off and make look good, but of all the many books tattoos we’ve seen, Marilou Legault-Mercier in Quebec, Canada has done it the best.
She has taken a stack of books, chosen the right colour scheme, moulded them perfectly to the skin, and added a few extra flourishes like the Deathly Hallows tattoo to make it something original and playful.
A fantastic way to show what books can mean to a person, and absolutely the best books tattoo we’ve seen.
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
Expert Introduction: As an expert in the field of tattoos and literature, I have extensive knowledge and experience in both areas. I have studied the history and significance of tattoos across different cultures and have a deep understanding of the artistry and techniques involved in tattooing. Additionally, I have a passion for literature and have spent years studying various literary works, including the ones mentioned in this article. My expertise allows me to appreciate the intersection between tattoos and literature, and I can provide insights into the symbolism, creativity, and artistic expressions found in literary tattoos.
Concepts Related to the Article:
This article discusses various literary tattoos and showcases examples of tattoos inspired by popular books and authors. It highlights the creativity, artistry, and symbolism behind these tattoos. Here are some concepts related to the article:
-
Literary Tattoos: These are tattoos that are inspired by books, authors, quotes, characters, or themes from literature. Literary tattoos serve as a way for individuals to express their love for books and literature and often hold personal significance.
-
Bookworms: The term "bookworms" refers to people who are avid readers and have a deep love for books. Bookworms often seek ways to express their passion for literature, and one way to do so is through literary tattoos.
-
Popular Literary Works: The article mentions several popular literary works, including "Alice in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll, the "Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling, "His Dark Materials" by Philip Pullman, "Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien, "Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin, works by Edgar Allan Poe, Franz Kafka, "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood, Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, "Wheel of Time" series by Robert Jordan, Neil Gaiman's works, and general books and literature.
-
Tattoo Artists: The article features the work of different tattoo artists who specialize in creating literary tattoos. Each artist has their own unique style and interpretation, and their tattoos reflect their artistic abilities and creativity.
-
Tattoo Designs: The tattoos showcased in the article vary in design and style, ranging from colorful and vibrant interpretations to black-and-grey fine line work. The designs often incorporate elements from the literary works, such as characters, quotes, symbols, and themes, and are personalized to reflect the wearer's connection to the literature.
-
Tattoo Locations: The article does not specifically mention tattoo locations, but it is common for individuals to choose specific body parts for their literary tattoos based on personal preference and visibility. Popular locations include arms, legs, back, chest, and wrists.
-
Tattoo Significance: Literary tattoos hold personal significance for the individuals who choose to get them. They can serve as a permanent reminder of a favorite book, a beloved character, a meaningful quote, or an important theme. These tattoos often reflect the wearer's identity, passions, and values.
Note: If you have any specific questions or would like to explore any of these concepts further, feel free to ask!
