Shoulder tattoo ideas

2,751 photos and flash · 32% Botanical, 27% Realism

What will it cost? Try the tattoo cost calculator
Three views of a black and grey Egyptian themed full arm sleeve in realistic shading, covering the upper arm and shoulder, with a pharaoh figure, hieroglyphs and a winged figure.
Egyptian themed full sleeve in black and grey
Two people seen from behind with matching black geometric tattoos on their upper backs near the shoulder blades, in a hatched linework style.
Matching geometric tattoos on two shoulders
Back view of a shirtless person with black and grey botanical tattoos of flowers, vines and moths covering the back, shoulders, upper arms, forearms and hands.
Back and full sleeves of botanical and moth tattoos
Black and grey tribal tattoo across the upper back and shoulder of a shirtless man working on the engine of a yellow car.
Tribal tattoo on the upper back while working on a car
Black and grey dotwork mandala tattoo with heart-shaped petals covering a woman's shoulder and upper arm.
Mandala tattoo across the shoulder
Bare back of a woman with a vertical line of planets, including one ringed like Saturn, running down her spine and a world map tattoo on her shoulder blade, with red and blue continents.
Solar system down the spine and world map on shoulder
Colour botanical tattoo of pink roses, buds and small blossoms with green leaves across a woman's upper back and shoulder.
Pink roses and blossoms on upper back
Photo of a botanical orchid vine tattoo across a person's upper back and shoulder, with black outlines and soft pink and grey shading.
Orchid vine across a shoulder blade
Black and grey realistic roses with swirling vines and leaves across a woman's shoulder and upper arm.
Black and grey roses on shoulder and upper arm
Colourful realistic octopus tentacle tattoo wrapping over a person's shoulder and upper back, shown from behind.
Colourful octopus tentacles across shoulder and back
Black line tattoo of geometric figures and dotted circles with a sun motif, in dotwork and geometric style, on a person's upper arm and shoulder.
Geometric figures and dotwork on upper arm
Black and grey sketch tattoo of Totoro, a smaller Totoro, soot sprites and leaves across an upper arm and shoulder, in a fine line style.
Totoro and soot sprites on an upper arm
Black and grey botanical tattoo of a leafy branch with round berries across a shoulder, shown in a close photograph against dark clothing.
Leafy branch tattoo on a shoulder
Realistic red poppy tattoo with watercolour-style splashes and black line swirls across the upper arm and shoulder.
Red poppies with ink swirls on shoulder
Red polka-dot bow tattoo with a black outline on a shoulder, with a black bra strap running beside it.
Red polka-dot bow on shoulder
Large Japanese style back tattoo of a green dragon and a grey dragon among clouds and cherry blossoms, spanning the upper back and shoulders.
Twin dragons across a back piece
Black and grey tattoo of two roses in outline and soft shading, placed on the top of a shoulder and upper arm.
Two roses on a shoulder
Black ink ornamental feather tattoo with blackwork and dotwork detailing, placed on the upper back near the shoulder blade.
Ornamental feather on shoulder
Black ink tattoo of an ornate paisley-patterned heart on a shoulder, against a floral fabric background.
Paisley heart tattoo on the shoulder
Fine line script tattoo reading Believe, with a teal ribbon in place of the letters li, on a person's upper back near the shoulder.
Believe script with teal ribbon on shoulder
Black and white photo of a muscular man's back with a large grim reaper tattoo with a scythe, arched lettering reading Sons of Anarchy and California, and arm tattoos.
Grim reaper and lettering across a back
Four views of a full arm sleeve tattoo on the upper arm and shoulder showing a spiral galaxy, planets, a spacecraft and a glowing orange asteroid against a vivid nebula background.
Galaxy and planets full arm sleeve
Red bow with white polka dots and a black outline tattooed on the upper shoulder, beside a black bra strap.
Red polka dot bow on shoulder
Two people seen from behind on a beach, each with a metallic silver or gold elephant design on the shoulder and a metallic band on the upper arm.
Metallic elephant tattoos on two shoulders
Black ink tattoo of ornate flowers, paisley swirls and two hummingbirds across a person's upper back and shoulder blade.
Floral paisley and hummingbirds on upper back
Small black swallow tattoo with patterned wing fills on the upper shoulder near the collarbone, in a traditional style.
Small swallow tattoo on a shoulder
Realistic blue butterfly tattoo with shaded wings and a dark body, placed on a person's upper back near the shoulder blade.
Blue butterfly on a shoulder blade
Black ink tattoo of a feather that breaks up into flying birds, running from the upper back over the shoulder towards the side of the neck, shown in two photographs.
Feather dissolving into birds on shoulder and neck
Black and grey realism style roses with leaves and thorny vines covering the shoulder, upper arm and forearm of a person wearing a white vest top.
Black and grey roses on an upper arm sleeve
Close view of a white ink lace-style floral tattoo on a bride's shoulder and upper arm, with a white glove and veil visible.
White ink floral design on a shoulder
Botanical tattoo of peonies and blue-green leaves with black linework, covering the upper arm and shoulder.
Peonies and foliage on the upper arm
Colour realism tattoo of a blue TARDIS police box surrounded by a galaxy with orange spirals and stars, across the upper arm and shoulder.
TARDIS and galaxy on upper arm
Neo-traditional colour tattoo of a woman holding a crystal ball, with roses and a jewelled butterfly headpiece, on an upper arm.
Crystal ball woman and roses on upper arm
Colourful watercolour-style tattoo of Boba Fett's helmet and armour across the upper arm and shoulder.
Watercolour Boba Fett on upper arm
Realistic colour tattoo of a yellow rose with green leaves and stem on a woman's upper arm near the shoulder.
Yellow rose tattoo on a shoulder
Tattoo on a shoulder and upper arm of black lace with dangling beads and a small cross, above realistic red roses and gold scrollwork.
Black lace shoulder piece with roses
Black and grey shaded roses with leaves tattooed across a woman's shoulder and upper arm.
Black and grey roses on a shoulder
Black blackwork tattoo of a crescent moon with white hatched stripes across the shoulder and upper arm of a person photographed from behind.
Crescent moon with striped shading on shoulder
Dark blue-black silhouettes of birds in flight rise across the upper back toward the shoulder, with the script words Sometimes you've gotta fall before you fly beneath them.
Flock of birds and script quote on upper back
Black and grey realism tattoo of a skull, monarch butterfly and rose with a red wash behind, on the upper arm and shoulder.
Skull, rose and butterfly on an upper arm
Colour realism style tattoo of a cherry blossom branch with pink flowers and a blue bird, running from the neck across the upper back and shoulder blade.
Cherry blossom branch and bluebird on upper back
Black linework tattoo of a topographic map with contour lines covering the upper arm and shoulder of a person in a navy vest top.
Topographic map tattoo on upper arm
Black ornamental lace-style tattoo with dotwork beads and gem-like jewels covering the shoulder and upper arm.
Black lace and pearl ornament on upper arm and shoulder
White ink mandala tattoo with swirling ornamental linework across the shoulder and upper arm, photographed from behind.
White ink mandala on shoulder
Black ink tribal sleeve tattoo with bold geometric bands and chevrons covering a man's shoulder and upper arm, shown in profile against a dark stone wall.
Tribal black ink sleeve on shoulder and arm
Black and grey photograph of a man's back and raised arms covered in skeletal anatomy tattoos, including a skull, ribcage, spine and spiders.
Skeletal back and arms tattoo, black and grey
Colour botanical tattoo of pink peonies, a grey flower, green leaves and red berries across a woman's left shoulder and upper back.
Peonies and berries across a shoulder
Close-up of a blue swallow tattoo with dark outlines and soft shading on a person's upper chest near the shoulder.
Blue swallow on upper chest