Skull and Rose Tattoo
Roses growing out of a skull: life and death in one design, and a staple of black and grey tattooing.
- Style
- Realism
- Joined
- Growing
- Placement
- Upper arm
Opens Tattoo Fusion with these choices. Change the style, placement or what it means to you; every design is new.
What a skull and rose tattoo means
The skull is a reminder that life is short; the rose stands for love and beauty. Roses growing from a skull say that life and love go on beyond death, or that something beautiful came out of a loss. It is often worn in memory of someone, and just as often as a plain reminder to live fully now.
- SkullMortality: live fully now
- RoseLove, and beauty that has thorns
Where to put it
A rounded design that suits the outer upper arm, the shoulder or the calf. Black and grey realism needs room for its soft shading, so plan for at least palm size.
Tips for the design
- Have the stems come out of the eye sockets or the jaw so the roses clearly grow from the skull.
- Keep one rose large and open, the others as buds, so there is one clear focus.
- Black and grey ages more evenly than colour realism.
Try it in another style
Questions
What does a skull and rose tattoo mean?
The balance of life and death: love and beauty that outlast loss. It is common as a memorial piece and as a 'live fully' reminder.
Is a skull and rose tattoo too dark?
Not usually. The roses soften it, and it is one of the most familiar tattoo designs there is.
