If you’re looking to incorporate smiley face tattoos into your patchwork design, there are so many ideas to choose from. You can go with the classic style of the traditional yellow smiley, or you could opt for something more unique like an acid-house inspired version.
While I love the idea of having a smiley face tattoo, I also really like the idea of using it as part of my patchwork design. So rather than duplicate one of those ready-made images that are all over the internet, I’d prefer to plan out my own original permanent piece. (And if you’re not sure what I’m talking about, here’s an article about how to plan out your patchwork design.)
I’ve always loved the idea of the smiley face. It’s such a useful design language. The origin story of the smiley is kind of interesting, and while I think some people may take issue with it, I know the origins are debated, but the version people often point to was designed by Harvey Ball in 1963 as a morale button for a company. He did make this pin-back button that has a sunny-yellow circle with two eyes and a mouth on it, and while it’s pretty much identical to every other smiley face you see today, I do think he deserves credit for creating the design that helped popularize the modern smiley face.
But regardless of who invented it, I still love the smiley face. And since it’s such a popular design, it makes sense that there are quite a few variations. For example, I can imagine a simple minimal version of the smiley face being perfect for a small tattoo. But then again, I can also imagine a larger, bolder version of the smiley face that could be placed right on the wrist.
There are so many styles of smiley faces to choose from, and they can range from very compact and minimalist versions, to very bold, colorful, and expressive ones. Here are just a few examples:
Traditional Smileys
These are probably the most common smiley faces that you’ll find online. They’re usually done in black linework, but sometimes in fine-line open circles. They tend to be fairly basic, but they can be done in different colors, too.
Acid House / Rave-Inspired Smiley Faces
This style of smiley face seems to have originated during the late 1980s and early 1990s UK rave scene, when the acid-house music genre was at its peak. This particular style of smiley face tends to have a more exaggerated look to it, which is fitting for the euphoric, carefree spirit of the party culture.
Clean designMelted Smiley Faces
This style of smiley face reminds me of melted crayons. They’re generally more abstract and artistic, and they tend to use a lot of color.
Emoji-Inspired Smiley Faces
These smiley faces are similar to the traditional ones, but they’re often more stylized, and sometimes even humorous. These can be great fun to create!
Ironic Sad-Face Smiley Faces
I love these! There’s something so funny about taking a happy little smiley face and turning it upside down. You could add text to it, or just leave it alone.
Flower Power Smiley Faces
This style of smiley face is reminiscent of the 1960s flower power movement. They’re typically done in bright colors, and they often feature flowers or other nature-inspired designs around the face.
Y2K Smiley Faces
This style of smiley face is reminiscent of the early 2000s. They’re usually done in bright colors, and they often feature things like devil horns, sunglasses, and other Y2K-era accessories.
Of course, there are plenty of other styles of smiley faces to choose from, and I encourage you to come up with your own personal style. Just keep in mind that no matter what direction you choose, the smiley face will still read as a circular patch. So keep that in mind when planning out your layout.
Now, if you want to create your own original design, you might want to consider hiring an artist to redraw the idea from reference directions. If you’re not sure where to start, here’s an article about how to get started with designing your own patchwork design.
Smiley Face Placement Options
Smiley face tattoos can be worn as standalone patches, or they can be used to fill in the gaps between other pieces. Because they’re usually fairly small, they can be easily incorporated into smaller areas of the body, such as the wrist, hand, fingers, forearm, collarbone, and ankle.
However, depending on the detail level and final size of the design, a smiley face may need more room. If you’re going with a simpler, more self-contained design, it won’t take up as much space. But if you’re going with a melted, layered, or highly expressive version of the smiley face, you’ll definitely need more room for it.
In addition, because a smiley face is usually designed to be viewed from a distance, you’ll probably want to give it some room to breathe. That means leaving some open skin between independent pieces.
Smiley Face Sizing & Spacing
The general rule of thumb when working with patchwork layouts is that the simpler the design, the smaller the size it can be. Conversely, the more intricate the design, the larger the size it needs to be. In addition, the spacing between individual pieces will vary depending on how detailed the design is.
When planning out your design, remember that each piece should be spaced far enough apart so that they can be clearly identified as separate pieces. If you’re unsure about sizing and spacing, you can always ask your tattoo artist for help.
Clean designSmiley Face Planning Tips
Before you commit to getting your smiley face tattooed, you should take some time to plan out your design. This doesn’t mean you have to sketch out your entire design before you begin, but it’s a good idea to have a general idea of what you want your design to look like.
To help you get started, here are some tips to keep in mind when planning out your design:
Expression – Think about what expression you want your smiley face to have. Do you want it to be happy? Sad? Angry? Or maybe you want it to have a neutral expression?
Style – What kind of style do you want your smiley face to have? Are you looking for something more traditional, or do you want something more unique?
Palette – What kind of palette do you want to use? Will you stick with just one color, or will you use multiple colors?
Placement – Where do you want to place your smiley face? Keep in mind that the placement will affect both the size and spacing of the design.
Personal Meaning – Does your smiley face have any personal meaning to you? If so, make sure to include that in your design.
Once you have a general idea of what you want your design to look like, you can start drawing out your ideas. When working with patchwork layouts, it’s a good idea to draw out your ideas on paper so that you can play around with different ideas until you come up with a design that you like.
Keep in mind that the key to success with patchwork layouts is to work on one piece at a time. Don’t try to plan out your entire design before you begin. Instead, focus on one piece at a time, and once you have an idea for one piece, move on to the next piece.