150+ Awesome Rib Tattoos Ideas, Design & Meaning 2018
Rib tattoos are one of the most originally placed tattoos. Here they look very eye-catching, powerful and attractive. This body part is best loved by females, but boys tattoo their ribs also very willingly.
Ribs represent a lot of space for creating a really gorgeous masterpiece. However, even if a tattoo isn’t very large, it still looks appropriately and unique on this part of person’s body.
Portrait Tattoo
This is a portrait rib tattoo, it has the full portrait of a stripper holding a bird. It goes all the way down to the legs from below the armpit, it can be drawn on a male or female.
A Bird Rib Tattoo Idea
This rib tattoo is of a swan trying to perch on its prey and it looks as though it is coming off a tree branch.
A Lady Shedding Tears Rib Tattoo
This has a picture of a lady who cries blood, closely looking at the glasses on the face, it shows an explosion. Looking at this rib tattoo, it carries a message for the wearer, trying to be strong.
A Woman Appeal To Emotion Rib Tattoo
This rib tattoo depicts a lady in a dungeon with snakes, raising her hand to signal for help.
Classy Girl Rib Tattoo for Men
A tattoo can be gotten as a sign to show what you have, looking at this rib tattoo, it shows a classy girl in a hat, palms in beaches, a dog and what looks like a car above her hand. This may just be a sign to show what you have.
A Robotic Tree Rib Tattoo for Guys
This rib tattoo looks like a tree and it also looks like a robot and trees in tattoos means life. This can just be to express life.
A Thick Reptile-Like Skin Which Shows Mental strength
This rib tattoo is lovely, it shows a thick reptile-like skin which shows mental strength and some words are written in Chinese. This tattoo design is unique for guys.
A Snake in a Flower Vase
In this rib tattoo, a snake is colorfully drawn in green, red and yellow, coming out of a vase and there are flowers behind it. This can mean coming out, showing yourself.
Advantages and disadvantages of rib tattoos
Rib tattoos as every other kind of tattoos have a range of pros and cons. Therefore, you should think carefully, which part of body to choose for application of tattoo. Everything depends on your preferences, opportunities and circumstances of work. Here are general advantages of rib tattoos:
Making a tattoo on this side area is very practical. The size of tattoo can be impressive, but you are able to hide it if possible. So, when you are at work or in the other official place, your tattoo is under clothes.
Vintage Art Rib Tattoo Idea
This has a beautifully drawn work of vintage art, this rib tattoo can be drawn for either male or female.It is bold and beautiful.
Fierce Fox Rib Tattoo for Guys
This rib tattoo is a fox clearly drawn in its orange color with the tip of its tail in white.Fierce looking fox but cute!
Girl Lovely Sketch ‘Hope’ Rib Tattoo
This rib tattoo shows a lady in pain and what looks like a crucifix and above her head “HOPE” is roughly written on it. A meaning could be read to it that since there is hope, no matter what happens, this too shall pass
Elegant Drawn Bird Rib Tattoo Design
Here a bird is drawn on the rib and it can be seen that the largely drawn looking elegant, this is an excellent rib tattoo for girls.
A Bird Set To Take It’s Flight With Color Splash
Rib tattoos may create a great plot when they are combined with tattoos on hip or underbelly.
An Eagle,The Early Man And A Tiger
This rib tattoo has 3 major features; an eagle, the early man and a tiger. These are largely drawn to connect to each other.
Flower Bloom Rib Tattoo Design
Is just flowers drawn in grey shades from below the wearer’s armpit to her thigh.Beautifully positioned
Rib Tattoo Colorful Flower Design Beautiful for Girls
This rib tattoo is beautiful for ladies because it has flowers drawn all around the rib downwards and it has different colors to bring out its beautiful look.
Rose Flower Design
This is a rib side tattoo for girls, it has rose flower above and below a little long haired girl with a necklace.
Disadvantages:
The skin on ribs is highly subjected to age changing, that’s why you should be ready that it won’t be so attractive in twilight years.
Clean Sketch Of Rose Flower Rib Design
This rib tattoo is just a clean sketch of rose flowers in green and red color.This ribs tattoo design is suitable for lovers of nature.
A Sexy Woman’s Face, a Watch and a Skull
This is a rib tattoo for girl, it has a sexy woman’s face, a watch and a skull. Meaning can be given to it depending on the reason the wearer wants it.
Early Woman
This is also a rib tattoo of a woman’s face but here it has the face of an uncivilized lady whose hat has feathers all around it. The tattoo is beautifully crafted and it shows the leadership role being played by women.
A Tree Ablaze Rib Tattoo Design
The process of ribs tattooing isn’t very pleasant. You must be ready to bear the long-standing painful feelings.
Flower Color Splash Design
This is a colorful rib tattoo design, it has a nice mixture of blue, purple, orange, it’s lovely.A pretty design for ladies.
A Dead Tree with Crows
This rib tattoo has a dying tree with crow on its branches and another flying away.
A Raccoon, Dog and an Owl
This rib tattoo has the drawing of a raccoon, dog and an owl, it’s cleanly drawn together, it’s so beautiful.
If you want your tattoo be visible for everyone and always, choose more traditional body part, such as forearm or shoulder.
How painful are rib tattoos?
The process of making rib tattoo is relatively painful. The sensations when applying the tattoo on ribs or under them depends on the individual peculiarities. Some experience pain, the other – a little discomfort, and the third may even feel tickle. Naturally, the larger the sketch, the more painful its application will be. 
However, there are several factors that help you to bear the pain. The most important is your psychological mood. Remember that the result matches up to the pain.
Meaning of rib tattoos
Tattoos designed on ribs may refer to religion. We are talking about Christianity, or rather biblical story of the creation of a man. The first woman was made out of Adam’s rib. Therefore, religious subjects are often placed here, not far from the area of chest.
Virgin Mary Themed Rib Tattoo Design
This rib tattoo idea is of religion, Christianity to be precise. it has the drawing of a woman with her hair covered, holding the fruit of life.
A Nun Holding a Crucifix Design
This rib tattoo is of a nun who holds the crucifix and looks up, a flower is also drawn below her.
Virgin Mary Themed Rib Tattoo Design
Here, this is the picture of the virgin Mary drawn on the rib, a dove is behind her head and and a sign of holiness around her.
The Suffering of Jesus Christ
This rib tattoo is of Jesus, with thorns on his head and all this is drawn inside a cross.
Rib tattoos can be connected with the philosophy of the energy centers. Carlos Castaneda wrote about this in his numerous books. He determined that the right side is a region of dreams. Therefore, many boys and girls apply Dream Catchers here.
The Stars and the Flower Rib Tattoo Design
These are 2 rib tattoos of stars on the left one and flowers with jewelry around on the right one.
Vintage Rib Tattoo Design
This is a beautifully painted vintage art tattoo on the rib, painted cleanly in gold, yellow and grey.
Beautiful Feather Rib Tattoo Design
Portraits on this part of the body tell that depicted persons are very dear for tattoo owner, as he or she tried to place them closely to the heart.
A Portrait Tattoo Design of a Baby
Very often girls and women choose such sketches that may serve as nice decorative element for their figure. They prefer things which add the note of elegance, attractiveness, enigma and sexuality to the body.
Beautiful Sketch of Flowers
This is a rib tattoo of a lot of flowers together, fairly shaded and mildly painted.
A Barren Dead Tree Rib Tattoo Design
Here, the rib tattoo has a dying tree which has a few flower on different spot.
A Flower with a Quote Rib Tattoo Design for Men
This is a tattoo for girls has it has flower shaped round and a lovely quote is done in between.
An Anchor, a Compass and a Shield
This rib tattoo is of an anchor, a compass and a shield drawn carefully on lines that also looks like a map from a side.
Two Maps Rib Tattoo Design
This is just a simple rib tattoo with 2 map in it.
A Bird Nesting On Sunflower
Sometimes people draw here something like little stories in the form of pictures, photos or letters. They choose exactly this part to keep their sacral sense on the body.
Pictures for rib tattoos
A great variety of ideas are possible for the rib tattoos. They can be relatively small or represent the whole thematic plot. Male and female sketches for this body part significantly vary, as well as their style and design.
Lilly,Sunflower,Lotus Rib Tattoo Design
This rib tattoo is of plenty flowers, lily, sunflower, lotus, rose, in black outlines.
Owl Eye with Flowers
This is a beautiful rib tattoo that has the face of an owl on flowers, dark lines are drawn over it.
Bold Colorful Painted Flower Rib Design
This is a big rib tattoo that has majorly red flowers on it with green leaves beneath it.
Tiny Flower Rib Tattoo Design
This is a small rib tattoo for girls with a little tiny flower for tattoo virgins.
Popular women’s rib tattoos:
This is also a rib tattoo for girls but it is bigger than the previous, it has a bigger flowers and longer stem.
Cute Rib Tattoo Design
This is a cute rib tattoo that has 2 rose flower and a crucifix above them, all shaded in grey.
Purple, Blue and Red Flower Design
This is a cute rib tattoo with a red, blue and purple flower. It goes all the way down to the thigh.
Birds and even flocks of birds 
Here, there is a well painted bird, an eagle that looks set to attack a prey and make do with it. It has dark shades inside it.
Dark Cute Pigeon
This is just a beautiful dark pigeon carefully drawn on the rib.
A Lovely Quote Rib Tattoo Design
This rib tattoo is of an orange bird that also looks like a seahorse. The quote “you never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have” written on it.
Stars 
This is just a star themed rib tattoo, it has a pink, yellow, black tattoo in shades.
Star Themed Tattoo Design
This is a tattoo which is star influenced as well.
Animated Drawing of Stars
This is an animated drawing of stars, musical expressions which lines after each other.
Jaeden
This is a lot of stars in a rib tattoo and curvy lines drawn from the bottom, also “Jaeden” is written on it.
Black Stars
This rib tattoo has black stars, non-shaded stars and mixed black and white ones.
Motion Stars
Here, stars are drawn with lines following them like it is flying back up to the sky, cleanly outlined and black dots are shaded between it.
Bright Colored Tattoo
This is a tattoo which has a colorful bright plant and some stars shaded around it.
Letters
Quotes are beautiful when written with flowers as seen in this. “you don’t know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have”, this quote is a constant reminder of our strength that we don’t call on until it’s very necessary.
Don’t stop Dancing, Girl
This just has a simple quote for girls “don’t stop dancing, girl”. A perfect rib tattoo design for dance lovers
Feather and Butterflies
This has a quote to go with the butterfly and feather, butterfly can mean peace and harmony.
Trees
This is a tree and a chameleon drawn in half ways together with slight red paints on the bottom part and in front.
Dream Catchers
The size of this dream catchers makes it beautiful, blending it together with the rose flowers and feathers around it.
This rib tattoo has a peacock with a heart shaped on it’s chest flying up with strings of flowers holding below it.
Vintage Art Design
This is a cleanly drawn vintage art design, darkly shaded in this rib tattoo.
Flower Rib Design
Beautiful drawing of what looks like a lily flower, carefully drawn in this tattoo
Clocks
2 rose flowers drawn with a clock between them and a quote which says “time is precious”, just as roses are precious.
Men’s rib tattoos are as follows: 
This is for men, rib tattoo here has the face of a man in tie, drawn between a stopwatch and feather. This is more like a man who works round the clock.
Koala
This has a drawing of what looks like an angry koala, drawn over shrubs of red and grey color.
Four Skulls Rib Tattoo Design
This is a men rib tattoo that has the 4 skulls, each has a different weapon to its head.
Biomechanical themes 
This tattoo is drawn to imply that the inside of the wearer is of a machine, cleanly drawn on the rib to show the connection with it.
Clock House Rotary Setup
This rib tattoo is designed as the clock house rotary setup
Biomechanical Theme
This tattoo has a robot like biomechanical theme with the sides shaded to assume it is fading.
Disorganized Experiment Laboratory
Here, a disorganized experiment laboratory is drawn with a lava inside a green jar.
Cyborg Rib Tattoo Design
This rib tattoo for men can be seen assume a cyborg showing off the chest to the rib of the wearer.
Shaded Mechanical Drawing
A dark shade of mechanical drawing with a name and date written closely between.
Marine plots 
A ship on a wavy water under the blue sky is cleanly drawn in this tattoo. This will be a good one for the sailor.
Fierce Shark
A bull shark with it’s mouth blooded angrily jumping out of the ocean. Looking closely at this, it can be said that it’s preying on something.
Light House
A light house on a stormy night is drawn here, this will be lovely on men. Rib tattoo can be a sign of where you grew up, so this is a perfect example of man whose childhood started in a lighthouse.
Light House with Cloud
This is another lighthouse but here it also shows a man trying to fish at the river bank.
Lighthouse with Eyeballs
This looks like a tower which the wind’s direction is determined and it also has an eye drawn in a triangle below it.
Lighthouse Rib Tattoo Design
This is also a tower with light on it, more like a lighthouse too.
A Ship Design Tattoo
This has a sailor’s ship steadily moving on the sea. This may be interpreted to mean a smooth time.
Colorful Animated Ship Tattoo Design
An animated drawing of a sailor’s ship is drawn on this.
Roman God Rib Tattoo Design
A roman god fighting with a sword and standing on someone who looks to be defeated on the floor.
A Ship
A ship sailing smoothly on the sea.
Animated Drawing of a Lighthouse
This has an animated drawing of a lighthouse with birds flying all around it.
Abstracts
This is a colorful abstract design drawn in blue and pink for this rib tattoo.
Abstract Arrow Rib Tattoo Idea
This rib tattoo has an arrow drawn but not directly connected as an arrow, it is just drawn abstractly.
Harry Potter
This has a sign used in Harry porter for the invisibility cloak, drawn on a blue and green watercolor. “Always” is written beneath it, vertically, on an orange color.
Portraits
This rib tattoo is a portrait of a woman’s face under what looks like a skull mask.
A Woman Portrait
This has the complete drawing of a woman’s face with some curly lines around her.
This tattoo has the face of 2 women drawn on the rib but not in full, one can be seen to open her eyes while the other has hers closed.
A Girl’s Portrait
This rib tattoo has the portrait of a girl who looks concerned, some dark shades are drawn below and above her head.
A Sorcerer Rib Tattoo Design
This rib tattoo has a picture of what looks like a sorcerer holding a skull, looking unto it.
Masked
This has the drawing of a female in mask.
Winged Lady
This rib tattoo has a naked woman drawn half way and wings behind her.
Here, a wild bird can be seen flying away with rope tied to one of it’s leg. The quote “once there was a boy” written below it.
Head of a Roaring Jaguar
The head of a jaguar roaring is drawn here.
Roaring Lion Rib Tattoo Design
This has the drawing of roaring angrily and splashes of blood can be seen around it’s mouth.
The Beast
This rib tattoo is of an angry looking beast that looks like it is trapped in a space, trying to get out.
Peculiarities of after-care
- Peculiarities of after-care are the same as for tattoos in general. Here are some rules:
- Don’t visit sauna, swimming pool, or other water basins during three weeks after tattoo making;
- Use ointment, which has recommended the master;
- Do not scrub the tattoo;
- Wear loose clothes with natural fabrics.
Famous people with rib tattoos
Many famous people decided to choose ribs for their tattoos. They are:
Justin Bieber
Megan Fox
Scarlett Johansson