Originally posted on February 3, 2022 @ 7:00 am
Are you fascinated by the paranormal and obsessed with sci-fi? Appreciate a good alien conspiracy theory? Dreaming of little green men to come and take you away? Then maybe it’s time to show the world your love of the paranormal by getting an alien tattoo!
Aliens have been a huge part of pop culture for generations, so it’s no surprise that alien tattoos have steadily grown in popularity over the years. From “War of the Worlds” to “Star Wars,” people have come up with thousands of different representations of life from other worlds. It’s easy to see why. Space is seemingly endless, so there are endless possibilities. On top of that, since we haven’t made contact with any extraterrestrial life yet (that we know of), we can let our imaginations run wild. Life on Earth is so strange and diverse; imagine what it could be like in other worlds.
Just like any other artist, tattoo artists have an unlimited range of creative ideas they can draw on to create the perfect alien tattoo design for their clients. But like any other tattoo, it helps to come into your appointment with an idea of what you want.
Are you looking for a classic alien head tattoo? Do you like flying saucers or alien abduction tattoo? Do you have a favorite alien from pop culture? Are you looking for something spooky or kooky? Scary or cute? Unique or classic? Full color or black and white?
As we said, the options are limitless. But don’t fret! We have some ideas that can help you narrow down your options. We’ve collected some of our favorite alien tattoo designs from around the web. Turn on your thinking cap, let your creative juices flow, and be inspired by these stellar alien tattoo ideas.
Best Alien Tattoo Ideas:
1. Tiny Alien Tattoos
A classic alien head is both simple enough and iconic enough to make it a perfect choice for a small tattoo. While simple, the alien head tattoo still has a ton of personality. You can fit this tattoo anywhere on your body, but it’s an especially cool choice for a tattoo on your finger or behind your ear.
If an alien head tattoo isn’t your style, go for a tiny UFO. Similar to the alien head, this classic iconic look makes it a great fit for a small tattoo.
Small tattoos don’t have to be plain. Ask the artist to add in some details like stars and planets to make it truly out of this world.
2. Colorful Alien Tattoos
If you’re a fan of bright, saturated colors, then maybe you’ll want to consider a colorful alien tattoo. Finding the perfect tattoo artist may take a bit of work if you’re interested in a super colorful tattoo, but once you do, the payoff will be incredible.
You can get something playful and cartoony, graphic and cool, or a little more realistic. A watercolor tattoo will give you a fluid effect reminiscent of galaxy coloring. Flatter colors might remind you of your favorite cartoons. A popular choice right now is an alien head against a colorful galaxy background.
3. Alien Abduction Tattoos
The idea of alien abduction is as iconic as aliens. It’s possible alien abduction is more iconic than aliens alone, as stories of alien abduction pervade the pop culture. Paranormal enthusiasts often point to UFOs and abductions as evidence of alien presence on Earth. UFOs and strange disappearances have become so associated with aliens you don’t need to even show an alien to get across the idea of aliens.
There are tons of different ways to design a great alien abduction tattoo. It may seem straightforward to use the image of a person or animal slowly floating up into a UFO, but there are tons of possibilities for how to personalize the idea. You can go minimalist or colorful, small or large. Here are some examples:
4. Alien Head Tattoos
We’ve already seen some tattoo designs that center on the classic alien head, but there’s a lot more you can do with it. You can fill the alien head with decoration and imagery to align it with your personal aesthetic, belief systems, or your favorite alien conspiracy theories. Or take the classic alien head outline and fill it with another scene, like a UFO or a galaxy. Another great idea is to surround the alien head with text to give it some more personality.
5. Cute Alien Tattoos
Just because you like aliens doesn’t mean you want a tattoo that’s creepy or feels like a scene from a sci-fi movie. If you like cute things or have a girly personality, why don’t you look for tattoo inspiration that is dripping in cuteness?
There are tons of ways to make aliens cute. With the classic large eyes and teardrop-shaped face, it’s pretty easy. Give your alien a rounder face, pose them next to a cute animal, or surround them with cute colors and imagery. Check out these cute little guys:
6. Pop Culture Alien Tattoos
Aliens are such a big part of pop culture that most people who watch TV and movies can probably name a few. Even people who aren’t hardcore sci-fi fans may be able to name their favorite alien in pop culture.
While some people might think a pop culture tattoo may date itself pretty quickly, the only thing that matters is to pick something you love. Baby Yoda may be trendy at the moment, but that shouldn’t stop you from immortalizing your love for Baby Yoda with a tattoo. There are tons of older aliens that are still popular tattoos, like the xenomorph of the “Alien” franchise. But even if the xenomorph wasn’t still popular, there’s no time limit on loving a pop culture alien.
7. Matching Alien Tattoos
Matching tattoos get a lot of flack online. They’re often cheesy, and you always run the risk of having a falling out with the person you’ve gotten a matching tattoo with. However, alien tattoos might be one of the best options out there for a matching tattoo.
Alien imagery is really easy to recognize, even when it’s minimalist. Designing an alien tattoo that matches another tattoo but still looks good and makes sense on its own should be a piece of cake.
8. Aliens Acting Like Humans
If you’re looking for something fun and kooky, check out the genre of alien tattoos that feature aliens behaving like humans. These alien tattoos have a lot of personalities and can be a good conversation starter.
These human activities can be things like sitting in bed, reading a book, taking care of plants from Earth, or hanging out with Earth animals. There are even designs that feature aliens partying, playing music, or donning the most popular fashion of the day.
9. Realistic Alien Tattoos
While we can’t necessarily create photorealistic alien tattoos since we don’t have (reputable) photos of aliens, that doesn’t mean you can’t seek out an alien tattoo in a realistic style.
When we talk about realism, we’re talking about mapping shadows and contouring the image in such a way that it looks fully three-dimensional. The best realism tattoo artists are capable of creating photorealistic pieces — tattoos that look so real you could almost imagine it jumping off your body and standing right next to you.
Realism in tattooing was birthed out of Pop Art, so finding a tattoo artist capable of bringing a sense of realism to something out of sci-fi shouldn’t be too difficult.
10. Alien Anaglyph Tattoos
Remember back when watching a 3D movie meant wearing those cool red and blue 3D glasses? Well, tattoo artists have learned how to mimic that same 3D effect with anaglyph tattoos.
Basically, an anaglyph tattoo is made out of two identical 2D images layered over each other and slightly offset. One image is red, and the other is blue. So if you look at that tattoo with 3D glasses, you’ll see the illusion of one three-dimensional image.
Anaglyph tattoos are perfect for someone looking for something offbeat, creative, or funky. They’re also a great choice for people who kept the 3D glasses they got at the movies.
Final Thoughts
See? There are limitless ways to express yourself by adding an otherworldly interstellar traveler to your body art. Take any of the ideas above and see where it leads you. You can even try combining ideas for something truly out of this world.
Even if all you have is a loose collection of ideas, the right tattoo artist will be able to help you turn your love of the paranormal into a personalized piece of art. Whether you’re a lover of all things paranormal, an avid conspiracy theorist, a fan of sci-fi, or you’re just someone who appreciates alien aesthetics, and you’re sure to land on a tattoo idea you love.
