Black fine line compass rose tattoo with a swirl and arrow detail on the side of a torso, above denim shorts.

Compass rose on the ribs

Fine line · Ribs · Black and grey · Photo

A black compass rose sits within a circle on the side of the torso, with a long pointed arrow extending upward and a spiral flourish beside it. The linework is fine and even, with dotted stipple marks around the outer ring and small compass points at the cardinal positions. The tattoo is entirely black ink, set against a plain skin tone and a grey top, with a curtain in the background.

Fine line Ribs Compass Compass rose Arrow Swirl Circle

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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

The chart table was the only dry place aboard the Marguerite Lind by the third week out, and Tomas had claimed it with a tin of dividers and a pencil he kept sharpened with his teeth. Captain Ferreira had given him the job of keeping the log because his hand was steady and his mother had taught him copperplate. So each evening he drew the rose again in the margin, ringed and stippled, because the sea had worn the printed one to a smear.

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North was the arrow pointing up toward the swirl of the wind, south was the long slow stroke that dropped toward the hold, and east and west he marked with a tiny flick of the nib. The needle in the binnacle lied about a degree or two every watch, the bosun swore, and the only true thing on the ship was the drawing in the book. Ferreira laughed at him for it. Then, on the night the squall took the foresail, the captain was the one who stood at his shoulder asking him to show her the bearing again.

They made Porto Santo eleven days late with the water rationed to a cup. When the cargo was unloaded Tomas tore the page out, folded it into the lining of his coat, and took it down to the quay. He handed it to a girl selling charts from a barrow, who looked at the careful ring and the arrow and asked what it was for. He told her it was for getting home, and she said that was a poor reason to draw anything, and gave him a coin for it anyway.