Scale tattoo ideas

469 photos and flash · 24% Japanese, 15% Realism · Upper arm most common

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Black line drawing of a snarling cat with a scaled body, clawed paws and blossom flowers, in a Japanese style tattoo design.
Snarling cat with scales and flowers
Black line drawing of a dragon coiled in a circle, with raised wings and a hexagonal scaled body, shown as a tattoo design with no body placement.
Coiled dragon with raised wings
Black linework drawing of a coiled dragon with a long, spiked body and a sweeping wing shaded with a grey splatter effect, on a white background.
Coiled dragon design with a grey wash wing
Black ink line drawing of a koi fish swimming upward, with detailed scale pattern and fins, in Japanese tattoo flash style, with no body placement shown.
Koi fish line drawing design
Black line drawing of a coiling Eastern dragon with swirling clouds, in a Japanese-influenced style, shown on a white background.
Eastern dragon with swirling clouds
Pencil sketch of a woman with eyes closed and a bonsai pine tattoo design across her shoulder and upper arm, drawn in a Japanese-inspired style.
Woman with bonsai pine tattoo design, pencil sketch
Full body suit design of a red Japanese dragon with yellow claws, chrysanthemums and clouds across the back, arms and thighs.
Red dragon full body suit design
Black line drawing of a winged dragon with curling smoke above its head, in a bold tribal-style outline, shown as a tattoo design on a plain white background.
Winged dragon with smoke curls design
Black line drawing of a Japanese-style dragon with scaled body, clawed feet and swirling flames and clouds, shown as a tattoo design without a body placement.
Japanese dragon with flames line drawing
Black and coloured flash sheet showing a city skyline, birds in flight, circular emblems of a flame, hand, scales, eye and tree, and two ferris wheels, with the word divergent in script.
Flash sheet of skyline, birds, emblems and ferris wheels
Black line-art flash sheet of twelve zodiac-style designs, including an archer, a ram, a fish, a lion, a crab, a scorpion and a pair of scales, on a white background.
Set of zodiac-style line designs
Drawn tattoo design of a green dragon coiling through grey swirling clouds in a Japanese style, shown on a parchment-coloured background.
Green dragon among grey clouds design
Pencil sketch of a curling fish or mermaid tail with scalloped scales and fanned fins, drawn in black and grey on a sketchbook page.
Curling fish or mermaid tail pencil sketch
Flash design of a silver dragon coiling around an orange tiger that is mid-roar, with Chinese characters at the lower right, in Japanese-style tattoo artwork.
Silver dragon and tiger design
Pencil line drawing of a Japanese-style dragon head and demon mask surrounded by flowers and scales, drawn on paper as a tattoo design.
Japanese dragon and flower sketch on paper
Blue ink line drawing of a fancy goldfish design on translucent tracing paper, with a purple pencil sketch of the same fish above it.
Goldfish tattoo design on tracing paper
Full-colour Japanese style dragon design with green scales, red fins and clouds on black, shown as a flash drawing with no body placement visible.
Green and red dragon design with wind chime
Pencil sketch of a dragon coiling around a wolf that sits below it, drawn in soft shaded linework as a tattoo design with no body placement shown.
Dragon and wolf entwined pencil design
Pencil sketch of a koi fish swimming upward among lotus flowers and swirling water lines, drawn as a tattoo design in a Japanese style.
Koi fish sketch with lotus flowers
Black and grey wolf head in profile with a snarling open mouth and scale-patterned fur, drawn as a flash design with no body placement shown.
Snarling wolf head in profile
Black and grey pencil sketch of a dragon head in profile with swept-back horns, spiked crest and open jaw, drawn as a tattoo design.
Dragon head pencil sketch
Coloured pen drawing of two dragons facing each other nose to nose, forming a heart shape, as a tattoo design sketch.
Two dragons nose to nose in colour
Black and grey drawing of a coiled, scaled dragon with fin-like crest and clawed feet, shown as a tattoo design on white paper.
Black and grey coiled dragon design
Black and grey pencil drawing of a dragon head in profile with swept-back horns, frill-like spines and open jaws, shown as a tattoo design rather than on skin.
Dragon head in profile, pencil drawing
Flash sheet of twelve black zodiac sign designs in a classic style above twelve modern tribal zodiac designs, with no body placement shown.
Zodiac sign designs in classic and modern tribal styles
Black ink drawing of a snarling wolf head in profile, its mane and face filled with white zentangle-style patterns on a white background.
Wolf head with patterned scales
Black line drawing of an ornamental dragon with swirling tribal-style patterning, shown as a flash design with no body placement.
Ornamental black line dragon design
Flash sheet of gold and silver metallic tattoo designs including scale bands, leaf stems, dotted lines, lattice chains and four peacock feathers.
Gold and silver metallic temporary tattoo sheet
Black outline drawing of a koi fish curling upward, with scale detail on the body and fins, in a Japanese-influenced flash style with no body placement shown.
Koi fish line drawing
Black and grey pencil drawing of a dragon and a phoenix facing each other in a heart-like curve, shaded in fine detail, shown as a tattoo design.
Dragon and phoenix facing design
Pencil line drawing of a mermaid with both arms raised, flowing hair and a scaled tail, shown as a tattoo design sketch on paper with no body placement.
Mermaid with raised arms, pencil sketch
Five white stencil-style circular designs on a black background showing a tree, scales, clasped hands, an eye and flames, with no body placement shown.
Five circular symbol designs on black
Digital drawing of a red, black and white koi fish with detailed scales and flowing fins on a white background, in a Japanese style.
Koi fish design in red, black and white
Black line drawing of a Japanese-style dragon coiling upward beside a flaming pearl, shown as a tattoo design on a white background.
Dragon and flaming pearl line drawing
Red linework flash design of a symmetrical owl with patterned feathers, spiral chest markings and diamond details, shown on a white background with no body placement.
Ornate owl design in red linework
Painted dragon design with spread bat-like wings, clawed feet and a long scaled tail coiled at the bottom, shown on a plain background with no body placement.
Winged dragon with coiled scaled tail
Vertical flash sheet of black and grey engraved designs, including a skull with candle, an eye, crossed bones, hands, scales and a plague doctor, with Latin lettering.
Vertical sheet of occult and engraved motifs
Pencil drawing of a mermaid with long, wind-swept hair curling upward and a scaled tail, in fine line style, with no body placement shown.
Mermaid with flowing hair
Hand-drawn neo-traditional design of a golden dragon coiled around a grey skull, shown as a flash sheet with no body placement.
Golden dragon coiled around a skull
Pencil sketch of a snake coiled around a lotus flower, drawn as a tattoo design with no body placement shown.
Snake coiled around a lotus flower
Black and grey drawing of a mermaid with swirling hair, a scaled tail and curling waves, presented as a tattoo design.
Mermaid with flowing hair and waves
Digital illustration of a horned sea-goat with a gold-brown body, blue horns and a blue fish tail on a cream background, shown as a tattoo design.
Capricorn sea-goat design
Black line drawing of a mermaid with flowing hair and an ornamental scaled tail on a white background, shown as a tattoo design with no body placement visible.
Mermaid line drawing design
Coloured drawing of a teal Celtic knotwork cross with a grey dragon coiled around it and its wings spread, on a black background.
Dragon wrapped around a Celtic cross
Black and grey pencil sketch of a mermaid with her arms raised above her head, long flowing hair and a scaled fish tail, shown as a tattoo design.
Mermaid with raised arms pencil sketch
Black ink line drawing of a faceless mermaid with long wavy hair, scaled tail and fine hatched fins, shown as a tattoo design without any body placement.
Mermaid line drawing with flowing hair
Black outline drawing of a stylised dragon with scale patterning and spiral details, shown as a tattoo design with no body placement visible.
Stylised dragon line drawing
Black ink line drawing of a mermaid with long wavy hair, a small fish at her chest and a scaled fish tail, shown as a fine line tattoo design.
Mermaid with flowing hair line drawing