Neo-traditional style tattoo of a red rose framed by black and grey lace-like scrollwork across the upper back and shoulder blade.

Red rose on lace-style shoulder and back piece

Neo-trad · Back · Mixed · Photo

A large red rose with shaded petals sits at the centre of the design, surrounded by black and grey ornamental scrollwork that resembles lace. The linework is bold and the leaves are filled with dot patterns and fine cross-hatching, giving depth to the grey areas. The rose is the only area of colour, so the red stands out against the neutral grey shading and pale skin.

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 Ingrid,

Keep reading

The boat was late again on Tuesday, so the wool came over three days behind and Mam has been knitting by the stove every night since, the lamp turned up until the chimney blackens. You know how she is about grey. Every shawl she has made since Da died has been the colour of the sea in February, lace so fine you could read the Gazette through it. Last night I asked her why she never once used anything brighter, and she didn't answer. She only lifted a skein of red from the tea caddy, where she'd been keeping it.

It was the madder root Auntie Sheena sent in the spring, and the dye had come out the colour of a fresh cut. Mam said it was for the middle of the shawl, a single rose worked where the pattern begins to spiral. The rest would stay grey, the old way, the way the fishwives' shawls were made so the sea would not see them coming. The rose was for nobody but whoever stood close enough to look.

I thought she was being foolish. But she has finished it now, and I have seen it pinned to the board. The rose sits at the centre with its petals folded like it is keeping a secret, and every leaf around it is pricked with tiny dots so the lamplight falls through them in little coins across the table.

Mam says it goes to the Lerwick buyer on Friday, and I am to tell you nothing about it. So I am telling you. Come home at Easter. Bring the good scissors.

Love, Mhairi

More like this

Traditional colour tattoo of a dagger gripped by a hand with a crown pommel, above a red rose and black leaves, on the upper back.
Dagger and rose on upper back
Realistic red rose tattoo with black lace-style filigree and a dotted gem drop design across a person's lower abdomen, below the navel.
Realistic rose with black lace on the stomach
Colour realism tattoo of a red rose with aged, browned petal edges and green leaves, placed on the upper chest.
Realistic red rose on the chest
Black tribal design with a red rose and green leaves tattooed on the upper arm, photographed close up.
Tribal and rose design on upper arm
Black and grey realism tattoo of two roses with a black lace pattern across the upper back.
Two roses and lace on upper back
Realistic red roses framed by black lace and dangling pearl chains, tattooed on the thigh.
Red roses with black lace on a thigh
Traditional style colour tattoo of two red roses with green leaves on the upper arm, outlined in bold black.
Red roses with leaves on an upper arm
Black and grey tattoo of three roses with shaded leaves across the shoulder and upper arm.
Three roses on a shoulder
Realistic red rose tattoo with grey shaded leaves across the upper back and shoulder.
Red rose on a shoulder blade
Photograph of a realistic red rose with a black lace bow tattoo on a person's upper back, near the shoulder blade.
Red rose with black lace bow on upper back
Shaded pink rose with dark leaves beside a black swirling filigree butterfly tattoo on a person's upper back.
Pink rose and filigree butterfly on a back
Colour realism tattoo of pink and purple roses with green leaves and buds across the upper back and shoulder blade.
Pink and purple roses on a shoulder blade

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