A once highly-regarded profession, the jester was charged with the task of entertaining the royalty in the land. Nowadays, a jester is what we call a natural joker who has a taste for all things twisted.
Jester tattoos generally focus on the image of a jester himself.
The jester is depicted in their costume, which is always black with one other color (usually red). The bizarre hat is a must as an identifier for the jester, and the mask and an insidious facial expression complete the look.
Conversely, you can consider drawing inspiration from characters who are loosely inspired by jesters. The Joker, for instance, with his green and violet color scheme, can make for a good basis for a jester tattoo. Likewise, a strong, bold Harley Quinn reference is a good option if you’d prefer to make your jester a sexy lady instead.
Nonetheless, a jester tattoo can also pull from its lighthearted Renaissance beginnings. For inspiration in making a more lighthearted version of the jester, you can extract from your experience at Renaissance festivals or from depictions in history books.
These calmer versions of jesters are generally shown in much lighter color schemes, and the jesters are usually in the midst of doing their tricks. A lighthearted jester will suggest that you are more interested in the historical aspect of the character, rather than the modern and dramatized versions of these men.
Whichever direction you go with your tattoo, don’t overthink it! Take on the energy of the jester, who in all cases, thinks on his feet.
