The most popular hummingbird tattoos depict the bird in flight suckling from a flower. Choose a flower that you find meaningful, and place a hummingbird near it with its beak reaching into the center of the flower. For color tattoos, use flowers with colors that complement the colors you have chosen for the hummingbird. Consider the meaning and visual impact of flowers such as roses, poppies or orchids.
Look at detailed photographs of different types of hummingbirds to find colors and poses that resonate with you. Find a tattoo artist who specializes in realistic detail, and have him depict your chosen hummingbird in that fashion. Add a realistic flower. The design should incorporate a keen sense of depth, shading and attention to detail. If you can, take your own photos of hummingbirds and use your best photo as the base of a tattoo design.
There are as many different ways to stylize the image of a hummingbird as there are hummingbird species. Tattoo Johnny shows a hummingbird with a peacock-inspired set of tail feathers, a tribal block-cut black and white hummingbird and simple line drawings of hummingbirds. Tattoo Art's archive of hummingbird tattoo designs includes black silhouettes, wild-colored birds spanning the entire spectrum and hummingbirds with flowing feathers and tails.
Tattoo Johnny offers a design with astrological signs emerging from flowers. A stylized hummingbird in matching colors drinks the nectar from the center of the flower. Include two hummingbirds each drinking from the same heart-shaped flower or touching their long beaks together to symbolize love. Tattoos and Art's online portfolio includes a depiction or a hummingbird between two banners with words. Combine meaningful symbolism with a hummingbird in your choice of color for a tattoo you will enjoy for years.