There are a lot of different styles and designs of tattoos, but have you ever heard of Embroidered or Patched tattoos? These are now popular in Mexico and South American countries that are spreading out as a new take on needlepoint.
This particular brand of needlework has an amazing amount of details within. Check out these 50+ fasinating works that deserves recognition!
1. Beautiful bird
A little birdy told us that Paulina (Pau) Oliver is one of the most talented embroidery tattoo artists around – her Instagram page is a marvel to scroll through.Working out of El Kubo Tattoo in Puebla, Mexico, people come from all over to get her unique embroidery tattoos.
Check out the detail in the eyes and the realistic 3-D berries – can you believe that’s a tattoo and not a patch or needlepoint design?!
2. Floral fusion
This is Oliver’s work again (who goes by @yomera1 on Instagram).It’s amazing how the design pops and even seems to glimmer in the sunlight like beautiful strands of thread.
In her Instagram description, she says this design represents some “Talavera realness.” Talavera is a type of pottery design that started in Spain but was brought to Mexico by colonists and really took root in the city of Puebla because of its fine clay.
3. Beaming butterfly
This amazing butterfly was inked by artist Cindy Matzak who works out of the Jaguariaíva municipality in Brazil.The grey ink on this design looks almost silver and if you zoom in closely, you can see that she replicated the little loose threads that show where an embroiderer would snip off their thread.
4. Fabulous flower
One of Oliver’s more recent designs, this “florecita” – or little flower – has incredibly realistic detail. Just check out the white “threads” running through the petals and the different shades of green that give the leaves their dimension.
5. Masterful minions
Not all embroidery tattoos are traditional – just check out these Minions by artist Duda Lozano from São Paulo, Brazil. He uses something called Easy Glow Pigments for extra color that give tattoos an iridescent look.Lozano’s tattoos are a little more fun-loving and he uses popular characters in many of his designs.
6. Festive flora
“Bordado” is the Spanish word for embroidery and this Pau Oliver design was hashtagged #bordadochiapaneco, indicating that the style comes from the unique artistic tradition of Chiapas in southern Mexico, which has a lush landscape with many native flowers.Looming and weaving was a tradition here among women long before the Spanish arrived and you can often identify this region’s style by the use of bright pink colors as well as aqua, blues, and bright yellows.
7. The famous flower
Another one of Oliver’s flowers, you can see this difference between this one and the style from Chiapas in the last slide. It’s clearly a riff on #4 but with much more foliage and more white used in the design, which really makes it look like a 3-D patch instead of a flat tattoo.
8. Outstanding Olive Oil
By now you’re probably getting pretty good at guessing the artists most heavily featured. This is another Duda Lozano design, this time of Olive Oil from the Popeye cartoons.Just take a look at the detail on her shoes (especially the bottom) to get an idea of how much effort goes into making these designs pop!
9. Obligatory om
One of the more popular tattoo designs, “Om” is a sacred symbol in Hinduism, popular among yogis.Despite how common the design is, we’ve never seen it executed quite like this and it’s possible that this version by a tattoo artist who goes simply by Christian is one of the most unique.
If you want to get on his schedule, start planning now, since you’ll be making the trek to one of the studios he works out of in Buenos Aires, Argentina to get inked.
10. Sensational snowman
You guessed it, Duda Lozano is back with his vibrant cast of cartoon characters. This time it’s Olaf, the friendly snowman from Frozen.
11. Cheery cherry
Evgenia (or Iva) Sever is another wildly talented woman creating embroidery tattoos. Working out of a studio in Moscow, Russia, Sever’s designs often resemble things in nature, whether food, fish, or beating hearts.The detail on this cherry gives it a retro vibe while still evoking the hidden meaning of femininity and fertility.
12. Stunning sunflower
Palmer De Maria is one of three artists at Estúdio Lobão Tattoo in São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, though he is world-renowned and travels to Europe to do commissions as well.Believe it or not, embroidery tattoos aren’t even his speciality! While he’s got some more great pieces ahead, we’re loving the dimension he gives this sunflower, especially in the shading on the bottom.
13. Happy hummingbird
Artist Ksu Arrow does many kinds of tattoos, including beautiful replicas of paintings and even film scenes. But her embroidered hummingbird is among our favorites.She’s from Moscow, but travels all over the globe and has a large online following (over 100,000 Instagram fans!).
This piece was done in Mexico City.
14. Cool Cowboys
A lot of embroidery tattoos we’ve shown so far appear to have been done on women, but just as many men enjoy this style.This customer is no doubt stoked to have a permanent reminder of their Dallas Cowboy’s fandom on their arm, executed beautifully by artist Tim Beck from Freedom Ink Tattoos.
For those from the U.S. Midwest who like this style, you don’t need to travel internationally – Beck is based in Peoria, Illinois.
15. Magnificent Mets
Whether or not you’re a baseball fan, you can no doubt appreciate the accuracy of this embroidered Mets logo tattoo.Not content to wear your team pride on your hat alone? Head to see artist Mark Duhan in New Milford, CT, who does other beautiful work as well, especially on memorial pet tattoos.
16. Glam Gucci
Unless you’re into high fashion, you might not know that this is inspired by Gucci’s “Blooms” line, but these roses no doubt catch your eye regardless.
This design was perfectly executed by Ben Whiteraven, owner of Berserk Tattoos in Melbourne, Australia.
Just take a look at the number of colors used in both the roses and leaves to get that amazing dimension. What an incredible piece of art!
17. Modern mom
The classic “mom” tattoo was made famous by sailors. Legend has it that the first sailor to get the tattoo was Irish, but it soon became an American standard after the famous Sailor Jerry settled in Honolulu to become a tattoo artist after his tour of duty and developed his iconic design during WWII.This design is a little more candy heart than American classic, but Mark Duhan managed to get both the embroidery and the 3-D effect that creates the optical illusion.
18. Medical marvel
This realistic med patch was done back in 2016 up in Lansing, Michigan by artist Jay Ellis.We’re not sure what’s more impressive here, the amount of detail on the crosshatches or the fact that the tattoo actually looks rubbery even though it’s just ink.
19. Radiant ribbon
This ribbon pattern was made in honor of the client’s grandfather.And if you guessed this is another design by Pau Oliver – you’re right!
20. Painstaking Pulp Fiction
Duda Lozano strikes again with a Pulp Fiction tattoo. Not only does this manage to come alive despite being shaped around a thinner part of the client’s arm, but Lozano even managed to get John Travolta’s sideburns in there.And check out the very top, where he made it look like the seam has come undone. Amazing detail!
21. Nifty Norwegian
You’ll have to travel to Bergen, Norway to get a tattoo from Sandy Brudvik, but she’s keen on doing more embroidery tattoos, according to a recent post on her Instagram!
22. Honorable heart
Pau Oliver shows that she can dabble in multiple styles within the same piece with this stunning, realistic heart tattoo.The aorta, arteries, and valves look almost steampunk while the ventricals are stylized embroidered flowers.
23. Money madness
This tattoo looks even more like a patch becuase it’s layered on top of another 2-D ink design.Pretty amazing work by Diego Emmanuel, who has his own studio in Punta Arenas, Chile.
24. Heirloom heart
And now for something slightly different. This Oaxacan-style embroidery tattoo incorporates birds and flowers into a heart-shaped patch that’s distinct from the other tattoos we’ve seen.This tattoo was done by Ed Evalos of Black Lotus Tattoo in Guadalajara, Mexico.
25. Mighty mixer
As unexpected as a tattoo of a stand mixer is, this Duda Lozano tattoo makes us smile.While we’re not sure of the meaning behind it, we imagine there has to be an interesting story there!
26. Marvelous mermaid
Another piece by Cindy Matzak, this mermaid must have taken an incredible amount of time and effort.The detail on the tail alone is breathtaking, not to mention the attention paid to little things like the mermaid’s own tattoos.
27. Sassy Stitch
The stitches in this Stitch tattoo are so incredibly vibrant. It’s clear that Duda Lozano uses a very specific kind of ink to make his cartoon creations come to life.
28. Iconic ink
This piece tends to be shared on social media most often and it also happens to be artist Rogelio Vazquez’s favorite.Despite looking like it was done farther south of the border, Vazquez’s studio is in Dallas, Texas. So you don’t need a passport to get your own.
29. Genial Goofy
Lozano really outdid himself on this Goofy tattoo. It’s simply mesmerizing, especially considering the subject is just so…goofy.From the thin, black outlines on both sides of the outer rim to the bright colors, this tattoo begs to be stared at.
30. Rad Ricky and Morty
Lozano’s attention to detail shines again in this iconic scene from Rick and Morty. Even the drool looks pretty fantastic – and that’s really saying something!
31. Mixed meadow
We’re loving the rope-like embroidery mixed with an almost puffy-paint-looking set of flowers.
Charis Turner at 15th Street Tattoo Gallery is doing some beautiful work out in Edmond, Oklahoma.
32. Outstanding Oaxacan
Another piece by Ksu Arrow, this one is also an Internet sensation. This is the daughter of a mother-daughter duo who came in to get similar tattoos at Tatudemia in Guadalajara, Mexico.The duo brought in a textile with a traditional Oaxacan pattern and Arrow copied it perfectly! Check out the next slide to see both tattoos and the inspiration.
33. Textile tat
We’re in awe of this work. It really drives home just how much these tattoos resemble embroidered textiles.
34. Precious pug
Recycle Tattoo in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam is the site of this tattoo created by artist and owner Chi Hieu, who goes by Binx.We’re charmed by this little pug in a bowtie and the way Binx captured those wrinkles!
35. Killer kiss
Lozano’s take on one of the most iconic music logos of all time is made even cooler by the addition of a tongue piercing.Said to resemble Mick Jagger’s own lips, the Rolling Stones’ image got an amazing embroidered update for this fan.
36. Stunning sewing machine
Just like the stand mixer, a sewing machine isn’t the subject you’d expect for a tattoo. But Lozano created a clever take on the embroidery movement and added some visual interest with the intricate measuring tape on the side.
37. Lovely lotus
The artist who goes by Herima specializes in Korean art but works out of Antwerp, Belgium.We love this relatively simplified style of embroidered tattoo that really shows off the stitching aspect.
38. Detailed Dodgers
It’s always baseball season if you’ve inked the Dodgers logo on your arm.While Las Vegas-based artist Storm Stimson specializes in cursive tattoos, he dabbled in embroidery for this fan, giving a 3-D vibe and extra texture to the team’s logo.
39. Valiant veteran
This Royal Artillery badge tattoo took 5 hours, according to artist Neill Hargreaves at Spectre Tattoos in Hazel Grove, England. We would have guessed a lot longer considering all the detail involved in the royal crown and wheel.
40. Mixed Mickey
Lozano is mixing it up with this Mickey Mouse Stormtrooper. It makes sense since Disney bought the Star Wars franchise from George Lucas a few years ago.We’re really loving how this design incorporated the elements of embroidery but also looks a bit like a pencil sketch at the same time.
41. Painstaking progress
This tattoo is still in progress, but shows off yet another type of embroidery being used in tattoos.This artist works out of Lviv, Ukraine and goes by the nickname Rubik’sKUBE. The style is uniquely Ukranian with its geometric patterns, floral motifs, and heavy use of red and black.
42. Stunning stitches
While we don’t know much about the origin of this body art, many Pinterest users trace it back to Cara Massacre from tattoosbycara.com, who does some amazing artwork.While this style is simpler than others we’ve seen, it’s a georgeous mix of colors. We wouldn’t be surprised if the inspiration came from a family hierloom.
43. Darling doll
This delightful doll design was provided to Pau Oliver by one of her customers. Oliver clearly added her own take on it as you can see elements from her work in #19 as well.
44. Action art
We’re loving the skeletal action shot of real-time embroidery.From the shading around the loom to the cloth sticking out of the bottom, this design makes Rebecca O’Quinn from Heirloom Halifax an artist to watch for.
45. Memorable Maleficent
Sleeping Beauty’s nemesis Maleficent is an embroidered wonder in this Duda Lozano piece.From the bright colors to the facial stitching that makes it even more reminiscent of needlework, this piece is truly memorable.
46. Hilarious Homer
We’re not sure what’s most impressive about this final piece from Lozano – the fact that it really does look like someone stuck a patch on thier arm or how realistic the Duff beer cap is, complete with water droplets.What an incredible artist!
47. Majestic Mexican embroidery
It’s hard to take your eyes off of Oliver’s flowers, no matter how many you’ve seen. The colors, texture, and detail on this piece are simply incredible.
48. Tactile tree
Yet another tattoo by Ksu Arrow that leaps off the skin and simply doesn’t look two-dimensional.This tree is one of our favorites, especially for the thoughtful detail allowing you to see through the foliage into some more intricate branches.
49. Spooky stitches
A second showing from Vietnam’s Binx of Recycle Tattoos, this haunted house is simply incredible, not to mention the realistic-looking safety pin that looks like it’s holding a patch onto the skin.
50. Precious paw prints
Palmer De Maria shows off the perfect embroidered tattoo for pet lovers with these delicate paw prints.
51. Iconic Iron Man
This art by Palmer De Maria would make even Tony Stark proud.The details on the fingers and suit make it look like it took countless hours to create.
52. Half-hearted
Half heavy embroidery and half loose stitch, we love the juxtaposition in this piece.Artist Joanna Kru of Green Rabbit Tattoo in Katowice, Poland took a design from Karolina Jagiełło’s WIIF Fashion line and gave her fellow artist a permanent reminder of both of their talents.
53. Careful cross stitch
This design lies somewhere between the embroidery we’ve seen and cross-stitch.Artist Haidé Guadalupe has a couple of gorgeous examples along these lines on her Instagram page.
54. Final flower
Another beautiful Oaxacan flower pattern, this time by Ksu Arrow.We just can’t get enough of these bright colors and decadent textures.
55. Meticulous mermaid
Ending where we began, with the talented Pau Oliver. This beautiful deep-diving mermaid is the perfect example of just how much detail goes into an embroidered tattoo and just how amazing the end result can be with enough talent, time, and effort.It’s hard to believe you could run your hands over this design and it would be completely smooth.
