Realistic red octopus tattoo with white suckers curling along a forearm near the elbow, shown beneath a reference photo of the octopus.

Red octopus tattoo on forearm

Realism · Forearm · Colour · Photo

The lower half shows a photograph of a realistic red octopus tattoo with pale dotted suckers running along its tentacles, with the body and head sitting on the arm near the elbow. The upper half is a reference photo of a red octopus against a black background, with a reflection on the water surface. The tattoo uses smooth shading, dark red tones and fine highlights, and its tentacles extend across the skin in a sweeping composition.

Realism Forearm Octopus Tentacle Sucker Sea creature

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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

Dear Ruth,

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The crate came off the Esbjerg boat on Tuesday with its lid held down by two bricks, and I was the one told to sign for it, which is how I ended up with the octopus. Customs wanted the paperwork checked before the fish could cross the yard, and while the inspector squinted at the stamps, the thing inside decided it had seen enough of the box. By the time I got the lid up, the big red one was halfway across the sorting table, feeling its way along the edge with its arms like a row of wet ropes.

Mr Oduya from the cold store swore it was the first time he'd seen one blush. Its whole body went the colour of the brick wall behind us, then darker, then a sort of rust that lit up when the sun came through the shed door. The suckers along its arms were pale as pearl buttons, and every one of them seemed to be counting us. We put a tub over it in the end, but not before it had tried the handle of the office door and got a grip on my wrist for a second, cool and firm, like being shaken hands with by somebody who knows your name.

I've been thinking about that since. The papers went through fine. The inspector stamped the lot and never once looked up. Tomorrow the lorry leaves for Harwich with the rest of the catch, and I keep telling myself the octopus was only curious. Still, I left the tub unclipped on purpose, and I've been checking the drain every morning since.

Write back soon, and tell Mum I'm eating properly.

Love, Tom