65 Graceful Stingray Tattoo Ideas – A Symbol Of Stealth, Speed, And Protection
Stingrays are a group of fish which are closely related to sharks, but unlike sharks, they pose little threat to humans. They are round and flat with a long stinger at the back and two eyes in the front which sit on top of their head while the mouth is underneath.
They are not aggressive and will only sting a human if threatened or accidentally stepped on.
They mainly live in the sea; however, there are some species who reside in freshwater rivers. They can be found on the sandy bottom where they often bury themselves in the sand with only their stinger and eyes visible.
Here they wait for small prey to come by and camouflage themselves from predators such as sharks.
They are beautiful smooth looking creatures that are quick, agile and graceful and they make an excellent subject for a tattoo that suits both men or women and appeals to people from all walks of life.
Contents:
Meanings of the Tattoo
This aquatic tattoo has various meanings frequently associated with it, but the stingray may mean different things to different people; the most important thing is to choose a tattoo that you’ll love forever. Here are a few of the common meanings:
Adaptation
The stingray adapts well to its environment and what is taking place around him; steering clear of danger and catching food at the same time.
It is associated with this symbolism and may be chosen as a tattoo that represents a person’s ability to adjust to their circumstances.
Grace
The stingray whips through the water quickly and lands on the seafloor as elegantly as a ballerina so it is often chosen by women as a totem of gracefulness and even femininity.
Sensitivity
This creature finds its prey and senses danger extremely quickly because it is sensitive to environmental changes. To some, the stingray represents sensitive emotions and feelings.
Speed
When threatened or catching prey this fish can move lightning fast and people may choose the stingray as a tattoo subject because it represents speed, something that may be meaningful to them; for example an athlete or a businessman.
Stealth
Flying under the radar! This creature can lie so still in the sand and disguise itself so effectively that even highly sensitive sharks are not able to detect its presence. You could choose a tattoo such as this because you see yourself as someone who can blend in or if you have an introverted personality.
Protection
While they are not aggressive these fish can give you a painful sting with their barbed tail. The stingray tattoo may be used as a totem of protection to guard against harm.
back to menu ↑
Design Choices
Many stingray tattoo designs are created to look like Polynesian tribal art as the designs closely reflect their cultural tattoos.
There are people who believe that oceanic designs like the stingray may have been used by tribesmen to denote rank or signify achievement.
The Polynesian tribal tattoo is very popular and eye-catching and they often denote sea creatures and other aquatic life.
Other designs range from 3D, where the artist is able to make the tattoo appear to rise off the skin using special shading and sizing techniques to simple outlines of the fish.
back to menu ↑
Placement Ideas
There are many attractive placements for the stingray tattoo. Men and women enjoy wearing this tattoo as a back or shoulder piece as it tends to look better in a larger area. That doesn’t mean it can’t work at a medium size too, and it’s often placed on the upper arm, calf and foot as well as the lower back.
The tail can also add interest to the tattoo design, wrapping around a toe or wrist or floating over the shoulder.
You could choose to have your tattoo over both hands or both feet so that it comes together when you press them together.
In some designs the sharp barbs can be seen on the tail and in others it is smooth – it’s all up to what you like.
back to menu ↑
Colors
The stingray design is quite versatile when it comes to colors. For the Polynesian tattoo style, it is almost always inked in bold black sometimes with some shading.
It also looks great in ocean colors like blue or green and some even choose cartoon style designs in bright colors like purple or red.
If you are looking for something a little trendier then you could look at a watercolor design, where the stingray is outlined in black and colors such as turquoise and blue are “splashed” over.
Other Subjects You May Want To Consider
This tattoo looks striking on its own, but you may want to include other aquatic subjects in the design as well.
Ladies often want to soften the fierceness occasionally associated with the stingray and may choose to add starfish, seashells, or bright blue waves into their tattoos to achieve this. Blue water tattooed around the fish can help it stand out.
Other sea life you may like to include are also dolphins, turtles, coral, butterfly fish, sturgeons and even nautical images such as anchors, mermaids, ships, and compasses.
In Short…
The stingray is a fish that has plenty of admirable attributes such as speed, agility, and adaptability, and it is also attractive and graceful.
People may choose to include this creature in larger tattoo designs with other ocean themed subjects or as a small to medium design on its own.
It’s primarily associated with adjustability, speed, stealth, and protection and it can be inked in the Polynesian tribal style or as a 3D tattoo, as well as in bold or water colors.
It can be placed on any area of the body, but to get more detail and shading consider a larger area for your tattoo.
One of the best reasons to get a stingray tattoo is that this is not a common choice, so there is little chance of someone having the same tattoo as you.
In this way, the stingray tattoo is quite unusual so if you do choose this elegant fish for your next tattoo get ready to answer questions about it!
