Life
As if you needed one more reason to swoon over Chrissy Teigen and John Legend's relationship, the pair recently debuted fine line forearm tattoos boasting the names of their children and each other in an Instagram post. They were exquisite, so if you're wanting to join in on the trend of family tattoos à la Teigen and Legend, this list of family fine line tattoo ideas may spark some inspiration.
While Teigen and Legend's family tats absolutely rock, family tattoos don't necessarily have to match or feature family names. According to Wild Tattoo Art, family tattoos come in many shapes and sizes, but most all seek to memorialize family bonds in a way that is significant for the family and for the person getting the tattoo. For example, my sister and I got tattoos together to celebrate my grandmother beating breast cancer, and while each of our designs is slightly different, both include a pink breast cancer ribbon and are meant to reflect our love for our grandmother.
The trend of using fine line techniques to permanently tattoo family names isn't new, but using tattoos to permanently memorialize your family bonds via the fine line technique is more popular than ever thanks to celebrities boasting fine line tats. Tattoos are a way to permanently decorate your body with something meaningful, so for me, I definitely put plenty of thought into my tattoo choices, sometimes even dreaming up ideas years in advance. If you're trying to decide on a fine line tattoo for your family, take a look at these real life examples from Instagram users for inspiration.
1Pinky Promise
Who would dare to break a pinky promise? It is, in my humble opinion, one of the most effective forms of promise-making. Family bonds can be cemented with a fine line tattoo drawing of a pinky promise.
2Heart & Flower
Fine line tattoos are often small and detailed, like this heart and flower design. The art you choose could reflect a special symbol for your family, or serve to remind you of a certain event.
3Family Phrase
If your family has a meaningful phrase or word that is special and unique to your family unit, consider getting the phrase permanently etched in the fine line tattoo style.
4Infinity
According to Dictionary.com, in mathematics, the symbol for the word "infinity" means that a number is basically immeasurable because it goes on without end. To celebrate unconditional familial love that is never-ending, consider getting fine line tattoos that incorporate the infinity symbol.
5Geometric Animals
Animals may be a popular tattoo choice for many people, but in fine line tattoo design, animals can be created using geometric shapes for an abstract look. Families who share a bond over a certain animal can easily achieve this look and customize with initials or words as well.
6Dainty Wrist Design
Small, meaningful symbols like hearts are versatile and can be open to interpretation by your tattoo artist. Placement on the wrist, like in this photo, is ideal for this type of delicate fine line tattoo.
7Locations and Dates
For couples, tattooing the coordinates for where you met or where you got married is one option for fine line tattoo art. Another idea featuring numbers is to tattoo the year of your children's births or another special year in your life.
8Family Photo
Immortalizing the way your family looks at a certain point in time with a fine line tattoo drawing of yourself with your children or other family members is one way to make sure you will forever keep your memories with you. In fine line tattooing, the trend leans toward using faceless characters that are abstract versions of your family members.
9Roman Numerals
Another idea to utilize numbers that have special meaning in your family is to use roman numerals in the fine line tattoo style. The numbers could represent the year you got married, your children's birthdates, your parents' anniversary, or any meaningful combination of numbers.
10Heartbeats
You can use fine line tattoo techniques to memorialize a heartbeat by either using a print out of a true heartbeat from a heart rate monitor or by allowing your tattoo artist to create an abstract version like the one shown here.
11Diamond Lines
Diamond patterns are a popular fine line tattoo technique that you can use to create a special symbol that has meaning for you and your family members.
12Abstract Portraiture
Fine line tattoo artists can create abstract portraits that immortalize a special scene for your family, such as a mother and a baby, or a couple holding hands. Have your tattoo artist experiment with drawings of different important aspects of your life and see if they can create an abstract portrait that touches your heart.
13Ohana Means Family
As you may already know if you are a fan of the Disney movie Lilo and Stitch, the word "ohana" is another word for family in Hawaiian culture. This fine line tattoo drawing of the Stitch character with Hawaiian word for family is almost too cute for words.
14Equal, But Different
This idea is great for twins, siblings, or married couples. In mathematics, the tilde (the squiggly line) means something that is approximate. In this fine line tattoo, the equal sign underneath the tilde represents an equal partnership, but with unique qualities for each partner.
15Sign Language
This particular tattoo symbolizes the word "siblings" in American Sign Language. Using the fine line tattoo technique to draw a portrait of hands performing sign language can be done to signify just about any meaningful word for your family.
16Photo With Handwriting
Taking inspiration from a photo is one way to immortalize a family member with the fine line tattoo style. To make the tattoo even more personal, have your tattoo artist copy the handwriting of your loved one alongside the drawing of the photograph.
