An Om tattoo is a popular symbol related to enlightenment in Eastern religion and teachings. A popular definition for Om is that it’s the first sound in the universe.
The Om is a staple of Dharmic religions and is often sung as mantra. You’ll hear the Om (sounds more like AUM) in all sorts of situations, from solemn religious ceremonies through to the beginning of a yoga class.
The presence of an Om symbol tattoo may offer a distinguished gateway to personal transcendence and can be effective when paired with other Eastern symbols that hold deep meaning, such as a mandala tattoo, Sanskrit word, or Unalome Tattoo.
Read on to find an inspiring collection of Om Tattoo designs which will help you align your chakra. These will help you get started on your journey towards peace of mind via body art.
1. Geometric Om Tattoo
The Om itself is simple – a crisp, black image of little fanfare – however the rest of the piece builds on it with elements of 3D, geometric and dotwork tattoo styles. It’s a unique, artful back tattoo displaying a great level of skill and detail.
A beautifully rendered Om tattoo, built up by the effective addition of straight line art concepts. The piece is also aided by crisp technical application. The artist has delivered a precise inner forearm position which aids the overall look as well.
Using a concept central to Dharmic religions as the basis for a geometric design can make a simple or minimal om tattoo go to the next level without gaudy bells and whistles. As these Om tattoo design examples show, they remain a simple spiritual symbol well augmented by shapes, lines, and concepts of space.
2. Color Om Tattoos
This an effective Om tattoo mixing with clean text to create a cool image. The artist’s use of color to highlight the calligraphy aspects of Om – and a painting sensibility – helps this rib tattoo contrast with the black line work of the English text.
The Om tattoo is donned by individuals who have embarked on the road towards mental clarity. The wondrous power of an Om tattoo is out of this world, and they are prescient signifiers of ego death and love.
The visionary core of an Om tattoo is ideal for monks and people with similar lifestyles however they can be etched in bright, vibrant color designs such as the ones in these examples. With yoga and meditation growing in the west, an om symbol or unalome can be added to a design to make a yoga tattoo or meditation related body art.
3. Mandala Om Tattoos
Mandalas are used to promote balance and harmony. This idea extends to mandalas becoming a spiritually linked method of tattoo, body art, and peace in general. They are used often in conjunction with Om tattoo designs.
A mandala tattoo comprises intricate patterns and details confined within a circle. Subsequent circles are patterned differently and have different subsequent meanings. These symbolic meanings differ between regions, sects, religions, and the media by which they are created.
4. Om Tattoos Featuring Buddha
The Om accompanies leading deities Ganesha and Lord Shiva in the Hindu religion, and the god Buddha in Buddhism. Om tattoo designs featuring Buddha add an extra layer of freedom, particularly since his countenance is intended to remove all obstacles in your course toward enlightenment.
These examples, for the most part, use the Om Symbol as the border element for the tattoo artist to work within to create a Buddha depiction within. These are done in a variety of different methods – they all show deft use of space, but also great attention to detail in shading, shadow, and crisp linework.
5. Calligraphy Style Om Tattoos
The artistic calligraphy style of writing Chinese and Japanese characters make an exceptionally flowing form of ink, and they translate magnificently to tattoo art on skin. Calligraphy is considered one of the supreme visual arts in Asia – and sets the standard for painting and tattoo. These beautiful om tattoo examples show off the crossover use of paint/ink calligraphy body art.
6. Heavy Black Ink Om Tattoo
This negative space Om tattoo is an interesting piece of body art. It’s a small image created from a triple black band tattoo. It’s very well done – check the outstanding morphing from dotwork to flat black in the bottom band – but Om could stand to be a bit larger and wider for maximum effect.
The range of these black ink Om tattoos is remarkable. Some you’ll find are simple works based on clarity of delivery – solid, no frill pieces placed cleanly on the skin. Others, such as the almost blackout arm tattoo piece, balances black ink, negative space, with beautiful application of dotwork technique to illustrate the Om tattoo in a more exciting design.
7. Innovative Om Tattoo Designs
A negative space head tattoo. This large, eye catching piece uses the concept that inking your religiously significant Eastern tenet – in this case the Om – as high as possible creates a positive omen, as it’s as close to the heavens as the image can be placed.
A funky minimal Om tattoo incorporated into the elephant Lord Ganesha. The simple, crisp use of black line work forms a flowing image.
Ganesha (the son of Lord Shiva) has a huge body and an elephant face, so is a clearly recognizable member of the Hindu pantheon. The large elephant head of Lord Ganesha symbolizes great intelligence, wisdom and understanding, while his belly represents the universe. As you can see in the example above the Om is often used in Ganesha tattoo descriptions.
Other Om designs again feature the symbol as a border element to work within, but instead of being filled with the Buddha they’re filled with a range of tattoo style applications, such as patterns, linework, and tile like deployment or a lotus flower, tibetan Sanskrit word or sacred symbol.
8. Negative Space Based Om Tattoo
Negative space refers to a piece where the majority of the linework and inking is done in order to bring out the empty space to reveal an image, like a stencil. Most of these examples use negative space on the internal part of the Om delivery.
The argument can be made that with these interesting yet beautiful Om tattoos, the search for enlightenment and consciousness is helped by emptying your mind to attain balance, which is represented by the negative space in these designs.
Or, they could be a smart application style made to emphasis the technical styles choices – dotwork, stippling, 3D effects – to make the Om symbol unique.
10. Om Hand Tattoos
Om tattoo ideas work well when delivered on different placements. An increasingly popular type of visible tattoo is the hand tattoo, and the flowing lines of an Om symbol work quite nicely on the limited space available in these examples.
If you aren’t sure about the hand as a placement for your body art, one option is to get a temporary tattoo to give the tattoo idea a test run. A temporary tattoo is a simple way to test out a risky concept without any long -lasting consequences.
Take note however – the palm of the hand is a notoriously tough place to put a tattoo and expect it to keep looking good. As the skin is tough and changes so often, it’s likely there will be ink drop out and the need to constantly get the ink touched up to keep it looking like a quality piece of art. Often, a tattoo shop has a blanket no palm tattoo policy
Om Tattoo FAQs
What is an Om tattoo?
An Om tattoo is a popular symbol related to enlightenment in Eastern religion and teachings. A popular definition for Om is that it’s the first sound in the universe.
An Om tattoo marks the epitome of enlightened ink. This reflective Eastern chant can transform into a portable calming mechanism with stylish ease.
The presence of an Om symbol tattoo may offer can be effective solo design and when paired with other Eastern symbols holding deep meaning such as a mandala tattoo, Sanskrit word, or Unalome Tattoo designs.
Is an Om tattoo offensive?
As with other significant Eastern tattoos with a religious connection – such as various Buddha incarnations – Om tattoos won’t cause offence provided they are tattooed onto the body in an acceptable position.
Om tattoos are becoming more popular in Western society as exposure to Eastern tenets and teachings expands, with Om tattoo increasing as well. Not all Om tattoos focus on the religious connection, but cultural awareness suggests this should be accounted for when getting inked.
Tattoos of the Om should be inked above the waistline so as not to cause offence. Tattoos on the legs or feet can be considered insulting to religions closely linked with Om, such as Hinduism for example.
Consider instead getting the Om symbol as a small tattoo high up on the body – shoulder, upper bicep, neck, and even head – as you can. This indicates your Om is as close to the heavens as you can possibly make it, therefore giving it a better chance to be considered a good omen in both Buddhism and Hinduism.
A beautiful Om tattoo is a cool tattoo symbol for any man or woman with an interest in traditional Eastern life and religion. Click on the links below for more tattoo art featuring human emotions: