9 Pretty Heart Tattoos Beyond The Simple Outline

One of the most classic tattoos a person can get is undoubtedly the pretty heart tattoo. But getting a heart tattoo doesn't have to tie into traditional tattooing if you don't want it to. If I'm being honest, some of the most beautiful heart tattoos I've seen come from more imaginative places. Here's what I mean.

"Pretty" doesn't have to be defined as "small" or "dainty" or even "traditionally beautiful." The delicate intersection of veins in a heart is infinitely prettier to me than a Valentine's Day frilly affair. That's not to say they can't be pretty too, but we should arguably learn to appreciate the beauty that can be found anywhere when we let ourselves be a little more liberal with the term.

What's often the most beautiful thing about any tattoo is the meaning behind it. (If there is one!) Kylie Jenner's heart tattoo exemplifies how something as simple as a heart tat can mean the world to you, without having to explain to everyone the deep symbolism behind it. At the end of the day, though, if a design is pretty and you like it (whatever "pretty" means to you), that's more than enough reason to consider it. Here are nine heart tattoos that prove just that.

1. The Big Outline

Although Kylie Jenner's teeny tiny heart tattoo totally gives me heart eyes, the bigger version of an outlined heart works just as well. The simplicity keeps it cute and cool, and means nobody's squinting to try to work out what your tat is.

2. The Little Outline

That being said, I'm still a huge fan of the little heart tattoo á la Kylie Jenner. The small heart is also a smart first tattoo if you're worried about pain or permanence.

3. The Realistic Heart

I think the realistic drawing of a heart is actually really gorgeous. Sure, I might be upset if it was on the front of my Valentine's Day card, but it makes for a kick-ass tattoo.

4. The Arty Heart

This Keith Haring-inspired heart shows how you can combine your heart tattoo with a completely different style or the work of an artist who you admire. This fun piece demonstrates how much this guy loves Keith Haring in one of the most literal ways possible.

5. The Watercolor Heart

This more conceptual heart tattoo incorporates the watercolor tattoo trend to create something completely unique and beautiful.

6. The Diamond Effect Tattoo

The heart in this piece has an almost diamond-like effect and puts a really interesting 3D play onto the classic heart tattoo.

7. The Cartoon Heart

A tattoo doesn't have to be realistic to be beautiful; and it doesn't have to be overly-simplified to be pretty, either. A cute cartoon makes for a totally fun tattoo.

8. The Conceptual Heart

Dot work is one of my favorite forms of tattooing. This kind of piece is one that will always be interesting to look at as well as a great conversation starter.

9. The Emotional Heart

This one reminds me of that infamous Banksy piece, but this is a personal twist on an original tattoo. You can practically feel the emotion radiating off it, which makes it quite a beautiful tattoo.

There's way more to pretty heart tattoos than Kylie Jenner's small ink (even if it's pretty adorable). At the end of the day, we all have a heart. So we may as well get one tattooed onto our bods.

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Images; Maegan Tintari, kill, Amelia Wells, The Pug Father, Ricardo Almeida, Ricardo Almeida, Tony Alter, Ricardo Almeida, Ricardo Almeida/Flickr