The Best Midjourney Tattoo Design Prompts and Ideas

Want to wear your story on your skin? Tattoos are a beautiful way to express yourself, commemorate a special moment, or simply own a piece of stunning art. But with countless styles and ideas out there, choosing the perfect tattoo design can be overwhelming.

To spark your creativity, we've compiled a list of diverse Midjourney tattoo prompts across various styles. Whether you're drawn to bold and graphic lines, delicate florals, or mystical symbolism, there's something here to inspire your next piece.

Different Tattoo Types Prompts and Ideas

Here are some different Midjourney tattoo types/ideas prompts in detail. Create traditional Japanese dragons or a fierce Hannya mask. Go bold and colorful with neo-traditional styles or explore fantastical themes. Reimagine classic stories or add subtle pop culture references. With Midjourney, your dream tattoo is just a prompt away.

1. Traditional Japanese

Kinshi (Dragons)

A majestic golden dragon swirling around a blooming cherry blossom tree, scales gleaming in the sunlight. (Use Midjourney tattoo prompts keywords like "golden scales," "sunlight," and "cherry blossom")

Two powerful black dragons locked in a dance of clouds and lightning, symbolizing opposing forces in harmony.

A wise, old dragon perched on a mountain peak overlooking a misty landscape. (Use keywords like "wise eyes," "misty landscape," and "mountain peak")

Koi Fish

A school of vibrant koi fish leaping over a cascading waterfall, their bodies shimmering with metallic scales. (Use keywords like "metallic scales," "waterfall," and "school of koi")

A single koi fish swimming gracefully upstream against a backdrop of swirling black ink. (Use keywords like "black ink," "swimming upstream," and "graceful movement")

Two koi fish, one red and one white, forming a yin-yang symbol in a swirling pool of water. (Use Midjourney tattoo design keywords like "yin-yang symbol," "red and white," and "swirling pool")

Fu-Rin-Ka-Zan (Wind, Dragon, Tiger, Turtle)

A roaring tiger perched on a rocky peak, a swirling wind carrying cherry blossoms towards a fierce green dragon in the sky. (Use keywords like "roaring tiger," "cherry blossoms," and "green dragon")

A majestic black turtle emerging from a crashing wave, as a blue dragon and a white tiger clash amidst swirling clouds in the background. (Use keywords like "crashing wave," "black turtle," and "clashing dragon and tiger")

A detailed illustration of the Fu-Rin-Ka-Zan with each guardian intricately rendered, surrounded by traditional Japanese motifs like bamboo and waves. (Use Midjourney tattoo prompts keywords like "intricately rendered," "bamboo," and "waves")

Hannya Mask

A classic Hannya mask with a single tear rolling down its cheek, set against a backdrop of flames. (Use keywords like "single tear," "flames," and "classic Hannya mask")

A Hannya mask with smoke and ghostly figures swirling around it, symbolizing the ephemeral nature of anger and suffering. (Use keywords like "smoke," "ghostly figures," and "ephemeral")

A Hannya mask adorned with delicate flowers growing through its horns, representing beauty emerging from anger. (Use keywords like "delicate flowers," "horns," and "beauty emerging")

Read more: How to Create Anime Style in Midjourney (Midjourney Anime Prompts)

2. Neo-Traditional

Bold Lines and Vibrant Colors

A phoenix rising from flames, rendered in bold red and orange with thick black outlines. Its wings morph into swirling patterns, reminiscent of Japanese woodblock prints. (Use keywords like "woodblock print," "swirling patterns," and "red and orange flames")

A traditional sailor holding a compass, his weathered face contrasting with the bold colors of a neo-traditional tattoo. Include a vibrant floral background with bold lines. (Use keywords like "weathered face," "neo-traditional flower," and "nautical compass")

A skull with a vibrant Day of the Dead sugar skull design incorporated into its features. Use contrasting colors and thick black outlines to create a striking image. (Use keywords like "Day of the Dead sugar skull," "contrasting colors," and "thick black outlines")

Animal Transformations

A majestic wolf with piercing blue eyes that transform into swirling galaxies as they gaze into the night sky. (Use keywords like "galaxies," "piercing blue eyes," and "majestic wolf")

A wise owl with flowing beard and spectacles perched on an open book. Its wings become intricate anatomical illustrations. (Use keywords like "anatomical illustrations," "flowing beard," and "wise owl")

A graceful deer with antlers that morph into a branching tree, leaves vibrant with fall colors. (Use keywords like "branching tree," "fall colors," and "graceful deer")

Fairy Tale and Mythology

A mischievous Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, rendered in a vibrant neo-traditional style with a mischievous grin and a clock embedded in its chest. (Use keywords like "mischievous grin," "clock," and "neo-traditional Cheshire Cat")

A fierce Valkyrie warrior from Norse mythology, her armor adorned with intricate neo-traditional patterns. Include a pair of feathered wings and a determined expression. (Use keywords like "feathered wings," "intricate neo-traditional patterns," and "fierce Valkyrie warrior")

A majestic Celtic stag with glowing antlers, standing amidst a swirling mist that forms a mystical triquetra symbol. (Use keywords like "glowing antlers," "mystical triquetra," and "Celtic stag")

Pop Culture References

A subtle reference to your favorite movie, like a spaceship silhouette from Star Wars subtly incorporated into a neo-traditional bird design soaring through space. (Use keywords like "spaceship silhouette," "Star Wars," and "neo-traditional bird")

A minimalist design featuring a guitar neck and a single rose, a nod to your love for music and a specific band. (Use keywords like "minimalist," "guitar neck," and "single rose")

A reimagined TARDIS from Doctor Who, its design incorporating vibrant neo-traditional elements, hinting at a journey through time and space. (Use keywords like "TARDIS," "Doctor Who," and "vibrant neo-traditional elements")

3. Minimalist and Geometric

Simple Lines and Shapes: Create elegant and meaningful designs using clean lines, geometric shapes, and negative space. Explore patterns like mandalas, tessellations, and sacred geometry.

Dotwork and Stippling: Use precise dots or small stipples to create intricate and detailed tattoos. Achieve depth, texture, and shading through the meticulous placement of these tiny elements.

Minimalist Portraits: Capture the essence of a person or beloved pet with a simplified, geometric representation. Use basic shapes, lines, and subtle shading to convey emotion and personality.

Single-Line Art: Create a continuous line that flows through various elements, telling a story or representing a journey. This style is perfect for minimalist tattoos with a touch of elegance.

4. Watercolor and Illustrative

Soft Colors and Blending: Capture the delicate beauty of watercolor paintings in your tattoo. Use soft gradients, blending colors seamlessly to create a dreamy and ethereal effect.

Expressive Brushstrokes: Mimic the expressive strokes of traditional illustration. Convey movement, emotion, and texture through dynamic brushwork and varying line widths.

Fantasy Creatures and Whimsical Scenes: Bring to life fantastical creatures, fairy tales, or enchanting scenes. Use vibrant colors and playful details to create a sense of wonder and imagination.

Portraits with Personality: Capture the unique personality and charm of a person or animal in an illustrative style. Use exaggerated features, expressive eyes, and a touch of caricature to bring them to life.

5. Surreal and Biomechanical

Dreamlike Imagery: Explore the world of surrealism, where reality bends and imagination takes flight. Combine elements from different realms, creating a sense of mystery and intrigue.

Biomechanical Fusion: Blend human anatomy with mechanical elements, creating a futuristic and thought-provoking tattoo. Imagine a heart made of gears or muscles replaced by wires.

Escher-Inspired Illusions: Recreate the mind-bending optical illusions of M.C. Escher. Challenge the viewer's perception with tessellations, impossible architecture, and gravity-defying scenes.

Cosmic and Celestial Tattoos: Capture the vastness and beauty of the cosmos. Depict galaxies, nebulae, planets, or even astronauts floating in the starry expanse.