The Animals I’m Obsessed With Tattooing, and My Favorite - That I Still Haven’t Tattooed Even Once

As an illustrator–tattoo artist, I’ve drawn hundreds of animals on human skin—but a few creatures always excite me a bit more than others. It was hard to choose, but here are my top three (as of this year):

In a close fourth place, there are some good fellas: Dalmatians, pandas, raccoons, zebras, and milk cows.

Any idea what they all have in common?

Yes—black and white!

High-contrast animals translate beautifully into tattoo form. Their shapes are graphic, clean, and instantly recognizable, which lets me lean into my illustrative style without overcomplicating the imagery. It’s like stripes on fabric—an effortless depth trick.

Now for the top three:

Third place: Jackrabbits

For a long while they held the top spot.

I never get tired of sketching jackrabbits. The oversized ears, the expressive eyes, and that slightly mythical aura—they feel like creatures from a half-remembered dream. Something about them reminds me of Watership Down. I barely remember the plot, but the feeling it left me with still sits somewhere in my imagination, and jackrabbits tap right into that energy.

Second place: my new obsession—birds

Recently, I became completely absorbed in birds after working on an ornithology-themed on-paper series. During that process, I learned there are about 9,600 bird species—which instantly sent me down a research spiral.

Birds became an endless playground: forms, silhouettes, postures, and expressions. Even when I’m not blending them with human forms, I love the challenge of capturing their personality in a single moment.

And then there are my absolute favourites

I keep drawing and painting them, and on my living-room walls in my tiny apartment I have five of them hanging—probably 50% of the art in our home.

And somehow, out of hundreds of tattoos I’ve done…

I have never tattooed an otter. Not even once.

I genuinely believe they are the cutest creatures nature has to offer.

Did you know sea otters hold hands while they sleep so they don’t drift apart? Or that they keep a favourite rock tucked under their arm for when they need to crack open shells?

They have a built-in pouch near their armpit for that.

They’re adorable. They’re expressive. They basically pose themselves.

And yet no one has ever asked for one.

So—

If you’ve ever considered getting an otter tattoo… I’m ready.