What is it about foxes that make us love them so much? On a really basic level, foxes are sort of the best combination of cats and dogs. Don't email us with pictures of cute dogs and cats — we know how much everyone loves their pets. Just hear us out: They're independent like cats, they're slinky like cats, and they're loners like cats. But they have a sweet, playful, doglike nature. And we can never really possess them — even foxes that are kept as pets (it's legal in some places) are never quite domesticated. There's a reason foxes have been used in many cultures as a common allegory in folklore or as a part of a religion or cultural tradition. They're frequently presented in many cultures as a sly, trickster character. They're also sometimes associated with transformation and are often assigned magical powers.Â
Generally associated with wiliness and cunning, they're always rogue characters, which we love. Remember the animated fox version of Robin Hood? It is such a wonderful character, and of course, the foxes are always the good guys. For anyone who thinks that their pet is significantly better than a fox and wants a tattoo honoring their sweet friend instead — we get it, everyone loves their pets, as they absolutely should — these irresistible tattoos for pet lovers should be a good source of inspiration. And for those of us who are just obsessed with animal print (and can't get enough of that amazing, neon Lisa Frank energy) these Lisa Frank tattos full of rainbows and animal prints are the best.
On the other end of the spectrum, check out these starkly stunning black and white tattoos. We love them so much, and looking at this right after looking at the Lisa Frank piece is an effective way to reset our eyes to neutral! Then there's nature tattoos that capture Earth's beauty, which honestly make us feel amazed by both art and nature.
Blue Watercolor Fox Tattoo
Usually foxes — and fox tattoos — are red because the red fox is the most common and iconic fox of them all, but we love this beautiful watercolor tattoo that turns the traditionally red friend into a beautiful teal blue. The background looks absolutely magical, and we love them together.
Extremely Happy Fox
We love this sweet fox with one little tooth poking out. He looks so calm but also kind of thrilled, as if he's found the most perfect sunbeam. As the artist says, "Världens nÜjdaste räv" which translates as, "The world's most satisfied fox."
Victorian Fox
We love this fox and blueberries tattoo, which looks like it was taken directly from a Victorian novel — it's so reminiscent of the woodcut style common in books from that era. Plus, it's so cute! As one commenter says, "Is it possible to want to snuggle a tattoo? Asking for a friend."
Little Black and White Buddy
Normally when we hear the word "handpoke," we assume the tattoo is going to be pretty crude and maybe less cute. But this tattoo is absolutely adorable — and we love that the black and white nature of it keeps it so strong and simple.
Sketch-Style Fox
Foxes are so dynamic, the sketching style really works for them because they always feel as if they should be in motion. This drawing and tattooing style really highlights that aspect of them. We love that this fox is highlighted by a beautiful blue feather.
Cosmic Fox
This fox contains the entire cosmos in its beautiful plumed tail. We recognize the planet Saturn from the rings, and although we're not entirely sure what the other planets and stars are, we know they absolutely belong to this sweet fox and he to them.
Strange and Lovely Fox
With his blank eyes and strangely placed limbs, this fox could be unnerving. Instead, he reminds us of an early Russian illustration style, which is highlighted by the mushrooms, a very common Russian trope. We think he's unusual but beautiful.
Partially Crystallized Fox Face
How pristine is this tattoo? We love that the lines are so perfect and that the fox's face transitions from being a perfectly photorealistic portrait to a geometric abstraction. Although we love all foxes, our favorite is definitely the classic red fox — and this one is a perfect example.
Sweet Little Fox
We like the color flowing off this beautiful fox, as though he's got too much wonderful foxy energy to contain it all within himself. It also makes him look a little bit like a fire, because he's pointing his nose straight up and his body is shaped somewhat in the shape of a flame.
Autumnal Fox
This stunning fox is framed by some falling autumn leaves — and the fact that this is not a fox who is still but is definitely in motion. Doesn't he look like he's about to pounce on some small prey? Even though we love all animals, we're rooting for the fox here.
Massive Fox
We love a small, subtle tattoo, but we are absolutely wowed by this full-body fox tattoo masterpiece. This image is so stunning, it honors the curves of the woman who wears it beautifully. The tattooing style is just phenomenally beautiful. We are blown away.
Sweet Fox Portrait
The tattoo artist says this piece is "in progress," but we can't imagine how this tattoo could get any better. Just look at this fox's sweet face. It looks like it just finished sniffing a buttercup or something, pleased with life and everything around it.
Mischievous-Looking Fox
In the folklore of many European and East Asian cultures, foxes are often used as the trickster figure, representing cunning. They are also often capable of transformation. This beautifully rendered fox looks as if it may be capable of some of that itself.
Fennec Tattoo
As much as we are devoted to the beautiful, classic red fox, we love all foxes. This is a tattoo of a fennec fox, which are commonly kept as pets in states and countries that allow it. They're extremely cute and playful, and we adore their bat ears.
Fox Flower
We're not sure what exactly it is about a beautiful little fox curled up inside a big rose that makes us go "aww," but we do know it's so extremely cute that we literally cooed at our laptop just now. Its smiling little face makes us so happy.
Paint Splash Fox
We have never seen this technique before, but we really love it. The fox's red and orange colors are designed to look partially like fur but also partially like a big paint splash. This feels really creative and unusual — especially with those big soulful eyes peeking out.
Geometric Fox
We love the big, bold colors of most fox tattoos — firey reds and bright, bold oranges — but we also love the simplicity and elegance of a plain black and white tattoo. This one also fades at the bottom in a fashion that resembles ombre, which is lovely.
Barista Fox
We thought we couldn't love foxes any more than we already do, but we hadn't considered the possibility that one may want to make us a cup of coffee. This adorable barista fox is holding a Chemex full of fresh-brewed liquid deliciousness, and this whole scene makes us very happy.
Delicate Fox With Flowers
This fox looks like he is capable of sharing some significant wisdom, which makes sense — many cultures have associated the fox with intelligence. An ancient Peruvian people, the Moche, believed the fox a kind of warrior who would use his mind, not his fists, to fight.
Hyperrealistic Fox
Anyone could be easily forgiven for thinking someone just Photoshopped a photograph of a fox onto someone's arm here, but in reality, this is just extremely high-quality photorealistic-style tattooing. How masterful is this piece? We can practically touch the fox's fur and taste the mushroom.
