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11 Played Out Tattoos That Tattoo Artists Are Sick Of Drawing

They’ve seen enough.

by Irina Gonzalez and Katie McPherson
Updated: 
Originally Published: 

Some people get tattoos because they want to mark a special memory or milestone in their lives. Others opt to get inked just because they love the look of tattoos (and there’s nothing wrong with that). But if you’ve ever called a tattoo shop and actually had them tell you no, they won’t tattoo the design you want, you might have unknowingly chosen one of the played out tattoo designs they’re tired of inking.

Just like fashion, beauty, music, or any other part of culture, tattoo trends come and go. When a celebrity gets new ink, artists suddenly find themselves inundated with requests for the same tattoo. When a design goes viral online, same thing. Over the years, a few tattoo trends have really taken hold, and artists have gotten majorly burnt out on tattooing them over and over again.

Listen, if there’s a tattoo in this list you really want to get (or maybe one you already have), don’t take offense. Even if tons of people have the same tattoo, who cares? All that matters is that you love what’s on your body, whether it holds a special meaning for you or you just like how it looks. These artists aren’t pooh-poohing the tattoos themselves — they just want you to know that you won’t be the only one rocking these common images.

1A significant other’s name

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Ah, the kiss of death. Getting a tattoo of your partner’s name has long been considered bad juju for the relationship, and many people wind up paying more money to remove it or cover it up with a new tattoo.

“People getting their significant other’s name on them is the one thing I really don’t like doing,” says Amy Pruss of the Showroom Tattoo Parlour in Las Vegas, Nevada. “I’ve had several people cover up a name and ask to get another name at the same time. I even had one where I covered up a name, she added a new name, and came back a year later to get that covered. When that was covered, [she] asked to add another name. I refused to do it because there would have been no more room to cover that one.”

2Cover-ups of ex’s names

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Similarly, cover-ups of name tattoos are super common. Some artists don’t love tattooing cover-ups because the designs have to be darker than they normally would be in order to hide what’s underneath.

“[It] always amazes me how many names of ex-wives, husbands, girlfriends, and boyfriends need to be covered,” says Howie Abrams, a former manager at Brooklyn Made Tattoo in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. “Those clients tend to be pretty desperate, and want you to help erase a less than positive period in their life. You need to be more sure when etching a mate’s name into your skin, because the regret can be tremendous.”

3Watercolor tattoos

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“I do a lot of the same style, like watercolor tattoos,” Pruss says. She suggests looking into new images and color combos to keep this concept fresh for your artist.

4Under-the-bra script tattoos

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“Anyone and everyone gets these,” says Savannah Leslie of Needful Things, Inc. in Fort Myers, Florida. “But most commonly you’ll find older teens and young 20-somethings with the font lines under their bra or on their hip.”

5Infinity signs

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Infinity symbols also come up often on Reddit posts asking tattoo artists what designs they’re tired of replicating.

“I’m definitely sick of infinity symbols,” says Nicolle LaRhette of Capital City Tattoo in Concord, New Hampshire. “I have currently done over 200 thus far in my career, so just imagine how many other people have that same exact typical Pinterest tattoo.”

6Flowers (specifically dandelions)

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Flowers and plants have always been a popular tattoo subject, and probably always will be. They’re beautiful and symbolic of so many things. Just be sure you’re not asking your artist to replicate a viral flower design. For example, tattoo artists on Reddit agree they’re very much over tattooing dandelions transforming into birds.

“I would have to say the most common tattoos that women get would definitely be dandelions with the seeds flying off turning into feathers and feathers turning into little birds flying off,” LaRhette says.

“I do a lot of flower tattoos,” Pruss says. “But they can be done so many different ways and there’s so many different flowers I never really get tired of it.”

7Feather-themed tattoos

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Speaking of birds, feathers come up often online as a design tattoo artists are sick of drawing for their clients. They’re especially over the image of a feather turning into little birds flying away.

8“Meaningful” script phrases

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Quotes, words, and Bible verses are popular tattoo subjects, sure, but there are plenty of artists who hate doing them. It’s very hard to get each letter the same size, and perfectly lined up, when you’re drawing them on the human body.

“The body isn’t a piece of paper [and] I’m not a typewriter,” Leslie says. “Your body has beautiful curves, edges, bends, and structure — all the things a piece of paper is lacking. You can have the most beautiful script on a piece of paper and it is your eye’s main focus. With a tattoo, you’re stamping type font onto a less than flat, less than straight canvas.”

9Small & whimsical designs

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“As trends change, you’ll see women getting the daintiest, tiniest, most feminine ideas possible at the time,” Leslie says. “Younger girls love simple, minuscule flowers and very whimsical, single-line phrases and words of empowerment.”

While there’s nothing wrong with wanting more delicate line work in your tattoo, remember that small and dainty tattoos are less likely to hold up over time. As you age and your ink is exposed to the sun it’s going to fade with time, and images with thin lines and minimal shading will be the first to deteriorate.

10Religious symbols

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According to Abrams, these are some of the most common tattoos that both men and women ask for.

11Dream catchers

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“As artists we sometimes joke that we are ‘sold out’ of these designs, simply because they are all too common, leaving the client with an unoriginal design that eight million other people already have,” LaRhette says. “It can definitely be disappointing to see people pulling a tattoo directly off Pinterest and insisting on getting that exact tattoo done.”

Again, it’s not a bad thing if you really want one of these tattoos. You can absolutely find someone who will give you an amazing tattoo using any of these designs. Your appointment may just not be the one they’re most excited about that day.

Experts:

Amy Pruss of the Showroom Tattoo Parlour in Las Vegas, Nevada

Howie Abrams, a former manager at Brooklyn Made Tattoo in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn

Savannah Leslie of Needful Things, Inc. in Fort Myers, Florida

Nicolle LaRhette of Capital City Tattoo in Concord, New Hampshire

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