Traditional Butterfly Tattoo

In American traditional tattooing the butterfly is traditionally associated with transformation, renewal and freedom. A caterpillar becomes a butterfly, so the design is often worn to mark a change in life. It is also a symbol of beauty and how short life can be.

Pairings change the story: with a rose it reads as beauty and love, with a heart as love and change of heart, and with a dagger as beauty with an edge. As with most traditional tattoos, the meaning varies from wearer to wearer.

• Classic butterfly — symmetrical wings with bold patterns in red, yellow, green and black.
• Monarch butterfly — orange and black wings with white dots, based on the real monarch.
• Butterfly and rose — the butterfly resting on a red rose and leaves.
• Butterfly and heart — a butterfly above a red heart.
• Butterfly and dagger — a blade standing behind the wings.
• Butterfly with banner — room for a name or a word lettered by your artist.
• Black and grey butterfly — the same bold outlines with grey shading instead of color.

The symmetry of a butterfly suits the chest, the sternum, the upper back and the thigh, and it sits well on the shoulder, shin, elbow and knee. Small butterflies work on the hand, wrist, ankle or behind the ear if the pattern stays simple. Keep the wing patterns bold so they stay readable as the tattoo ages.

When you bring a flash design to your artist, they will adjust the size and composition to fit your body and redraw the stencil. That is normal and part of the craft.