Just one look upward, high above the ground, and you’ll discover these divine dwelling spaces painting the sky. In Roman mythology, Mount Olympus clouds were once known as the homesteads of the gods.
Yet, when it comes to men’s cloud tattoos, they can take on a whole new meaning ranging from mystery and illusion to the thought of dreams.
Ancient Chinese symbolism associates clouds with transformation and transition. So, among the Chinese, cloud tattoo designs are also seen as symbols of transformation and transition. If you think about it, a man could stare as long as his heart desires at the clouds, yet in time. they will eventually disappear. It’s a good reason why some men associate them with Zen, as devotion can often come with detachment.
There’s also the idea of clouds being messengers of hope, with storms carrying or washing away our past worries. However, you’ll often find the most popular cloud tattoo design is related to the traditional Japanese style. If you’re not familiar, clouds are commonly incorporated around things like demons and spirits.
With that said, go ahead and float away with these top 80 best cloud tattoos for men. You’ll discover masculine inspiration with design ideas ranging from realistic to abstract.
Cloud Tattoo Ideas
This cloud tattoo design uses sky details as a background for an airplane. Its soft strokes mimic that of a watercolor painting with some negative space in between the shades of blue as the cloud details. It has enough dark tones for contour and depth, so there can be enough texture to make it appear realistic. The sharp contrast of the soft shades of blue versus the solid black ink in a single dimension illustration of the plane is starkly visible.
This illustration of some dark clouds is a Japanese traditional tattoo design inherently identifiable by its dark and vibrant colors. The cloud impression itself is outlined in black and shaded in various shades of gray for a softer and lighter effect.
This is a minimalist design of an arm tattoo with some cloud details shaped like scallops. This illustration is similar to those seen in storybooks for children, wherein the boat is traveling across the seas amid looming dark skies. The shading style used by the tattoo artist ties up the whole creation, making it a cohesive work of tattoo art that stays true to its concept and style.
The popular thundercloud design for tattoos is done in black ink on a dark background to bring the cloud forward. This arm tattoo is a great concept for a first tattoo. It is just about the right size placed on a spot where the pain meter is low.
This is a magnificent and intricate tribal cloud tattoo design in black and gray. The puff cotton cloud formation is filled in with Polynesian tribal shapes and patterns of fish hooks, unfurled fern leaves, and weave after weave of fine lines to signify unity within the tribe or family. At the top of the formation, the tattoo artist added a single eye, often called the tiki brilliant eye. This tattoo idea is perfect for the modern man who has a strong affinity or appreciation for tribal tattoos.
A tattoo is a permanent skin modification that can enhance the skin visually and add depth and meaning to what may be regarded by tattoo dudes as a blank canvas. To commit to a sky-inspired full arm sleeve tattoo art is truly admirable. This is not an easy task to accomplish both for the tattoo artist and the wearer. The shades of blue on this arm are truly remarkable. The artist has taken into consideration the movement and function of the arms, and how the light will hit the shading of this well-toned arm.
The dark clouds in this religious piece are used as a background for the doves to stand out further. It looks like a puff of cotton balls pieced together in gentle contrast to the feather details of these white birds. This is a great tattoo idea for the front of the leg.
This black and gray muted tattoo on one side of the body is simply an astonishing creation of a sailboat splashing through the waters in its full splendor. The clouds in the background look like they were sketched with charcoal, gently smudged and contoured to complement the musculature of the canvas.
This chest piece of a winged angel in a black and gray realism tattoo design looks very ethereal and intricate with its detailing. The tattoo artist worked meticulously to add depth and texture to his work so that you could almost touch it. The clouds, layers of it, are the background of this creation.
This is a full tattoo sleeve dedicated to the birth of one’s daughter. There are several proud dads who choose to express their happiness over the birth of their children through a tattoo. The clouds serve as the main background of this piece, tying the collection into one cohesive piece. The portraits are indeed stunning and look ethereal against a bed of clouds in black and gray.
This is a fast rising trend in the tattoo arena — a watercolor style of tattooing that mimics its strokes and effect with the use of highly diluted colored inks to produce the desired effect. It is a stunning night scene by the bay with partial dark clouds covering the moon.
Japanese tattoos are known for their very bold black and gray design. This Japanese-themed tattoo uses clouds as the background to tie the creation of these captivating mythical pieces of tattoo art. These clouds represent prosperity and good fortune.
If the dark thundercloud is regarded as a bad omen, then this dagger definitely has put an end to it. This is the traditional dagger piece at the back of the arm.
Here’s another version of the thundercloud in black and gray, softened with dotwork details. This is another concept of a cloud design that can be explored for arm tattoos.
Dragons are regarded as generous, benevolent forces that use their strength for the good of mankind. In this design, they’re wrapped around a full tattoo sleeve on a bed of dark clouds spread out like dark pieces of cotton. This is a magnificent Japanese traditional inkwork, in bold strokes and darker tones. It takes a remarkable amount of work to finish a whole arm in full-bodied ink and intricate design.
This black and gray creation features a very beautiful and realistic eye extended to a cluster of doves flying across the skies. The clouds are once again taking a backseat and serve as a background. Cumulus clouds seem to be the favorite of the artists since they’re easily recognized for their aesthetic beauty. The top player of soccer of the decade, Lionel Andres Messi, has a tattoo of the eye of his wife as a tribute and declaration of his love. This sleeve ink has the same vibe. It looks very real, and whatever the woman was thinking when this photo was taken, he got it and translated it into this masterpiece.
This forearm tattoo shows a lighthouse enveloped by dark raging waters, with smoky angry clouds in the background. This is a remarkable piece of cloud design in inkwork. The concept and execution are stellar, and the focal piece is seen and recognizable even from afar.
This purple cloud tattoo design is a different take on the thundercloud. If the popular version looks cartoonish, then this creation takes it a few steps further and made it surreal by adding deep dark purple tones to the tattoo. Underneath the thunder looks like there’s a smoke of cloud about to deliver its wrath to whatever is beneath it.
This piece is adorned with a collection of tattoos meticulously pieced together to make it look cohesive and appear that it’s a full-sleeve creation from the shoulder down to the wrist adhering to one common theme. It is indeed a splendid modified skin with the clouds featured at the upper shoulder section, setting up the mood for the raven and the portrait right under the mystical bird.
Explore more cloud tattoo ideas below to find inspiration for your new ink.
