8 Best Sad Tattoo Ideas For Expressing Grief

Sad moments like losing a loved one, being betrayed, and feeling insecure are common to all but many decide to put on a happy face, pretending to be what they are not. Accepting sad emotions and expressing them freely is the key to getting over a bad phase. Sad tattoos are a great way of self-expression. They help you to release your built-up feelings and identify the source of your troubles. These artworks showcase your fearless personality. From simple crying emoji tattoos to intense drowning girl ones, there are multifarious sad artwork options. These tattoos are often etched with black and gray ink to create a gloomy aura. If you are feeling a little off lately and are eager to release some pent-up emotions, take inspiration form 8 great sad tattoo ideas below and create your ideal sad tattoo. Keep scrolling.

8 Stirring Sad Tattoo Designs Honoring Those We’ve Lost

Why do people get tattoos? Mainly to express their individuality, commemorate significant events, or convey personal meanings and emotions. Sad tattoos, in particular, help individuals process and cope with difficult feelings or experiences that they may not be comfortable sharing out loud. Here are a few examples:

1. Dark Sad Tattoo

This tattoo features a sad emoji inked with black and maroon inks. People pretend to be all gay to avoid being called a crybaby. This often takes a toll on their mental health. This tattoo can prompt the wearer to find time in their day to vent out emotions. The dark black oval eyes offer a bold appeal to the design. It covers a significant part of the wearer’s upper arm, showing that the wearer carries their grief with strength and grace.

2. ‘Broken’ Sad Tattoo

Detailed tattoos with abstract designs are not always necessary to express one’s deep emotions. A simple tattoo can also convey a lot of feelings. This artwork consists of the word ‘Broken’ in cursive font. The letters are etched with a deep black pigment to offer a bold appeal. It narrates that the wearer has gone through some trauma and is still healing from it.

3. Small Sad Cloud Tattoo

A sad cloud tattoo can symbolize something very significant. Clouds can block the sun for some time, but they float past it, allowing the bright sun rays to illuminate the world. Similarly, sadness is a temporary emotion that will go away and make space for happiness. This tattoo signifies the same thing. It says that the wearer acknowledges that there will be hurdles in life but they will only be temporary.

4. Drowning Girl Tattoo

Acute sadness can make one feel lost. Scary feelings like losing your breath or getting drowned in water are common when you are sad. This tattoo illustrates a woman partially submerged in water, struggling to stay afloat. This trauma tattoo design showcases that the wearer feels overwhelmed with negative emotions. It is ideal for those who are fighting chronic mental disorders but are determined to not give up.

5. Melting Numbness Tattoo

One can go completely numb after feeling a rollercoaster of sad emotions. This feeling is equivalent to slowly fading away or melting into nothingness. This tattoo materializes this complex emotion. It features a crying girl’s face, sketched with black and gray inks. The fluid lines are vividly sketched to show that the girl is melting in her thoughts.

6. Crying Blood Tattoo

Crying is a great way to release all the pent-up emotions. This tattoo features a girl with red flowers in her hair and blood tears oozing from her eyes. The blood showcases her heart-wrenching emotions. The flowers show that even while navigating through grief, she carries a sense of gentleness and deals with life kindly.

7. Lonely Sad Girl Tattoo

This tattoo features a sad girl’s face illustrated with black and gray inks. The dark house in the vast landscape depicts the girl’s lonely life. The subtle shading effects enhance the hair and add depth to the tattoo. This tattoo is sketched in a surrealistic fashion to show how overwhelming the sadness is.

8. Sad Love Tattoo

This tattoo features a vivid red heart with cracked lines etched with dark black ink. Its symbolism can be interpreted as the wearer holding up their broken heart together with immense strength and delicateness so that they can stay afloat in life. It is positioned on the shoulder like a badge of honor. This broken heart tattoo shows that the wearer acknowledges that grief is just one side in the duality of life.

Everyone experiences moments in life when they feel down and lonely. But, very few people express their angst openly to the world. If you want a subtle way of wearing your heart on your sleeve, you can do so with a sad tattoo. They help you share your feelings with the world. Some common motifs of sad tattoos include a sad emoji, a crying girl motif, and teardrops. So, if you are feeling down or are dealing with trauma, get a sad tattoo and stay in touch with your feelings. For inspiration, scroll up and find our top 8 tattoo ideas.

Was this article helpful?

Reviewer Author Editor Fact Checker

Lucas CumminsProfessional Tattoo Artist

   

Lucas Cummins is an Ohio-based tattoo artist who has been making his mark on the tattoo industry for the past 2 years. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for vibrant expression, Lucas specializes in neo-traditional, color, and abstract style tattoos.

Read full bio of Lucas Cummins

Aparna HarryBeauty & Lifestyle Writer

 

Aparna Harry is a beauty and lifestyle content writer with over three years of experience in writing for different genres. She has a master’s degree in English Literature from The English And Foreign Languages University and a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Mysore.

Read full bio of Aparna Harry

Ramona SinhaEditor

Ramona is an editor at StyleCraze with 11 years of experience in writing and editing. She has authored over 200 articles on skin and hair care. She graduated from the University of Calcutta, West Bengal, and did her post-graduation from the University of Kalyani, West Bengal.

Read full bio of Ramona Sinha

Gracia OdileBeauty & Lifestyle Writer

Gracia Odile is a teacher-turned-beauty and lifestyle writer with three years of professional experience. She has a bachelor's degree in English from St. Stephen's College, a master's in Anthropology from the University of Madras, and a degree in education from GGSIPU.

Read full bio of Gracia Odile