Wings of Day and Night

Design  |  Research & Writing  |  Editing  |  Self-publishing

This tattoo album is like no other. It’s a collection of over 1000 hand-drawn butterfly and moth tattoo designs, from delicate minimalist pieces to intricate, story-rich compositions. It’s also a comprehensive guide to the symbolism and cultural context of butterflies and moths. And it’s a professional tool – a workbook for artists and clients seeking structured sources to help develop original and meaningful tattoo designs.

Inside, you will find black-and-white designs alongside butterfly and moth symbolism with cultural roots spanning from Greece, the Slavic Lands, Britain and Ireland, through the Aztecs, Mexico, and Native America, to Japan and China. There is also a closer look at butterfly and moth biology, with a clear explanation of the amazing process of metamorphosis. What else? Myths and legends, most iconic species and their meanings, notes on finding the perfect design, working with clients, and much, much more.

I created this book to be a beautiful source of inspiration and a tool for those seeking a personal moth or butterfly tattoo – both artists and clients. I also wrote it to show that, contrary to popular belief, a tattoo flash album can be an interesting and engaging publication. Let me know if I succeed. 

Contents by chapter

1. The Science of Symbols. How metamorphosis actually works — the dissolution, the imaginal discs, the complete rebuilding — and why humans have consistently recognised their own experience in it. The biology of transformation, and the psychology that turns it into meaning.

2. Cultural Roots. What butterflies and moths mean across the world. Japan, China, the Celts, the Aztecs, Persia, Christianity, West Africa, and more — each culture arrived at its own symbolism, shaped by the species it encountered and the beliefs it held. Different stories, same intuition underneath.

3. The Iconic Species. Eight butterflies and moths, each with its own symbolic profile. Monarch, Swallowtail, Blue Morpho, White Butterfly, Death’s-Head Hawkmoth, Luna Moth, Atlas Moth, Polyphemus Moth. What each one means, who chooses it, and why.

4. Personal Narratives. The reasons people actually get butterfly and moth tattoos: transformation, memorial, freedom, spiritual seeking, mortality, and identity. Not abstract categories but real human experiences — and the designs that carry them best.

5. From Symbol to Skin. Practical guidance for turning meaning into a good tattoo. Style, placement, scale, composition, body geography, and what happens when symbolism and aesthetics conflict. Written for both clients planning a tattoo and artists navigating the conversation.

6. Quick Reference Guide. Lookup tables organised by meaning, species, placement, style, and flower pairing — designed for quick consultation in the studio or during the design process. A decision tree for those who know what they feel but not yet what they want.

7. The Legends. The full stories behind the symbols. The Butterfly Lovers, Psyche and Eros, Étaín, the Aztec warrior butterflies, the Sufi moth and flame — told completely, as they were meant to be told.

Over 1000 hand-drawn tattoo designs

Between each chapter, there are twelve pages of original tattoo designs — over a thousand in total, all hand-drawn in black and white across more than three years of work. The styles range from minimal silhouettes and fine line through realistic, tribal, fantasy and horror to complex multi-element compositions. The designs are mixed rather than sorted by chapter—deliberately —so that browsing stays surprising and each spread offers variety rather than repetition. All of them, though, connect to the symbolism, species, and traditions covered in the text.

The album is built so that reading and browsing alternate: you learn why these symbols carry the weight they do, then you see them translated into designs ready for skin.

For whom is this album?

First of all, for professional tattoo artists seeking premium flash albums, inspiration for clients and themselves, and a nice tool to work with when searching for the perfect tattoo. For studio owners who want an engaging reading for the waiting area. It’s also for all tattoo enthusiasts seeking beautiful, deeply meaningful butterfly and moth designs. Butterfly and moth enthusiasts will find many interesting facts about these creatures and their impact on the beliefs of many cultures worldwide. It’s also for scholars, and for art book collectors, and anyone fascinated by the intersection of ancient wisdom and contemporary tattoo culture.