Key tattoo ideas

392 photos and flash · 19% Realism, 16% Traditional · Forearm most common

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Black and grey drawing of a shaded rose with leaves, an ornate filigree key and hanging chain, shown as a standalone tattoo design with no body placement visible.
Rose and ornate key design
Colour and black ink tattoo on a lower leg showing an open birdcage, birds flying out, pink cherry blossom branches and the words Faith Hope Love in script.
Birdcage and cherry blossom on a calf
Black and grey neo-traditional tattoo of an ornate heart-shaped padlock with a key and ribbon on the upper arm, with a small star below.
Heart padlock and key on upper arm
Black and grey realism style tattoo of a dove carrying a chain of three ornate skeleton keys, on the side of a person's ribs.
Dove carrying ornate keys on the ribs
Blue pencil sketch of a traditional-style swallow in flight with a heart-shaped key in its beak, drawn on a pale blue textured background.
Swallow carrying a heart key
Black and grey flash design of an ornate owl with dense patterned linework and dotwork, perched on an antique key on a white background.
Ornate owl holding a key
A grid of cross stitch chart designs in traditional tattoo flash style, including swallows, hearts, roses, a pin-up, a cherry pair and lettering, on a grey background.
Sheet of cross stitch tattoo-style flash designs
Two inner arms show black ink tattoos: an infinity symbol joined to a heart with a keyhole on one arm, and a simple key on the other.
Infinity heart keyhole and key on inner arms
Black and grey traditional style flash sheet showing a shield with three horses and an eagle at the top, with a swallow, key, dagger, rose, skull, bicycle and other small designs below.
Traditional flash sheet with horses, eagle and dagger
Black blackwork flash design of an ornate key with a castle-topped bow, a heart cut-out and the words Open Up Your Dreams in script.
Ornate key with castle bow and script
Ornate key tattoo with black linework and blue, pink and green watercolour washes on the forearm.
Ornate key with watercolour splashes on a forearm
Traditional style tattoo of a grey key with a red ribbon banner and skull-shaped bow on the forearm, with red script across the banner.
Key with skull bow and banner on a forearm
Colour neo-traditional tattoo on an upper arm of a blonde girl with sugar skull face makeup, resting beside a purple puddle and a blue bottle.
Sugar skull girl with bottle on upper arm
Realistic colour tattoo of a silver key with a pink ribbon bow and the words follow your heart along the shaft, on the side of a torso.
Key with pink bow and follow your heart script
Fine line drawing of a pocket watch with a chain and key, trailing vines and flower buds, and the script words Life is what you make of it, shown as a tattoo design without a body placement.
Pocket watch and vine design with script
Black and grey tattoo of a typewriter with a quote reading May I never be complete, on the upper arm, with letters spilling from the keys.
Typewriter with spilling letters and quote
Four people's inner wrists show matching black fine line script reading No. 4, with a key drawn between the two middle designs.
Matching No. 4 wrist tattoos with a key
Black and white photo of a fine line keyhole tattoo at the base of the throat, with a small key tattoo on a finger resting on the chest.
Keyhole on the neck and a small key on a finger
Pencil drawing of a tattoo design in pink and purple ink, showing an ornate heart with flowers above a key wrapped in ribbon and a flower below, in a neo-traditional style.
Heart and key tattoo design in pink pencil
Fine line black and grey tattoo of an old-fashioned key on the forearm of a person whose hands are clasped in their lap.
Key tattoo on a forearm
Black thread embroidery in a wooden hoop of a tattoo-style hand holding a heart with a SOULMATE banner, a chain and a decorated cuff.
Embroidered hand holding a heart banner
Black and grey realism tattoo of a heart-shaped padlock with scrollwork and an ornate key on a ball chain, across the forearm.
Heart padlock and key on a forearm
Grid of twelve colourful watercolour-style tattoos, including a wolf, fox, owl, parrots, hummingbirds and a leopard, shown on upper arms, shoulders and a back.
Watercolour animal tattoos collection
Fine line outline of an arrow running along the inner forearm, in black ink, while a hand holds leather key straps and keys.
Arrow tattoo on forearm holding keys
A collage of three small fine line tattoos: a key on the back of a hand, three birds on the neck and a small heart on the forearm.
Tiny tattoos on hand, neck and forearm
Black and grey line drawing of a feather, pocket watch, key, chain, gears and fountain pen, shown as a tattoo design with no body placement visible.
Feather, pocket watch and gears design
Pen and ink drawing of an ornate heart-shaped key entwined with vines and a small red rose, shown as a tattoo design on plain paper.
Ornate heart key with rose and vines
Neo-traditional tattoo of an ornate padlock with a keyhole, a pink rose and a pink key with a ribbon, on the ankle.
Ornate padlock and rose on an ankle
Black and grey realism tattoo of a rose, open pocket watch and key on the outer upper arm.
Rose, pocket watch and key on an arm
Black and grey realism tattoo of a lion wearing a crown with a lettered banner and a hanging chain, on the upper arm.
Realistic lion with crown and chain on upper arm
Two wrists held together, one with a grey shaded key tattoo and the other with a padlock tattoo outlined in pink on the inner forearm.
Matching key and padlock wrist tattoos
Colour forearm tattoo of a stack of old books with an open book at the top, a blossoming tree growing from its pages, and a bird and hanging keys beside it.
Stacked books with a blossom tree on a forearm
Black ornamental key tattoo with green vines, leaves and small red flowers across the forearm, in a botanical style.
Black key wrapped in green vines on a forearm
Two forearms with matching tattoos: a red scrollwork heart padlock on the left and a heart-shaped key with a separate key on the right, in a neo-traditional style.
Matching padlock and key forearm tattoos
Black line drawing of a steampunk-style key entwined with cogs, swirling scrollwork, leaves and roses, shown as a tattoo design with no body placement visible.
Steampunk key with gears and roses
Colour sleeve tattoo on an upper arm showing a robin and a blue tit perched among wheat stalks, in a neo-traditional style with a black ornate key.
Robin and blue tit sleeve with wheat
Black ink drawing of a tattoo design with a keyhole plate, chain links, ribbons and a key, shown on a white background with no body part visible.
Keyhole, chain and ribbon design
Close-up photo of a shaded gold-toned key tattoo with a treble clef in its bow, running down the forearm.
Gold key with treble clef bow on a forearm
Full-colour tattoo on a forearm showing a blue caterpillar, a figure in a red coat and bow tie, a white flower and gold keys among green vines.
Cartoon caterpillar and wonderland scene on forearm
Black and grey tattoo of an ornate key on a beaded chain above a keyhole set in filigree scrollwork, on the forearm.
Ornate key and keyhole scrollwork on an arm
Line drawing flash sheet showing a solid black ornate skeleton key beside four decorative arrows with patterned tips and feathered fletching on a cream background.
Ornate key and four decorative arrows
Black and grey realism tattoo of a pocket watch with Roman numerals, a key and a rose on a forearm.
Pocket watch, key and rose on an arm
Pen and pencil drawing of an ornate key with filigree scrollwork and leaves, shown as a tattoo design with no body placement visible.
Ornate key tattoo design
Colour tattoo design of purple wings framing a red rose and gold key, with ornate gold filigree and two scrolls bearing script, shown as a drawing with no body placement.
Winged rose and key scroll design
Fine line black heart tattoo on one finger beside a small black key tattoo on another finger, both shown on hands held side by side.
Small heart and key tattoos on fingers
Fine line black key tattoo whose bow forms an infinity loop and heart, on the top of a foot, with a small solid heart tattoo on a second person's ankle beside it.
Infinity heart key on the top of a foot
Black and grey realism tattoo of a pocket watch, hanging key and rose on a forearm.
Pocket watch, key and rose on a forearm
Traditional style flash sheet of red and black heart designs, including a dagger through a heart, a rose with a MOM banner, and swallows with LOVE ALWAYS lettering.
Traditional heart flash sheet