Elegant Butterfly Tattoos: Over 60 Breathtaking Designs for Your Inspiration

Tattoos of butterflies are some of my favorite tattoos. That’s probably because I love the butterfly itself. Fun fact, butterflies can only see red, green, and yellow.

What I love about the butterfly tattoo ideas I’m sharing below is the creativity that was involved in the designs.

It was my goal to include traditional butterfly tattoos, but to also include tattoo ideas that you haven’t seen before, I think that goal was accomplished with this collection.

1. Watercolor Butterfly with Floral Wing

I’m loving this watercolor butterfly tattoo. The colors go so well together, and I love the overall softness of the design. This is perfect for anyone that loves pinks and purples.

2. Black Ink Butterflies

black ink butterfly tattoo — Artist Credit: vanngucci

Here’s a more traditional tattoo of the monarch butterfly. This tattoo looks great with just the black ink. It would also look great with color added.

3. Flowers and Stars

flower and star butterfly tattoo — Artist Credit: alexandrianortiz

I just love the idea of the butterfly having flowers for one of the wings. The shading for this tattoo was so well done too. Again, this is another tattoo that looks awesome look the black ink but would also look great with color added.

4. Large Shoulder Tattoo

large shoulder butterfly tattoo — Artist Credit: atelier_hafenpoesie

You don’t often see large butterfly tattoos, so I was thrilled to find this large watercolor tattoo. Make sure you check out the artists if you would like to see more amazing watercolor tattoos.

5. Butterfly in Motion

butterfly in motion tattoo — Artist Credit: camie.tattoo

I love how one of the butterflies looks as if it’s in motion. The forearm area is a great location for a tattoo like this. It would also look great on the back area.

6. Butterfly on Hand

butterfly tattoo on hand — Artist Credit: modoink_tattoo

I think we can all agree that this tattoo is so creative and beautiful. The artist behind this tattoo does great butterfly tattoos, in particular, so make sure you check out their Instagram account for more ideas.

7. Amazing Shading Technique

butterfly tattoo with shading — Artist Credit: fraulein.bunterkunt

One of my favorite things about this tattoo is the shading. If you would like to see what this tattoo looks like drawn on paper, see more photos.

8. Butterfly Thigh Tattoo

I’ve mentioned before that this is one of my favorite tattoo placement locations. This tattoo was done for the talented tattoo artist Rashell Petrov. Rashell does really awesome black ink tattoos.

9. Butterfly and Flowers

butterfly and flowers tattoo — Artist Credit: ivan_martinez_tattoo831

This completed butterfly tattoo uses shades of black and grey to complete the look. I think that this would look amazing with colored ink too.

10. Blue and Black Butterfly

blue and black butterfly tattoo — Artist Credit: velvettattooparlor

I have to say, this is one of my favorite tattoos in this collection. I love the design, colors, and shading. I would love to see this tattoo with different color options such as pink or purple.

11. Butterfly and Poppies

If you love butterflies and poppy flowers, why not combine them into one beautiful tattoo design. You can have your butterfly colored in using your favorite color.

12. Watercolor Butterfly and Hummingbird

watercolor hummingbird with butterfly — Artist Credit: soldier_tattoo

A watercolor tattoo is a tattoo that is created to look like it was done using watercolor paints. This tattoo not only includes hummingbirds but also has vibrant flowers and a stunning butterfly.

13. Floral Feminine Butterfly Tattoo

This amazing feminine butterfly tattoo includes flowers and butterflies. Plus, if you look closely, you can even see a ladybug. I love how this tattoo is large, but still appears as soft and delicate.

14. Colorful Neo-Traditional Butterfly

If you love the neo-traditional look, you’ll be inspired by this colorful butterfly tattoo. This tattoo has so much detail, and the artwork looks amazing.

15. Half Flowers and Half Butterfly

Half Flowers and Half Butterfly tattoo — Artist Credit: inkcouturenyc

This is a really cool design I see being done with the butterfly. Half of the butterfly is your typical butterfly. The other half is a collection of beautiful flowers.

16. Gorgeous Butterfly Tattoo

The artist behind this tattoo does some of the most amazing butterfly tattoos. I love how this butterfly is surrounded by additional design elements.

17. Purple and Black Butterfly

If you want a creative butterfly tattoo, consider adding a touch of color. This butterfly has beautiful purple flowers for one-half of its wing.

18. Three Butterflies

Three Butterflies tattoo — Artist Credit: mantaraetattoo

Why get one butterfly tattoo when you can get three. This tattoo features three different butterflies. Get creative with the colors and choice of butterflies you add to your design.

19. Butterfly Above the Elbow

Butterfly Above the Elbow tattoo — Artist Credit: marytattooer

Right above the elbow is a great location for a tattoo. This butterfly was done using soft lines and the perfect amount of shading.

20. Butterfly Tattoo About Transformation

This tattoo represents transformation and embracing the process. Butterflies are often seen as symbols of hope, change, and new beginnings. They can also represent love, joy, and beauty.

21. Butterflies on Forearm

Butterflies on Forearm tattoo — Artist Credit: sowina.ink

As I mentioned earlier, I think that the forearm is a great location to place a tattoo like this. This design would look great with both black and colored ink.

22. Butterflies on Shoulder

Butterflies on Shoulder tattoo — Artist Credit: tattooist_neul

If you want a tattoo that you can easily show off, consider getting your butterflies placed on your shoulder area. They’re sure to get a lot of attention.

Butterflies have long been a popular tattoo choice for both men and women. They’re often considered symbols of transformation, change, new beginnings, and hope.