Tiger tattoo stencils
Twelve tigers and panthers, from a tiny tiger under 2 inches to a Japanese tiger with bamboo drawn for a sleeve. Choose stencil, outline or flash, set the size and print.
4.00 in4.00 inTraditional roaring tiger head
4″Traditional roaring tiger head
7.5″Japanese tiger with bamboo
2.5″Tiger cub, simple
6″Traditional crawling panther
3″Traditional panther head
4″Tiger eyes
1.75″Tiny tiger
5.5″Walking tiger outline
5″Tiger head with peonies
4.5″Geometric tiger head
3″Bold blackwork tiger face
5″Tiger head and snake
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§1What a tiger tattoo means
In Japanese tattooing the tiger stands for raw power and strength. It is sometimes paired with the dragon as yin and yang, the tiger as the grounded, quiet force and the dragon as the moving one.
Tigers are not native to Japan. Painters worked out the anatomy from imported skins, so tigers in old Japanese paintings often look like overgrown house cats, with small ears and big paws. Bamboo is their usual setting, and TG-02 Japanese tiger with bamboo keeps it. Outside that tradition there is no fixed reading: a traditional or blackwork tiger means what you bring to it.
§2Why panthers are on this page
The two panthers are drawn in the tigers’ traditional manner, with heavy outlines and simple shapes. TG-04 Traditional crawling panther comes down the arm with claws out and mouth open. Who drew the first one is unclear: shop and supplier blogs credit different tattooers and decades.
TG-05 Traditional panther head is the short version, a snarling head rated beginner and set at 3 in. In flash, TG-05 is a black head with a red mouth and TG-04 a white cat with a red face.
§3Picking a tiger design
For a first tattoo or lining practice, try the four beginner designs: TG-03 Tiger cub, simple (a cub lying down), TG-05, TG-06 Tiger eyes and TG-11 Bold blackwork tiger face. TG-07 Tiny tiger suits a wrist or ankle: a small walking tiger, 1.75 in by default.
For a big piece, TG-02 defaults to 7.5 in and is drawn tall for a sleeve or back. TG-08 Walking tiger outline is a full tiger in side view for the thigh or back, and TG-04 also fits a sleeve. TG-09 Tiger head with peonies is a wide garland for the back or thigh.
Every design prints as a stencil, an outline or flash. The outline suits practice or your own shading; the flash adds flat color, gold on most of the tigers.
§4Tiger sizes by placement
| Placement | Usual size | Good designs |
|---|---|---|
| Wrist | 1–3 in | TG-03 Tiger cub, simple, TG-07 Tiny tiger |
| Ankle | 1–3 in | TG-07 |
| Neck | 2–4 in | TG-07, set to 2 in or more |
| Forearm | 3–6 in | TG-01 Traditional roaring tiger head, TG-05, TG-06, TG-11, TG-12 |
| Calf | 2–6 in | TG-03, TG-04, TG-05, TG-08, TG-11 |
| Chest | 3–10 in | TG-01, TG-05, TG-06, TG-10 Geometric tiger head, TG-11 |
| Back | 4–10 in | TG-02, TG-06, TG-08, TG-09 Tiger head with peonies, TG-10 |
| Thigh | 4–10 in | TG-02, TG-04, TG-08, TG-09, TG-12 Tiger head and snake |
Size ranges are from the placement charts at Saved Tattoo and Inkjin. Stripes are the first detail to close up when a tiger is shrunk, so keep TG-02 and TG-09 in the upper half of the range.
§5Questions
Q1Is there a tiger eyes tattoo stencil?
Yes, TG-06 Tiger eyes: two eyes with brows and stripes, set as a horizontal band in bold blackwork, 4 in by default. It is rated beginner and suits the forearm, chest, calf or back; check that both eyes sit level before you press the stencil down.
Q2Do you have a simple Asian tiger head flash?
Not as such. The only Japanese-style tiger here is TG-02, a full tiger with bamboo drawn for a sleeve or back. For a simple head, TG-11 Bold blackwork tiger face is rated beginner and defaults to 3 in, and TG-01 Traditional roaring tiger head is the American traditional version.
Q3Where is the traditional panther flash?
On this page: TG-04 Traditional crawling panther and TG-05 Traditional panther head. Choose the flash format to print them in color or the outline format for a plain line drawing.
Q4Which tiger is easiest to tattoo?
TG-07 Tiny tiger is rated simple. TG-03, TG-05, TG-06 and TG-11 are rated beginner, with thick lines a newer tattooer can manage.