Black and grey dotwork tattoo of interlocking geometric star and polygon patterns covering a forearm, with a blurred convention hall behind.

Geometric dotwork star pattern on a forearm

Dotwork · Forearm · Black and grey · Photo

The tattoo covers the forearm with overlapping geometric star and polygon shapes, built from dense stippled dots that form radiating lines and tessellated panels. Shading moves from solid black at the edges to lighter grey in the centres of the stars, giving depth across the pattern. The photograph is taken at an angle along the arm, with a blurred indoor venue and chairs in the background.

Dotwork Geometric Forearm Geometric pattern Star Polygon Mandala Dot

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 Tom, the drawing office has given me a stool by the north window now that the new lamp is in, so I can finish the star panels before the shift whistle. Mr Hollis says a pattern that will not close has been drawn by a man in a hurry, and I told him I am not in a hurry, I am only counting dots.

Keep reading

Each star is a ring of twelve points, and every point is a pinprick on the vellum. Father always said you cannot shade a thing with a pencil until you know where the light falls, so I stipple the edges black and let the centres thin out to grey, until each star seems to lean back from the page. Nothing in the village is cut like this. Pit props are square and the slate is square and the terraces are square. Mrs Ainsley down our row says it looks like frost on a windowpane, which is kind, though I think of the sea urchin Father brought up from the coast when we were small.

Last Tuesday the panels began to overlap, one hexagon sliding under the next exactly as the tiles do on the chapel floor, and I sat up with the lamp until every seam met. It is the only thing I have made that asks nothing of me but patience. Mr Hollis came in at six, laid his thumb on the corner of the sheet and said nothing at all, which from him is applause.

I have left the middle of the last star undotted, a small white circle where the light should sit. The lamp goes out at ten and the men come up grey from the cage, but the paper keeps its place. When you are home again I will show you where the light falls. Your loving sister, Nell.