33 Sunflower Tattoos That'll Brighten Your Day

Sunflower Tattoo on Maisie Williams — Getty Images/Design by Cristina Cianci

If you find yourself drawn to sunflowers, consider them for a tattoo. Aside from being pretty to look at, sunflowers hold many meanings. Along with their attachment to nature, they are also a symbol of happiness and light, joy, warmth, and even faithfulness and fertility. Whether you opt for a simple black and white design or show off the bright yellow hues the flower is known for, you can't go wrong with a classic sunflower tattoo. Keep scrolling for 33 sunflower tattoos to inspire your next ink.

01 of 33

Classic

Because of the almost over-exaggerated features of a sunflower, the flower still manages to look good in the most basic of designs. In this tattoo, the big petals offset the heavy shading, keeping it from feeling overwhelmed.

02 of 33

Vibrant

The beauty of sunflowers is that they’re bursting with color. Mimic that trait in your tattoo by opting for vivid, vibrant hues and medium lines.

03 of 33

Sunflowers and Hummingbird

Like the sunflower, hummingbirds are associated with happiness and good intentions. Both symbols together in one tattoo sends out major positive vibes.

04 of 33

Autumnal

On the other hand, sunflowers are often seen as a part of fall, so they also look good in more muted tones. Go for a deep green or brown stem to keep with the color palette.

05 of 33

Van Gogh-inspired

Sunflower tattoos don’t always have to be of the real-life flower. Take inspiration from art, like with this rendition of Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” painting.

06 of 33

Anatomical Heart with Flowers

anatomical heart tattoo with sunflowers — @little.tattoos / Instagram

The heart symbolizes many things: love, passion, and emotion, but there is something about the heart depicted as an organ that makes things more literal. With a sunflower growing out of an anatomical heart, we'd like to think this design means "happiness stems from love."

07 of 33

Outline-Only

Despite the vibrant colors that are typical in sunflowers, you don’t have to depict the hues in your tattoo. For a more minimal look, opt for just the outline instead.

08 of 33

Thigh

Sunflowers make for great thigh tattoos because you can design them to twist and grow within a large space. This placement is also a great opportunity to add other flowers and make a bouquet.

09 of 33

Symmetrical

One of the great things about sunflowers is that they’re almost naturally symmetrical, so you can cut them in half in your design and they’ll still look great. Add details like an arrow or a word to really customize it.

10 of 33

Fine Line

Sunflowers also make for beautiful fine line tattoos, and you can up the daintiness by opting for colored outlines rather than black. Add a word or a phrase to personalize it, or keep it as just the floral.

11 of 33

Realistic

For a more realistic sunflower tattoo, ditch the black outline for darker hues of your pigment instead. Lavender sprigs are another great idea, as the pastel color nicely complements the yellow.

12 of 33

Wrapped

Sunflowers make great designs for placement somewhere where it would wrap around, like on your outer arm. Just as they look great from any angle, they manage to look great when a bit warped as well.

13 of 33

Blackwork

If you want to get a sunflower tattoo done in a heavy style, like blackwork, consider using some white ink to add dimension and lightness. Otherwise, your design may end up feeling heavy and overwhelmed.

14 of 33

Bouquet

upper thigh sunflower tattoo — @tealbarnestattoo / Instagram

A small bouquet of flowers is a great way to achieve symbolism in each flower's meaning as this design does here with a daffodil (rebirth), a rose (love), and, of course, the sunflower (happiness).

15 of 33

Basic

One great thing about a sunflower: even when you break its appearance down to the basics, you can tell it’s a sunflower. This design uses that logic to create a minimal but beautiful design.

16 of 33

Ribcage

Along the ribcage and right under the chest is a great placement idea for a sunflower tattoo. Because you’re mimicking the movement of the body by curving the flower, it makes the design feel like it’s moving.

17 of 33

Multiple Styles

Sunflowers look great in any tattoo style—or even multiple styles at once. This tattoo uses a whimsical element (the vase) to balance the dark detailing in the flowers.

18 of 33

Inner Arm

Sunflowers look really good when placed on the inner upper arm. This area allows you to stretch the flower as tall as you want and play with different thicknesses and spacing.

19 of 33

Tiny

Sunflowers can be shrunk down into even the smallest of designs to fit into any area of your body you want. Incorporating small bits of white can help offset the cramped feel of the details as well.

20 of 33

Floral Spine

Sunflowers are known for their size—they seem to always be growing. If you're opting for a smaller design but want to mimic the metaphor for growth, consider placing the design down your spine and extending it to give off the same look as a tall sunflower.

21 of 33

Playful

Toy with the thickness of your outlines to give your sunflower tattoo a playful look. Incorporating simple line detailing can help bolster the vibe as well.

22 of 33

Line art

For a truly minimal sunflower tattoo, opt for a single-line design that seems to be ever-connecting. Add some dot detailing in the middle for a bit more of a sign it’s not just any flower—it’s a sunflower.

23 of 33

Wilting

Despite sunflowers being a sign of growth and life, a wilting flower can look just as beautiful. Placing it somewhere hidden, like on the ribs, fortifies its “dark” vibe and makes it even more unique.

24 of 33

Armband

Because a sunflower still looks good in segments, they make a great addition to a spaced-out armband. Offset the designs with a thick line to really emphasize the negative space.

25 of 33

Sunflower Stamp

We absolutely adore this artist's take on a sunflower tattoo as a postage stamp. It's a creative way to suggest that traveling brings you happiness.

26 of 33

White Detail

Adding white detailing to a tattoo adds a bit of dimension, as if light is always shining on it. It also helps space out the black ink to keep the tattoo feeling dainty, regardless of its size.

27 of 33

Ombré

If you want to go for a simple tattoo but don’t want it to feel stuffy, use interesting coloring techniques to lighten it up. By using faded out colors and ombre, the design feels fun and whimsical.

28 of 33

Flower Girl

Sunflowers always seem to steal the show even when they’re just a detail in the design. Beware: Even when you try to make it less bold, the sunflower will still shine, as it does here, atop a woman's head mixed in with other florals.

29 of 33

Above the Knee

While sunflowers are known for being tall, you don’t have to get them tattooed with the stem. To really emphasize the beauty of the flower, stick to a design of just the petals. We love the extra addition of the tiny bee here, too.

30 of 33

Whimsical Creatures

jackalope tattoo with sunflowers — @xposedtattoo / Instagram

If you're into whimsical creatures, this jackalope tattoo is right up your alley. A jackalope surrounded by different flowers, including the yellow sunflower, of course.

31 of 33

Horse and Sunflowers

If you're an animal lover, consider featuring one as part of your tattoo. We love how the sunflowers trail down the horse's mane, adding to the movement and beauty of this design.

32 of 33

Watercolor

Sunflowers give tattoo artists a lot of room to play around, in terms of both literal area and adding creative details. This design uses a watercolor texture to create a sense of whimsy.

33 of 33