@OKIDTATTOO
It’s no wonder people love getting sun tattoos all over their bodies. The sun represents vitality, and many ancient civilizations like the ancient Egyptians even worshipped the sun as a God.
There are countless sun tattoo designs from the simple circle surrounded by lines (as we were taught to draw when we were young) or more complicated depictions like an overlapping sun and moon with faces. An accurate sun is difficult to draw on paper, but the image is an artistic way of expressing appreciation for life. Here are some of our favorite sun tattoos on Instagram.
Sun Tattoos
When you see a sun tattoo with a face, it usually will symbolize one’s sense of self. The image is powerful and many love the look of it.
Tattoo artist Nicky created this glowy-faced sun and lucky sparrow combination that we are obsessing over. Not only is the detail exquisite, but the shading on the lips and eyes make you feel like it’s real. The gold leaves are the perfect accent to the coral flowers, this piece is a beauty.
This blackwork sun tattoo by Wilson S. Kahwage is incredibly well done. The shading on the face features is extensive, so you know this piece took a while. The outer edges of the sun have shading which fades out perfectly, not to mention the realism of the eyes and mouth.
Artist Shinji’s version of the sun tattoo centers on her client’s upper back. The image itself shows a sun and moon pulled apart, yet still entwined by a red ring. The design is beautifully symbolic. It relates to the folktale story the sun who loved the moon so much he would die each night to let her breathe.
Tattoo artist Florian Tröger decorates his client with an image of the sun looking anguished. He shines brightly (per so many rays around his face), but the pain is apparent in his visage.
Becca Smyth’s version of the sun tattoo left her client with this gorgeous image. The piece shows the faces of the sun and moon entwined together in perfect harmony. We love the white accents she placed here and there to give the tattoo a certain glow.
In this sun tattoo by O’kid we see a super smiley sun surrounded by dots of stars. It is a much more sweet depiction of the sun tattoo and it’s so cute!
Tattoo maven Emma Von B. showed off her sun tattoo style with this gorgeous sun and moon pairing in mid-August. The design teams the sun and moon with pretty wildflowers and light shading.
This cool sun tattoo by artist Sandra is giving us major Halloween vibes. Although the sun itself doesn’t relate to the holiday, the lack of pupils gives the sun’s face an eerie quality. I guess you could say the sun is blinding, in a way?
Minimalist Sun Tattoos
Sun tattoos really don’t have to be super detailed. In elementary school, most of us were taught to draw a sun with a simple circle surrounded by evenly-spaced lines. That was our sun (which I now fondly call a sunburst), and these simple sun tattoos resemble the design.
Koko’s hand-poked sun tattoo is about as simple as the design gets. It is a perfectly round circle with a set of traded-off short and long lines surrounding it. This sun tattoo really is adorable.
Tattoo artist Sasha Kaye takes the simple sun tattoo a step further with this crowned sun. She keeps the linework thin and delicate, in a dainty chain-mandala pattern.
Moonstone Tombstone specializes in hand-poked tattoos that are painstakingly done. This simple sun tattoo shows a partly cloudy sky.
Nati Trujillo-Bound got her sun tattoo as a teeny tribute to her mother, the sun of her life. The sweet, yet simple design is ideal for tiny tattoo-loving ladies.
Tattooer Drê takes advantage of odd placement for this simple sun tattoo. She decorates the ball of her client’s foot with a simple circle and lines, which resemble the sun. It’s a pretty design that is easily hidden.
Artist Rosalie Mercure’s simple sun tattoo isn’t just a sun. Her take on the sun tattoo trend combines a woman’s silhouette with a sun overlain by a moon. We love the piece’s minimalist design, as it’s sexy and mysterious.
Botanical tattoos are extremely popular (I have three, myself), so why wouldn’t they be a popular pairing for sun tattoos? The sun not only helps plant life flourish but also they just look great side-by-side. Here are some of our favorite botanical sun tattoos on Instagram.
This alluring sun tattoo by Robin Pallotta shows a woman basking in the heat of the sun, surrounded entirely by sunflowers, daisies, and vines. This tattoo design is perfect for the forest nymph in your life who thrives on the light of the sun.
Michigan-based tattoo artist Aubri takes the sun tattoo trend for a spin in a strikingly different way. Her sun tattoo creates the sun entirely out of a condensed bouquet of roses, sunflowers, peonies, and leaves. The piece is beautiful and eccentric.
Canadian tattooer Tebe’s version of the sun tattoo is lovely. Its biblical references to the story of Noah and the ark are apparent through the shining sun and olive branches splayed across the model’s sternum. “Peace on Earth,” is the message here.
Avery Osajima is a tattooer based out of Seattle, WA and we are obsessing over her sun tattoo. The design is actually based off of a Korean card game called Hwa-tu or hanafuda, with its name literally meaning “battle of the flowers.” The combination of bush clover, full moon with red sky and crane cards create the tattoo’s image. Talk about detail!
We love that this tattoo’s intricacy creates such a loving memory for the client. Per the caption, it is designed, “ in honor of childhood family gatherings with lots of yelling, betting, good food and getting away with cheating because you’re a cute little kid.”
Sunset Tattoos
Sunset is my favorite time of day because in Tampa Bay the sky lights up with all the colors of the rainbow. It is mesmerizing and relaxing to watch. Sun tattoos don’t have to always show a full sun. Some just show the sun as it sets, and they are equally beautiful. These are some of our favorite sunset tattoo designs.
This version of the sun tattoo trend by Tinten Specht is both minimalist and exotic. The central line covers the length of the client’s entire upper arm, with the sun setting just above the area where the elbow bends. The lines of the sunset actually wrap around the entire arm, meeting on a line Vesta symbol, meaning sacred fire.
We love artist Ida’s orange-and-blue sun tattoo. The blue of the water reflects an orange sunset.
Eclectic Sun Tattoos
Some may think that sun tattoos have to be predictably shaped and designed, but we know that isn’t true. These unusual sun tattoos are gorgeous and intricately designed. You don’t have to worry about having the same sun tattoo as anyone else with these sexy, unusual designs.
Esmeralda Vargas shows off her intricate sun tattoo, spanning over her thigh down to her knee. The sunburst is located on her upper thigh, yet accents the beetle, moons and crying eye. Negative space is captivating in this design, held up by just the lines.
Tattooer Gul takes a more realistic approach with his sun tattoo. The geometric boxes surrounding the red sun and blue moon look almost as though you can hold them in your hands and get burnt. You can guarantee you’ll be the only one for miles with this type of sun tattoo.
This Columbian-style sun tattoo by artist Kami reminds us of a mosaic. The style is gorgeous and colorful. The moon sits inside of the sun, instead of them sharing the space in halves as is traditional.
Tattoo artist Jacob Lennon is a master of color with this sun tattoo. The tarot card “The Sun” symbolizes happiness, good fortune, joy, and harmony. What better way to promise yourself happiness than to have it tattooed on your body?
Nika Vuchkova is an artist that understands the necessity of harmony and happiness in your life. Sun tattoos with yin-yang symbols intertwined are the perfect way to reflect self-love and the importance of balance in your life.
We love sun tattoos and because they are continuously popular, we don’t think the trend will be slowing down anytime soon. Suns are the source of life’s energy, down to the photosynthesis of plants. They are blinding and powerful, and a perfect idea for your next tattoo.