Close photo of a black silhouette swallow with blue-shaded wings and two blue leaves on the inner forearm.

Enlarged with AI from a smaller original

Blue and black swallow on a forearm

Forearm · Mixed · Photo

A solid black silhouette of a swallow in flight, with its wings and forked tail shaded into blue, sits on the inner forearm. Two blue leaves or petals hang beneath the bird, joined by a thin dark stem. The ink is mostly black with blue gradients, and the plain skin tone and soft background keep the focus on the design.

Find an artist for this

Take it to an artist as a reference. A good artist will make it yours rather than copy someone else's tattoo.

A story inspired by this tattoo · fiction

Dear Tomasz, the swallow came back to the petrol station at Dunmore Cross the morning after you left, and it sat on the pump hose as if it had been waiting for a lift. Mum said it was the same bird from last summer, the one with the blue-tipped wings, but I told her swallows don't remember anything except the way home. I gave it a crust from my sandwich and it ate it right there, bold as anything.

Keep reading

You asked me to write properly this time, so here is the proper news. The rain has finally stopped. The bean field behind the chapel has gone the colour of weak tea, and Mr Ahern says that is the best thing that can happen to it. I walked the old road out past the quarry on Sunday with the dog. Half a mile out there is a stretch of tarmac where nothing grows but a single thistle, and on the verge someone had tied a bunch of wild sage to a fence post with blue twine. Nobody I asked knew who did it.

The swallow followed me the whole way back, low over the hedges, dipping at every gate. I thought of you then, out on your long straight road with the sun in your eyes, and I wondered whether your swallows keep pace with the lorry or give up at the state line. Tell me if one shadows you. Tell me if the petals fall.

More like this

Black and grey swallow tattoo in a traditional style on the forearm of a light-skinned arm, shown in flight against a pale background.
Swallow tattoo on a forearm
Small black fine line tattoo of a bird in flight on the ankle, shown against pale skin.
Small bird in flight on an ankle
Black fine line tattoo of a feather quill with a trailing line and small dots on the inner wrist, photographed against a green background.
Feather quill on the inner wrist
Traditional style tattoo of a blue swallow with cream wing linings and a yellow beak, placed on the side of the lower abdomen near the navel.
Blue swallow on the lower abdomen
Two solid black silhouette swallows in flight on a forearm, with soft, slightly feathered edges.
Two swallows in flight on the arm
Black and grey shaded swallow in flight tattooed on the side of the ribcage.
Swallow in flight on the ribs
Black linework tattoo of a bird in flight with outstretched wings on the inner forearm, in a fine line style.
Bird in flight on a forearm
Black and grey tattoo of two birds in flight with long tails and white highlights on the upper back near the shoulder blade.
Two birds in flight on upper back
Close-up photo of a shaded blue feather tattoo on the side of a ribcage, with a black lace edge visible at the top of the frame.
Blue feather pair on the ribs
Black fine line tattoo of a dove in flight on the inner wrist and forearm of a pale-skinned arm.
Dove in flight on a wrist
Black and grey realistic feather tattoo with shaded barbs and a pale central quill, placed on the side of the torso near the ribs.
Feather tattoo on the side of the body
Black and grey tattoo of a bird in flight with an arrow passing through its beak on the upper chest near the collarbone.
Bird in flight with arrow on upper chest

From the plentytattoo archive, uploaded by a user. Is this your work? Ask for credit or removal.