The Wonders Of Optical Illusion: 35+ Unbelievably Amazing And Sophisticated Moving Tattoos

You have probably heard of or even seen some really awesome tattoos. It might have been a classic tattoo, a white or red tattoo, a three-dimensional tattoo, or a discrete minimalist one. While you might have heard of or seen a lot of different tattoos, have you ever heard of moving tattoos?

The concept of moving tattoos is different from regular tattoos. This unique art form does not really create tattoos that can move around. Rather, it shows different perspectives of the same tattoo when the body part moves.

The way moving tattoos are created by tattoo artists is that the tattoos are inked on parts of the skin like elbows, biceps, wrists, knees, and other joint regions so that it will look like it is changing in size or shape when that body parts move.

If you have not seen a moving tattoo before, look no further. Below we have included some of the coolest pictures of people with amazing moving art we have ever seen. 

Pac-Man

Popular Japanese game franchise fans will recognize the character in this first picture. Pac-Man is one of the most popular arcade games ever created, with millions of people obsessing over it to this day. The tattoo in the image below is an interesting one.

The tattoo is drawn in such a way that Pac-Man opens and closes his mouth depending on the movement of the owner’s fingers. For super fans of the franchise, the tattoo might not be of the highest quality, but at least it looks like Pac-Man and is an interesting concept.

Is He In Construction?

While you can pretty much get anything tattooed on your body, as is your right, we wonder what might have led this person to get a bolt cutter permanently tattooed on his leg. Maybe he works in construction? Or maybe he just thought it was cool. 

This person got a bolt cutter tattooed along his knee, and when he bends, the bolt cutter closes. When the leg is stretched, the bolt cutter opens. This tattoo looks fresh, and the owner had to shave their leg before getting this tattooed. We hope it will be visible when the hair grows back.

An Unusual Fish

The angler fish is a bony saltwater fish known for using its luminescent fin to act as bait to lure other fish. While they might look menacing, these fish are not harmful to humans because they are too small to cause any real harm.

The moving tattoo above is a really amazing one. In the first picture, while the person’s leg is bent, the jaws of the fish are shut. In the second image, the jaws of the fish are open to reveal gnarly teeth when the leg is stretched.

This Is Not What They Expected

This next image is the tattoo of a shark’s jaw located at the back of the arm and surrounding the elbow. While this tattoo looks very simple, the details added to the teeth and the jaw make its simplicity look interesting.

The tattoo does not have the full range of movement because of its location, unlike those on the thigh or arm. While getting the tattoo of a shark bite might not be as painful as the real thing, it would still hurt a lot.

When You Love Cirque Du Soleil

This next image is another interesting tattoo where a man and woman look like they are falling and reaching for each other. In the first picture, the guy seems to be falling, and the woman seems to be reaching for him like in a trapeze act.

While in the second picture, she finally catches on to him. This tattoo probably represents a promise made between lovers. This tattoo probably has sentimental meaning to the owner. Or maybe they just love the iconic Cirque Du Soleil and their amazing acts.

A Moving Mermaid

Warsaw is a city found in the country of Poland. The motto of the city of Warsaw is ‘Semper Invicta‘ which are Latin words that, when translated, mean “always undefeated.” The next image is a tattoo of the coat of arms of the city.

The mermaid on the coat of arms represents the guardian of the storm to fishermen in this region. Although the tattoo does not move much when the owner’s leg moves, we can see the tail gently swaying like a fish’s tail would in water. 

A Polite Lady

This next image shows a traditionally-dressed Japanese woman wearing a kimono with the obi around her waist. The tattoo is very simple and has clear, neat lines depicting the woman respectfully bowing with her hands clasped in front of her.

This Japanese practice represents good fortune and long life. And while the kimono lady is a popular tattoo that many people have, there are minor differences here. Even though Japanese people do not hold their hand like that when they bow, the tattoo still holds its respectful meaning,

Reaching For Food Be Like…

The tattoo in the picture below depicts the skeleton of the Brachiosaurus dinosaur. These now-extinct creatures were estimated to roam the Earth some millions of years ago. Some people sometimes say that birds are the direct offspring of dinosaurs, which is pretty crazy.

We have to appreciate the details created by the tattoo artist on this piece. The tattoo looks like the dinosaur is walking and stretching its neck to get some food, depending on the owner’s hand movement. If you look closely at the tattoo, it looks like two people cosplaying as a dinosaur.

We All Love This Beverage

Many of us like to start our day with a hot cup of coffee. The refreshing flavor of the caffeinated beverage gets us active and improves our humor a great deal. But would you ever tattoo a coffee jug and pot on yourself?

The precision of this tattoo is pretty amazing, and the detailing appears to be intricate as well. While the person is sitting, the pot looks to be pouring the coffee slowly. When he stands, it appears to have sped up. This person must love coffee a lot.

So This Is A Popular Tattoo

This next image is also a tattoo of a Brachiosaurus, a dinosaur that lived during the Jurassic Age millions of years ago. Fans of the Jurassic World movie franchise will be familiar with this dinosaur. Unlike the previous dinosaur tattoo, this one is not a skeleton.

This person’s cool moving tattoo extends from his biceps to his forearm. In the first picture, the dinosaur looks like it is picking something up from the ground with the guys’ hands stretched, while in the second image, with his arms bent, the dinosaur looks to have its neck up.

Maybe He’s A Barber?

This next one is the drawing of a classical knife, the slip-joint knife. This knife has been used for a long time and still serves as a good tool and source of security in places where they are legal to carry around.

A slip-joint knife is a reliable tool. This tattoo can also be a sign used among gang members. Looking at the skills of the tattoo artist, though, the knife looks like it is closing when the arm is bent. When the arm straightens, the blade comes out.

What We See In Our Nightmares

Fans of popular Japanese manga and anime will most likely have heard of the manga Chainsaw Man. This manga features different types of devils that threaten the world. This tattoo subtly looks like the fox devil that he summons to bite things in this anime.

It also kind of looks like a six-eyed wolf. Whether or not that is what it is, the details and how it changes form when the person squats are beautiful to look at. The way the mouth of the creature opens and closes when the person squats are pretty unforgettable.

The Lady Bug

This next image features a beautifully-designed moving tattoo. This tattoo is a ladybug drawn on the inside of this person’s arm along their elbow. When the person flexes the arm, the ladybugs’ wings close, and when the arm is straightened, the wings spread.

We like how the details of the ladybug seem just to unfurl as the arm straightens out. If you don’t look very closely enough, it might seem like the arm has been chopped off a little to accommodate the tattoo.

The Bite Of Death

When you think of a cool tattoo idea, what comes to your mind? Well, to this person, it was the tattoo of some vampire lips dripping with blood. The first picture of the inside of the owner’s elbow shows the detailed vampire mouth with a pierced tongue as well. 

When the person folds their hand, the lips look like they’re biting into themselves. The only downside to this amazing tattoo is that it is surrounded by so many others that it’s pretty for anyone to notice it. Well, kudos for the effort, at least.

Housefly or Bee?

This is another cool-looking tattoo. This person has what looks like a bee with housefly wings—tattooed around their elbow. This might be one of those hybrid animal tattoos where the tattoo artist was asked to combine different insects and make a new species. 

No matter what type of insect this is, there is no doubt about the amount of work put into it. The wings of the insect open when her arms are stretched and close when her arm is folded. When the wings are open, it kind of looks like siamese bees.

The Land Hidden In The Fish

This next tattoo is pretty poetic, if we’re being honest. The tattoo looks like a well-detailed fish. We have seen some beautiful tattoos with fine details but the details on this one stand out. The amount of artistry this took was amazing.

The way the tattoo transforms as the person squats also looks really neat. When the legs are stretched out, the fish has a staircase on its stomach that likely leads to an enchanting place. When the person squats, the fish goes back to being a regular animal.

 Life And Death…What Lies Beneath?

This next tattoo is of a beetle on the inner part of the elbow. This hybrid insect has an outer shell of a face that divides in two when the arms are stretched. And underneath the wings, where the abdomen is supposed to be, there is a skull.

The face on the shell represents youthfulness and beauty, and underneath that is a skull that represents death and decay. This tattoo is a philosophical portrayal of life and death. Or it might have another meaning. We’ll never know until we ask the person who got the tattoo.

What’s It Eating?

This might be the first time you see the tattoo of a frog on a person’s body. When the arm is bent, the mouth of the frog appears to be closed. And when the arm is straightened, it looks like the frog is eating something.

While some tattoos might have deep meaning attached to them or signify something to a group or organization, some tattoos are just there for their aesthetic value. While some tattoos have shared meanings, some might only be understood by the owners.

Why Associate Something Pure With Death?

We have probably seen a lot of beautiful butterfly tattoos on this list. Aside from the fact that butterflies are beautiful creatures, they also represent hope and a new beginning for some people. They also sometimes have a romantic or passionate meaning to couples.

And while the butterfly looks beautiful and positive when the man’s arms are folded, when they straighten out, the butterfly becomes something out of a horror movie with a skull appearing on the wings. Even though it might be a bit scary, it is still a beautiful piece of art.

Stay Away From Me!

The next photo is another tattoo of a dinosaur. And while we’ve seen some really cool tattoos of these jurassic creatures, this is a different type of dinosaur. We think that this person must be a big fan of Jurassic World.

This man has his love for these giant lizards tattooed on his back. The neck of this velociraptor is drawn on the back of the man’s shoulder so that when he raises his arm, the raptor looks like it is charging at something. When the arm is down, it looks docile.

Jaws: Fish Food

The next tattoo is a fine piece of art that captures the aerial view of when the skeleton of a small fish is devoured by a shark. This is a natural occurrence that happens every day in the sea. The strong will always dominate the weak.

The person that got this tattoo is definitely someone you don’t want to mess with. When his hands are open, the jaws of the shark are open, and when the arm is folded, the jaws close on the little fish’s skeleton.

The Flying Black Beetle

This next picture is of a very beautiful and detailed beetle. This tattoo of a beetle around the elbow of this person is one of the most detailed pieces so far. We have to appreciate the number of details the tattoo artist put into this design.

With the amount of detail put into this beetle, it will be the envy of many insect lovers. The way the beetle transforms and the wings open when she straightens her arm is a sight to see. And while we would support you getting this tattoo, we would recommend choosing a really talented artist.

That’s So Cute!

This next entry is one of our favorites so far. It’s the cutest tattoo we’ve seen on this list. It’s a stickman jumping on a trampoline. When he moves his pinkie, the little stickman jumps up and down the trampoline. 

We want to recommend this tattoo to anyone interested in getting their first tattoo. We think it is one of the easiest ways to relieve stress. Imagine playing with your own stickman when you’re bored. This is a simple but exquisite tattoo.

Jaw-Dropping Skull

While we are not sure what animal skull this is, we think it looks like a canine. Hopefully, the owner knows what type of skull this is. We can’t deny, however, how clever the skull looks at the edge of the thumb and index finger.

This tattoo is literally jaw-dropping as the skull’s jaw is open. We don’t know if the owner of this tattoo has a sentimental reason for choosing this particular design. We can’t deny that it makes for a great conversation starter, though.

The Butterfly With Demon Mask

This next image is a very beautiful tattoo, and it looks quite stunning. When the owner flexes their biceps, it looks like a regular butterfly. But when the arm is straightened out, the butterfly seems to be getting eaten by a demon mask.

The hidden drawing of the demon mask is proof that there is more to this tattoo than what is seen at first glance. This is one beautiful art piece with a very surreal meaning. And we can’t help wondering how many hours it took the artist to finish this one.

Entrance to The Moon’s Eye

This is a creative description of the moon and the sun, right? This tattoo also looks like an eye depending on the angle it is seen from. The first image is with the man squatting, and the tattoo looks like a sun with a hole in it.

The second picture shows the man standing, and the tattoo looks like a smiling moon leading to a mysterious staircase. The facial details on the moon look very realistic. We wonder where the dark stairs lead to, though we’re pretty sure we won’t like the answer.

How Do People Come Up With This?

We have seen a lot of great tattoos, and we might forget some of them, but the next tattoo is pretty unforgettable. We are not sure what type of creature this is, but it looks like it has the head of a dog. And it seems like there’s a key hanging around its neck.

The body looks like that of a dragon or a sea horse, or some other type of creature. It might also look kind of like a Norse symbol. Or a protection symbol. Whatever the tattoo is, we are sure that seeing this will leave an imprint.

That’s Creepy

This is one of the scariest-looking tattoos of a moth that we have seen. The wings of this month open up when the person stands straight and closes up when they squat. If you’re looking to get a beautiful and scary tattoo, this is a good idea.

On both wings, there are eyes that look like they are staring right back at you. This is a pretty awesome tattoo. We don’t know if the eye glow on one wing was a mistake or if it was done intentionally by the tattoo artist.

Want Some Lime Juice?

Some tattoos hold sentimental meaning to their owners, but some people like to get random tattoos for fun reasons. Some are even a result of dares or anything else we can’t think of right now. This next tattoo might be an example of this.

This tattoo is a slice of lime. We wonder how many shots were taken to lead to this tattoo. This particular moving tattoo of lime looks like a normal slice when the owner’s arm is stretched, and it looks like it’s being squeezed when they flex their arm.

People Really Love This Style

This is another moving beetle tattoo. We have seen some beautiful tattoos of bugs with different details and forms. The fluid way the beetle’s wings open when she stretches her arm makes us wonder what inspired the tattoo artists that draw these pieces.

This beautiful tattoo beetle closes its wings when the owner flexes her arm. The details on the wings and lower abdomen also show the artistry of the tattoo artist. Of all the moving tattoos that we have seen, flying bugs seem to be one of the most popular.

Three Stages Of A Flight

This image is also of a flying bug. This tattoo features a ladybug that is slowly taking flight. The three frames below show us the way the tattoo moves. In the first frame, the owner’s arm is folded, and the ladybug’s wings are tucked under her shell.

In the second frame, the wings come out from beneath the shell as the owner straightens her arm, and in the third frame, when her arms are fully straightened out, the ladybug has her wings fully spread. Off she goes!

Vampire Jaw

We are sure that fans of the movie Twilight and other vampire movies like Dracula have, at some point, wondered what a vampire bite feels like. Well, there’s no need to think too much about it. Getting this tattoo will probably be as close to that as you can get.

This moving tattoo is of a vampire jaw that has been tattooed on the inside of this person’s elbow. When the arm is straightened out, the vampire’s jaw is wide open, but when the arm is folded, it takes a munch out of the skin. At least, it looks that way.

The Prettiest Beetle

In this article, we have seen a lot of beautiful bug tattoos, but this is our favorite. We don’t know what type of beetle this is or even if it is a beetle at all, but the colors used in this tattoo are amazing.

There are cool patterns across the bug’s body, all in different bright colors. The details seen in the legs, wings, and abdomen of this particular bug tattoo make this one of our favorites on this list. Let us not forget that the wings open and close as the owner moves their hand.

The Eyes That See Everything

We have seen different moving tattoos of different animals, from fish to dogs and even insects. This next tattoo is of an octopus that has three eyes. These intelligent mollusks are sea-dwelling with eight limbs. When the owner of the tattoo squats, the three-eyed octopus is visible.

As you can see in the second frame, however, the octopus morphs and becomes some sort of alien creature. The octopus is one of the most mysterious creatures. Some people even believe that they evolved from an alien species, so this tattoo kind of makes sense now.

What A Creative Idea

This tattoo looks like a mystical butterfly. When the owner’s legs are bent, the butterfly looks like it has a human eye pattern on its wings. The eye gives the butterfly a mysterious look as the eyes seem to look back at you.

When he straightens his legs, however, the wings of the butterfly spread, and there is an eye on each wing. The way the butterfly transforms from having one eye to two eyes as the guy squats and stands shows the work of a professional tattoo artist.

This Is Perfect For Halloween

This next image is probably the scariest tattoo we have ever seen. With the way the black deer horn-shaped horns look like they are going, the skull reminds us of the villain from the Samurai Jack series that was shown on the Cartoon Network.

The meaning of this tattoo goes over our heads and might be known only by the owner of the tattoo. But that does not make it any less awesome. The intricate overlaps and the details put into making the skull look menacing are incredible. Well, everything about this tattoo is, honestly.

How Do People Come Up With This?

This last tattoo is another creepy art piece. We don’t know exactly what kind of creature this is, but it looks like a crayfish standing on two legs. The first frame shows the tattoo with the owner’s arm folded, which makes the weird crayfish close its mouth.

In the second frame, however, the person’s arms are straightened, and the mouth of the creature opens, revealing some knife-like teeth. The tattoo artist did an amazing job, especially with how the crayfish looks timid before it opens its mouth.