The clown tattoo has gained massive popularity in recent years. The craze for clown tattoos went through the roof after the iconic portrayal of Pennywise in the movie IT. But the clown tattoo is also a signature symbol of the Joker from DC comics. So over the years, the clown tattoo has seen different interpretations and adaptations.
The tattoo does not only have a deep symbolism, but it also looks stunning in color or black and white. The symbolism of the clown tattoo goes beyond the painted face of a clown. You can also
Thanks to this immense popularity, the tattoo community has invented a lot of designs for the clown tattoo. To help you choose from this vast collection, we have gathered some of the best clown tattoo designs here.
What’s the wait then? Let’s check them out.
Contents
- Clown Tattoo Designs That Go Beyond The Circus
- Sad Clown Tattoo
- Clown Face Tattoo
- Evil Clown Tattoo
- Traditional Clown Tattoo
- Chicano Clown Tattoo
- Gangster Clown Tattoo
- Clown Fish Tattoo
- Scary Clown Tattoo
- Clown Girl Tattoo
- Cute Clown Tattoo
- It Clown Tattoo
- Clown Skull Tattoo
- Crying Clown Tattoo
- Small Clown Tattoo
- Clown Eye Tattoo
- Vintage Clown Tattoo
- Cholo Clown Tattoo
- Killer Clown Tattoo
- Clown Hand Tattoo
- Krusty The Clown Tattoo
- Mexican Clown Tattoo
- Simple Clown Tattoo
- Pierrot Clown Tattoo
- Hobo Clown Tattoo
- How To Get The Clown Tattoo From IT
- FAQs
- Conclusion
Meaning And Symbolism Of Clown Tattoo
Clowns are known for their colorful face paints, funky outfits, and humorous behavior. But underneath this fun look, tattoo enthusiasts from different cultures have assigned different meanings to the clown tattoo. Beyond the typical sense of amusement and fun, clowns are also seen to represent a list of emotions.
A clown tattoo may be seen in the typical sense, as a celebration of joy and a way to see life in a lighthearted way. On the other hand, the clown tattoo can also represent the mysterious and the dark side of life under the mask of happiness.
You can also see the clown tattoo as a representative of the darker and scarier part of life. This meaning primarily comes from the recent and popular representations of a clown in the movie and TV industry.
Finally, the poetic contrast between the painted laugh on a clown face and the hidden emotions beneath that mask can be a good metaphor for the duality of our real feelings and the masks we wear in our lives. But, at the end of the day, you can assign your own meaning to the clown tattoo depending on what you want to portray.
Some Cool Trivia On The Clown Tattoo
Did you know? The history of the clown tattoo goes back decades. Back then, circus performers used to get these tattoos to commemorate their roles in the circus. From this history, many tattoo enthusiasts today use the clown tattoo to show their humorous side and their role in bringing entertainment and smiles to others’ faces.
Again, did you know that there is an actual term for people who are afraid of clowns? It is Coulrophobia or the fear of evil clowns. Even popular movies like It used this concept. So, make sure that no one from your friends or family has Coulrophobia before you consider getting a clown tattoo.
Clown Tattoo Designs That Go Beyond The Circus
The list of designs for the clown tattoo is as long as the emotions clowns portray with their painted faces. You’ll find tons of designs on the internet for doing the clown tattoo. Before diving headfirst into all these designs, we suggest you look at this list of designs that we have hand-picked for you.
Let’s check them out, shall we?
Sad Clown Tattoo
This tattoo features a melancholy look to the clown. You can even portray tears and a sad frown on the face of the clown to add some definition to the tattoo. This tattoo is a great way to show your inner sorrow or a way to explore your emotions.
The tattoo can represent the typical meanings associated with the clown tattoo like celebrating the mysterious and dark side of life. You can symbolize the complex emotions that go beyond the mask of the clown with the sad face.
You can customize the tattoo with elements such as white masks with a sad face, guns, or even simply a text saying “sad clown”. You can also experiment with the color of the tattoo. But with the gloomy theme, we often see the tattoo done in black and white.
Clown Face Tattoo
This is one of the most popular clown tattoo designs out there in the tattoo community. This design features the face of a clown. The face can be done with different emotions showing a happy laughter or a sad face.
You can customize the tattoo to your liking. One of the most popular customization options is getting the tattoo in different colors. You can also play around with gradients to make the tattoo unique to you.
As the face is the most vivid part of a clown, this tattoo is usually done on the forearm or shoulder. You can place the tattoo on any other visible parts of the body. But at the end of the day, the choice is up to you. You can place the tattoo on a less visible part like the chest or the back for a bigger tattoo.
Evil Clown Tattoo
If you are looking to get a mysterious and dark look for your clown tattoo, you can go for the evil clown tattoo. This tattoo features a dark and mysterious look on the clown. This can be done just to pay homage to pop-culture horror movies, or as a way to show some deep symbolism.
This tattoo can symbolize the darker side of life with its evil look. Or, you can use this tattoo to showcase a juxtaposition of laughter and fear. So, this is a great way to show the complex emotions of human beings.
One of the most fan-favorite designs of this tattoo is the Pennywise tattoo from the movie IT. If you are a big literature nerd, you can go for the classic interpretation of an evil clown inspired by Hop-frog by Edgar Allan Poe. Or you can even try out the modern interpretations like the evil clown from the game series Dead by Daylight.
Traditional Clown Tattoo
If you are someone who appreciates the traditional American tattoo look on your skin, then getting the traditional clown tattoo is a good option. This tattoo features the clown with bright reds and with a bold black outline.
The traditional clown tattoo serves as a reminder of the longstanding tattoo culture of America with the typical meaning of the clown tattoo. The art style of this tattoo caters to the nostalgia of the classic circus culture in America.
You can also customize the tattoo with other elements. You can either add other elements in the traditional style. Or you can add a classic circus poster look to the tattoo to add to the nostalgia. This tattoo looks best on the shoulder or arm sleeve.
Chicano Clown Tattoo
If you are a big fan of Chicano culture, then you can check out the clown tattoo in the Chicano style. The legacy of this tattoo is rooted in Chicano culture taking massive influence from street art.
This tattoo represents the classic Mexican spirit. This tattoo is trendy among people of Mexican descent living in the USA. So, the Chicano-style clown tattoo can provide a sense of identity to the Mexican descendants.
Thanks to this origin, the tattoo is often done with other Mexican elements. This tattoo features graffiti-style art, with intricate details, muted colors, and some bold lines. This tattoo looks stunning on visible placements like the leg or the forearm.
Gangster Clown Tattoo
The gangster clown tattoo adds an unconventional dimension to the clown tattoo. The tattoo can feature different elements to represent the gangster aspect. You can add a cigar, hand signs, guns, or other elements representing a gangster.
This tattoo challenges the typical stereotypes of a clown with its unconventional design elements. But you can also get the tattoo to represent a nonconformist stance on society and societal norms.
You can customize the tattoo however you like. You can scale the tattoo up or down depending on the placements you choose. You can also try different color variations of the tattoo. To show off the nonconformist stance, this tattoo can be placed on odd places like the ribcage, sternum, or back.
Clown Fish Tattoo
The clown fish tattoo features a step away from the typical clown tattoos. This tattoo features the clownfish with its signature look of yellow, orange, red, and black. But you can create a twist in this design by showing a fish in an exaggerated color scheme like a typical clown.
This tattoo can represent different things. Primarily it can represent your love for marine life. But it can also represent the different meanings of a clownfish like joy, happiness, and good luck to the wearer.
If you want a fusion of nature and the whimsical, this is a great tattoo to do. This tattoo is usually very colorful with bright colors on the fish. So, to keep the tattoo visible, you can get the tattoo on the forearm, or arm sleeve for the best results.
Scary Clown Tattoo
The scary clown tattoo is an interesting combination of whimsical and the eeriness of the clown. This tattoo is similar to the evil clown stereotype in pop culture showing an evil grin, blood, or a horrifying look.
This tattoo can represent the darker side of the clown moving away from the typical happy look of the clown. These tattoos challenge the typical happy meaning associated with a clown. This tattoo will also give you the option to stand out from the crowd with a unique design.
You can also get the tattoo in some different designs. You can add different elements to make the tattoo scarier. But the most popular customization is playing around with the facial expression of the clown to make it scary in your own way.
Clown Girl Tattoo
Another tattoo that is gaining popularity in recent times is the female portrayal of the clown tattoo. The clown is often seen as a male persona. This tattoo breaks this gender stereotype showing the feminine side of the clown.
This tattoo represents the feminine sides of a clown, a feminine charm, and confidence. This tattoo can also act as a challenge to the traditional beauty standards for women. This is a way for women to embrace their inner clowns by refusing to submit to traditional beauty standards.
So this tattoo often features a playful look on a female clown. You can also add ribbons or dresses to the tattoo contrary to the typical clown costume. You can also add other elements like tears, or diamonds on the eyes of the clown for some added depth.
Cute Clown Tattoo
The cute clown tattoo takes a different approach to the clown tattoo design. This tattoo represents innocence and charm. This tattoo shows the whimsical and carefree side of the clown.
To show the cuteness, this tattoo often shows a girl clown or a female clown image. The tattoo can feature rosy cheeks, starry big eyes, and a cute wide smile. You can get the tattoo done in different colors too.
This tattoo is a great way to show your inner happiness. It is also a celebration of a carefree life. This tattoo serves as a reminder of the innocent aspects of childhood presented. As a symbolic tattoo, you can place it on the wrist, forearm, or arm sleeve to make it easily visible.
It Clown Tattoo
Popularized by pop culture, the It clown tattoo shows the clown Pennywise on the skin. The eerie grin of Pennywise with the signature red balloon creates a sense of spookiness and fear. This tattoo captures the horror that lies underneath the mask of laughter of Pennywise.
You can show the different forms of Pennywise on the tattoo depending on the level of detail and placement you want for the tattoo. You can go for the typical clown version of Pennywise. Or you can show the monster form of Pennywise with sharp teeth and
You can place the tattoo on the arm sleeve if you are looking for a big tattoo with Pennywise’s full body. Or you can use just the logo of the movie with Pennywise’s face. You can also show Pennywise with his signature look holding a balloon on the back of your hand.
Clown Skull Tattoo
The clown skull tattoo combines the joy and happiness of clowns with a fierce skull. The tattoo symbolizes the juxtaposition of liveliness and joy with a symbolism of mortality. The tattoo serves as a reminder of life and promotes a sense of living every moment to its fullest.
This tattoo features the vivid color schemes of the clown tattoo, with a skull insignia. To show off the duality of existence through this tattoo, you can place the tattoo on the shoulder. Or you can get a bigger tattoo on the chest or back depending on the design you want.
Crying Clown Tattoo
The crying clown tattoo has a similar concept as the sad clown tattoo. In this tattoo, the clown is shown with a sad frown and some tears. This tattoo shows the vulnerability of the clowns that is hidden under the painted face representing the depth of human feelings.
You can create an interesting fusion of this tattoo with the evil clown tattoo with blood in place of the tears of the clown. You can also make this tattoo black and white to show the depth of the feeling. This tattoo looks best on the back of the neck, on the shoulder, or even on the arm sleeve for a longer tattoo.
Small Clown Tattoo
The small clown tattoo is another minimalist tattoo design featuring the clown in a small form factor. Sometimes this tattoo features a really simple outline of the clown with a single needle or fine line tool. Or you can get some pretty detailed depiction of a clown in a small package.
With the small form factor, the tattoo has limited customizability. But you can try out different colors in the small package. You can also shift the placement of the tattoo to your liking. You can place the tattoo on the ankle, knee, behind the ears, or on the wrist.
Clown Eye Tattoo
If you are a fan of minimalism and simplicity, then the clown eye tattoo might be for you. This tattoo is often done with great details of only the eyes of a clown. You can also choose to do just the outline of the eyes to make things even more minimal.
They say “Eyes are windows to the soul”. The clown eye tattoo is a perfect example of that showing exquisite expressions with only the eyes of a clown. So, this is a great tattoo to get on the back of the hand, and the back of the neck.
Vintage Clown Tattoo
The vintage clown tattoos are one of the most soothing tattoo designs for the clown tattoo. This design features a classic look at the clown with a sepia tone and a film look on the tattoo. One of the most popular design choices for this tattoo would be recreating the classic vintage circus posters.
You can also customize this tattoo however you like. You can play with a fusion of modern and vintage elements with this tattoo. You can go for a faded look at the clown. This tattoo looks amazing as a forearm tattoo or a hand tattoo to keep things visible.
Cholo Clown Tattoo
The cholo clown tattoo is a unique design that is inspired by the Chicano style of tattooing. This tattoo typically features Mexican elements with a combination of street style with the clown image.
You can also customize the tattoo with elements like bold lines with a graffiti-style ink pattern. As this tattoo is often colorful, you can play around with different color schemes. But you can choose to keep in touch with Chicano culture and use a black-and-white aesthetic.
Killer Clown Tattoo
Similar to the evil clown tattoo, the killer clown tattoo also pays tribute to the horror aspect of the clown. This tattoo is often shown as a representation of the pop-culture killer clowns with a weapon in their hands and blood spatters on their faces and apparel.
Clown Hand Tattoo
The hand is an interesting placement for the clown tattoo. This tattoo features a clown on the outer side of the hand and can also cover the fingers. This tattoo is usually done with vibrant colors to make the tattoo appealing. But before getting the hand tattoo, make sure to look at our pain chart for tattooing on the hand.
Krusty The Clown Tattoo
This is a unique tattoo that caters to the fans of the Simpsons. This tattoo features the pop culture sensation Krusty the Clown. With his signature look of green hair and a red nose, this tattoo can be done with just the outline on the neck, or you can go for specific details and get the tattoo on the forearm.
Mexican Clown Tattoo
The Mexican tattoo is a great way to embrace Mexican culture. This tattoo combines traditional Mexican elements with the clown in creative ways. So the typical representations of this tattoo would be a clown with a sombrero hat, a Mexican eagle sitting on the shoulder of the clown, or simply a clown with a Mexican signature style mustache.
Simple Clown Tattoo
If you are an admirer of simplicity, then this tattoo should be your go-to. This tattoo features a minimalist design of the clown often done with only the outline. This tattoo is typically done with simple features with a single needle tool and placed on the wrist, the neck, or the ankle.
Pierrot Clown Tattoo
Among all the other clown tattoos, this tattoo design has a separate fanbase. Inspired by the art style of Commedia Dell’arte, the pierrot clown tattoo shows a romantic and sad aspect of the clowns. This tattoo can feature a melancholic look with a white face with painted black tears.
Hobo Clown Tattoo
The hobo clown tattoo is a great way to pay homage to the early days of the circus. Back then, there were wandering performers who captured the hearts of viewers. So, this tattoo usually shows a clown with tattered clothing and a whimsical design and it looks best in places like the leg or the forearm.
How To Get The Clown Tattoo From IT
If you are someone who is looking to get Pennywise from IT tatted on the skin, then this video will give you the perfect idea. The video shows the process of getting the clown from IT inked on the forearm.
First, the artist creates the outline on a stencil on the forearm. After the outlining is done, the artist uses a fine-line needle to trace out the outlines. Finally, the artist uses a broader needle tool to get the highlights and shadows to create a realistic Pennywise tattoo.
This is a great representation of what you’d get if you were looking for a clown tattoo on the forearm. But if you want a clown tattoo on any other placement, this video will still give you some ideas.
FAQs
There are tons of questions surrounding the clown tattoo due to the recent boom of clown tattoo portrayals in the movies. Although we have tried answering most of the questions in this article, you might still have some questions. For your convenience, here are some of the most frequently asked questions regarding the clown tattoo.
Question: Do clown tattoos have any negative connotations?
Answer: No. There are no inherent negative connotations to the clown tattoo. However, some people may associate the clown tattoo with a negative connotation due to recent pop culture references.
Question: Do clown tattoos have to be colorful?
Answer: Although clowns are often depicted as using vibrant colors. But at the end of the day, the colors of a tattoo depend on your choice. So, you can choose to get the clown tattoo in black and white, or you can simply choose to do the outline of the clown to keep things simple.
Question: Is there any particular placement for the clown tattoo?
Answer: Like any other tattoo, the placement of the clown tattoo entirely depends on your personal preference. So, you can get the tattoo in any place you want. But the most practical placement for the tattoo would be a visible placement like
Conclusion
To finish up, the clown tattoo designs from around the world are amazing and they are as creative as tattoos can be. They do not simply look stunning with different color schemes, rather they are also meaningful and hold deep symbolism.
So, if you are looking to get a clown tattoo you can get the tattoo, you can just get a tattoo from this list to save you some time. You can always customize the tattoo and create your own design by mixing and matching.
So, get out there and get the clown tattoo from a reputed artist.
