In the past, tattoos in areas that are difficult or impossible to hide were typically reserved for hardcore tattoo enthusiasts. However, with the ever increasing acceptance of tattoos, wearers are granted the opportunity to get more creative with the placement of their ink in higher visibility parts of the body. Recently, tattoos on or near the ears have become more popular in the tattoo community and are being seen more frequently worn by casual wearers. This article compiles 90 images that feature tattoos with diverse subject matter that are located either on or behind the ear and will help you conceptualize your next high-visibility piece.
Black Cross ear tattoos
A thin black cross is rendered behind the wearer’s left ear in this tattoo.
Cat Skeleton
The spinal column and skull of a cat are depicted wrapping around the wearer’s left ear in this attention grabbing tattoo.
Black and Gray Anchor
A black and gray anchor with a rope wrapping around it is rendered behind the wearer’s left ear in this tattoo.
Black and Gray Rose Ear Tattoo
A poorly detailed black and gray rose is depicted behind the wearer’s left ear in this tattoo.
Floral UV Pattern
UV or blacklight ink is used to illustrate an ornate floral pattern on the wearer’s left ear in this tattoo.
Half Mandala
Half of a black mandala is illustrated behind the wearer’s left ear in this tattoo.
Ribbon
This tattoo, inked behind the wearer’s left ear, depicts the black outline of a ribbon.
Rising Sun
A simplified depiction of the sun either rising or setting over a body of water is depicted inside of the wearer’s left ear in this black tattoo.
Book and Cup of Coffee
While not an ear tattoo, this exceptionally small piece renders a book and a hot cup of coffee on the wearer’s forearm.
Lotus Flower
This black tattoo, rendered on the inside of the wearer’s left ear, depicts half of a lotus flower embellished with dots between the petals.
Multiple Designs
Multiple symbols including a skull, crown, diamond, ice cream cone, and others adorn the wearer’s knuckles in this black tattoo.
Flying Bird Silhouettes
Three black silhouettes of flying birds are rendered behind the wearer’s right ear in this tattoo.
Flying Bird Silhouettes
Five topview silhouettes of flying birds are rendered behind the wearer’s left ear in this black tattoo.
Crescent Moon with Hanging Beads
A crescent moon embellished with a mandala inspired pattern and hanging beads is depicted behind the wearer’s left ear in this black and gray tattoo.
Two Black Lines
Two black lines are used to create a band around the outside of the wearer’s left ear in this tattoo.
Three Black Arrows
Three black arrows remiscent of a chevron design are rendered behind the wearer’s right ear in this tattoo.
Pair of Dandelions
This tattoo, illustrated behind the wearer’s right ear, utilizes black ink to compose the image of a pair of dandelions.
Black and Gray Sparrow
A traditional depiction of a flying sparrow is rendered in black and gray behind the wearer’s left ear in this tattoo.
Skull and Rose
An incredibly well detailed black and gray skull accompanied by a rose is rendered inside of the wearer’s left ear in this tattoo.
Pointillism Design
Inspired by the design of a lotus flower, this tattoo utilizes pointillist techniques and black ink to create a desing beside the wearer’s right ear.
Pontillism Design No. 2
Here we see another rendition of the lotus inspired design.
Small Mandala Design
A simplified mandala design is depicted inside of the wearer’s right ear in black ink in this tattoo.
Spiderweb and Diamond
This tattoo, featured in and behind the wearer’s right ear, portrays a spiderweb inside of the ear and a diamond behind the ear.
Heart Outline
This tattoo, featured behind the wearer’s right ear, depicts a small black heart outline.
Full Color Rose
A realistically colored rose is rendered behind the wearer’s right ear in this tattoo.
Pair of Branches
This tattoo, featured behind the wearer’s left ear, portrays a pair of crossed branches in black ink.
Peacock Feather
I suspect this picture is photoshopped. However, if it were real it would depict a pair of colorful peacock feathers tattooed inside of the wearer’s left ear.
Peter Pan and The Lost Boys Silhouettes
The silhouettes of Peter Pan flying with the Lost Boys following behind him is rendered behind the wearer’s left ear in black ink.
Dandelions
A pair of black dandelions are rendered behind the wearer’s right ear in this tattoo.
Black Pine Tree
A black pine tree is depicted behind the wearer’s right ear in this simple, but well done tattoo.
Mandala Design
An amateur rendition of a mandala design is inked inside of the wearer’s right ear in this tattoo.
Half Mandala with Hanging Beads
A half mandala design is embellished with hanging beads in this black and gray tattoo rendered behind the wearer’s left ear.
Another Half Mandala with Hanging Beads
This tattoo, featured behind the wearer’s right ear, portrays a black and gray half mandala design embellished with hanging beads.
Fragmented Unicorn
A unicorn is fragmented into geometric shapes in this black tattoo rendered on the wearer’s left ankle.
Starfish, Shell, and Fork
A purple shell is accompanied by a black fork and orange starfish in this tattoo rendered behind the wearer’s right ear.
Three Black Dots
Three black dots are portrayed behind the wearer’s right ear in this tattoo.
Chain Link
A chain link pattern is rendered inside of the wearer’s left ear in this tattoo.
Crescent Moon and Stars
A crescent moon is surrounded by three stars in this black tattoo rendered behind the wearer’s right ear.
Pointillist Band
A band comprised of a black line and pointllist dots is rendered on the wearer’s left ear in this tattoo.
Black Branch
A black branch is rendered behind the wearer’s right ear in this tattoo.
Seated Fox
A seated fox is depicted in full color in this tattoo rendered behind the wearer’s left ear.
Thorny Rose
A thorny black and gray rose is portrayed behind the wearer’s right ear in this tattoo.
Stylized Butterfly
A stylized butterfly portrait is rendered in black ink behind the wearer’s left ear in this tattoo.
Black Crescent Moon
A black crescent moon is depicted behind the wearer’s right ear in this tattoo.
Triangular Pointillist Design
An abstract pointillist design is illustrated inside of the wearer’s left ear in this tattoo.
Three Black Arrows
Three black arrows are depicted behind the wearer’s right ear in this tattoo.
Black and Gray Rose
A detailed black and gray rose is portrayed behind the wearer’s rigth ear in this tattoo.
Black, Gray, and White Design
An abstract black, gray, and white design is portrayed behind the wearer’s right ear in this tattoo.
“Faith”
The word, “Faith,” is spelled out in a script font and black ink behind the wearer’s right ear in this tattoo.
Elaborate Wing Design
A semi-colored wing is embellished with an ornate design in this tattoo rendered behind the wearer’s left ear.
“Manhattan”
The word, “Manhattan,” is rendered behind the wearer’s left ear in black ink and a script font in this tattoo.
Pair of Hummingbirds
This obviously photoshopped image depicts a pair of hummingbirds on the wearer’s left ear.
Abstract Pointillist Design
Pointillist techniques are used to compose this abstract black tattoo on the wearer’s right ear.
Smiley Face and Heart
A black smiley face is rendered on the wearer’s right earlobe and a black heart outline is depicted behind the ear in this tattoo set.
Unicorn
A black and gray unicorn is rendered on the wearer’s neck just below the jawline in this tattoo.
Sea Horse
A purple seahorse surrounded by blue bubbles is rendered on the wearer’s left ear in this tattoo.
Flowers
A pair of flowers are rendered behind the wearer’s right ear in this black and gray tattoo.
“Me”
The word, “Me,” is spelled out in an odd font and black ink in this tattoo depicted behind the wearer’s right ear.
Shining Stars
A pair of shining stars are depicted behind the wearer’s left ear in this tattoo.
Bird Silhouettes
The silhouettes of four birds are portrayed in black ink behind the wearer’s left ear in this tattoo.
Pair of Feathers
A pair of black and gray feathers embellished with colorful beads are illustrated behind the wearer’s right ear in this tattoo.
Colorful Feather
A multi-colored feather utilizes a diverse color palette in this tattoo rendered behind the wearer’s right ear.
Female Portrait
A black and gray portrait of a woman is depicted on the wearer’s left earlobe in this tattoo.
Abstract Design
An abstract black design is depicted behind the wearer’es right ear in this tattoo.
Ships Wheel
A black and gray ships wheel is rendered in front of the wearer’s right ear in this tattoo.
Elephant
A gray elephant is illustrated behind the wearer’s left ear in this tattoo.
Koi Fish
A koi fish is illustrated behind the earer’s left ear in this black and gray tattoo.
Peacock Feather
A peacock feather is illustrated inside of the wearer’s right ear in this tattoo.
Shining Diamond
A shining diamond is rendered in black ink behind the wearer’s left ear in this tattoo.
Musical Notes
Musical bars and musical notes are portrayed inside of the wearer’s right ear in this black tattoo.
There’s Waldo
Waldo from the notoriously popular Where’s Waldo? series of books is portrayed peeking out from behind the wearer’s right ear in this tattoo.
“Dream”
The word, “Dream,” is spelled out in bold black letters behind the wearer’s left ear in this tattoo.
Pink Ribbon
A pink bow is depicted behind the wearer’s left ear in this tattoo.
Abstract Scroll Design
A scrolled black design is rendered inside of the wearer’s right ear in this tattoo.
Mandala Design
A black and gray mandala design is shaded with a pointllist technique behind the wearer’s right ear in this tattoo.
Spiderweb
This tattoo, rendered in black ink, depicts a spiderweb inside of the wearer’s left ear.
Four Flowers
Four floating flowers are depicted behind the wearer’s right ear in this semi-colored tattoo.
Large Rose
A large black and gray rose is portrayed on the left side of the wearer’s neck in this tattoo.
Abstract Tribal Design
This tattoo, rendered in black ink, depicts a tribal inspired design on the top and inside of the wearer’s left ear.
Smiling Crescent Moon
A crescent moon adorned with a smiling face is depicted inside of the wearer’s right ear in this black tattoo.
Crescent Moon Outline
A black outline of a crescent moon is rendered on the earlobe of the wearer’s left ear in this tattoo.
Deathly Hallows Symbol
The symbol for The Deathly Hallows from the popular Harry Potter series is depicted on the inside of the wearer’s left ear in this tattoo.
Unopened Rose
Shaky line-work creates the outline of this black rendition of an unopened rose in this tattoo depicted behind the wearer’s right ear.
Giant Abstract Design
This massive abstract design, portrayed in black ink ink, utilizes multiple images including the symbols for molecules and E=MC^2 and is depicted on the right side of the wearer’s head.
Black Dots
A series of black dots adorn the inside of the wearer’s left ear in this simple tattoo design.
No Sound Symbol
This tattoo, depicted bheind the wearer’s left ear, utilizes black ink to compose the image seen on a computer when the user has turned the sound off. Having seen this design before it is typically inked onto people that are deaf in one ear as a tongue-in-cheek reference to their disability.
Branch Outline
A black branch design is depicted on the wearer’s left earlobe in this simple tattoo design.
Misshapen Eye
These tattoos, both rendered in black ink, depict an oddly misshapen eye inside of the wearer’s right ear and a fully filled-in crescent moon in front of the ear.
Purple and Pink Flowers
This beautifully well-done tatoo depicts a trio of blue and pink flowers behind the wearer’s right ear.
Red Flowers
This tattoo, rendered entirely in red ink, portrays a flower on the inside of the wearer’s right ear.
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