Scale tattoo ideas

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

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Black and grey pencil drawing of a mermaid with wind-swept hair, a shell top and a curling wave-shaped tail, shown as a tattoo design.
Mermaid with flowing hair and wave tail
Black and grey realism tattoo of blindfolded Lady Justice with wings, holding scales and a sword, covering a person's full back.
Blindfolded Lady Justice across a full back
Black line drawing of a mermaid with long flowing hair and scaled tail, framed by curling wave ornaments, in a fine line style.
Mermaid with swirling waves line drawing
Pencil drawing of a coiling Japanese-style dragon with scaled body, clawed feet and flowing whiskers, drawn as a tattoo design in black and grey.
Coiling dragon design in pencil
Black and grey flash design of a winged dragon with its wings spread around a coiled body, with shading in silver and charcoal tones.
Winged dragon coiled in black and grey
Black and grey pencil drawing of a coiling Japanese-style dragon with scaled body, clawed feet and wispy cloud-like flames, shown as a tattoo design.
Japanese dragon design in graphite
Black and grey traditional style flash design of a skeletal-faced mermaid seated among roses and hibiscus flowers, with bones in her hair.
Skull mermaid with roses and hibiscus
Full-colour Japanese style dragon design with grey scales, red flame-like swirls and yellow claws, grasping a black and white pearl, shown on a white background.
Japanese dragon with flaming pearl design
Black and grey neo-traditional tattoo of a pin-up mermaid with an anchor and scaled tail across the side ribs.
Mermaid and anchor on the side ribs
Fine line white ink tattoo of intertwined snakes with scale texture across the back of a hand.
Intertwined snakes in white ink on a hand
Dotwork tattoo of intertwined snakes shading from blue at the top to pink and red at the bottom, across the thigh.
Intertwined snakes in blue and pink dotwork
Black line tattoo of overlapping fish scales on the side of a person's ribs, with a white top lifted and denim shorts held at the hip.
Scale pattern tattoo on the side ribs
Black and grey drawing of a Japanese-style dragon coiling through clouds above a swirling wave, shown as a tattoo design with no body placement.
Japanese dragon with clouds and swirling wave
Black and grey traditional tattoo of a rope-wrapped anchor with two mermaids, one above and one below, on an upper arm.
Anchor and two mermaids on an upper arm
Several arms linked together wearing gold and silver metallic temporary tattoos of scales, lattice bands and quatrefoils on the upper arm and forearm.
Metallic temporary tattoos on linked arms
Black and grey flash design of a winged dragon coiled around a Celtic cross filled with interlaced knotwork.
Dragon wrapped around a Celtic cross
Black ink flash design of a white silhouetted creature framed by swirling waves, scale patterns and fine dotwork.
Silhouette within swirling waves
Painted illustration of a dark scaled dragon with raised wings wrapped around a maroon heart on a tan background, a design that could work as a tattoo.
Dragon coiled around a heart
Watercolour flash design of a mermaid with long black hair and red flower accents, with a grey and red scaled tail and bubbles, on a white background.
Mermaid with flowing black hair
Woman seen from behind on a sunny beach with silver metallic scale, eye and feather designs on her upper arm and back.
Silver metallic scale and feather tattoos
Black and grey Japanese style dragon tattoo running down a person's back from the shoulder to the waist.
Black and grey dragon across a back
Photo of a three-dimensional style tattoo of two puzzle pieces on the top of a foot, one shaded grey and one blue with a scale pattern.
Puzzle pieces tattoo on a foot
Colour realism tattoo of a blue dragon and a red dragon facing each other to form a heart shape on the upper back.
Blue and red dragons forming a heart on back
Neo-traditional colour tattoo of a braided-haired mermaid holding a star wand, with a scaled tail in ochre, brown and purple, on a lower limb, shown beside its original teal artwork.
Mermaid with braided hair and scaled tail
Realistic black and grey cobra with its hood raised, coiling down the upper arm, shown in a photo of a tattoo on skin.
Realistic cobra on an upper arm
Realistic green winged dragon lizard tattoo with shaded scales and a long curled tail, on the upper back of a woman with dark hair.
Green winged dragon lizard on upper back
Close-up of a woman's forearms and hand with gold and silver metallic geometric temporary tattoos, including scales, chevrons, braids and pineapples.
Metallic geometric temporary tattoos on wrists
Black blackwork-style dragon design with patterned wings that break apart into flying crows, drawn on a tan parchment background.
Dragon dissolving into flying crows
Black and grey drawing of a mermaid with long flowing hair, her scaled tail curving around to form a circular design with bubbles rising beside her.
Mermaid within a circle
Colour traditional-style tattoo of a stylised fish with red and orange flame-like fins and scale shading, on the upper arm and shoulder.
Stylised fish with red flame fins on upper arm
Black and grey dotwork tattoo of a mermaid curled inside an open sardine tin, with bold outlines and stippled shading, on a limb.
Mermaid in a sardine tin
Traditional style tattoo of a red and black goldfish with bold outlines and flowing fins, placed on the side of the ribs.
Red and black goldfish on the ribs
Large black and grey realism back tattoo of a warrior with a raised arm facing a roaring dragon amid lightning and clouds.
Warrior and dragon across a back
Red goldfish tattoo with soft shading and flowing fins on the upper thigh.
Red goldfish on a thigh
Black ink blackwork tattoo of five stacked circular motifs on the inner forearm, showing a flame, a hand, a tree, scales and an eye.
Five circular black ink symbols down a forearm
Full leg tattoo of a red, gold and black Japanese-style dragon running from the thigh down to the ankle.
Red and gold dragon tattoo down a leg
Close photo of a small green and yellow scale tattoo with teal outlines on the top of a bare foot, near the ankle.
Green scale pattern on the top of a foot
Black and grey Japanese style back tattoo with curling waves, a scaled creature and lotus flowers, extending down the left arm in a sleeve.
Back and arm sleeve with waves and dragon
Black and grey dotwork fish tattoo spanning the upper chest and shoulder, with fine geometric lines and wave-like fronds beside it.
Dotwork fish tattoo on chest and shoulder
Black and grey full back tattoo of a blindfolded Lady Justice holding a sword, with hanging scales, clouds and cherubs.
Lady Justice back piece
Small black fine line Libra scales symbol tattoo on the ankle, above a white sneaker standing on an orange basketball.
Libra symbol on the ankle
Side view of a man's arm covered by a colourful Japanese style full sleeve tattoo featuring a fierce figure, a moon and foliage on the upper arm and shoulder.
Japanese full sleeve with warrior figure
Colour tattoo of a seated mermaid with flowing purple hair and a green scaled tail, placed on the upper back.
Mermaid with purple hair on upper back
Realistic colour tattoo of a yellow-green reptile eye with a slit pupil and scaly skin on the forearm.
Reptile eye and scales on a forearm
Colour tattoo of a teal and pink betta fish with swirling fins on the side of the torso, shown in a Realism style.
Betta fish with flowing fins on the side
Traditional style colour tattoo of a mermaid with dark wavy hair, green scale tail and red flowers, on the forearm.
Traditional mermaid with roses on a forearm
Full arm sleeve of a blue Japanese-style dragon with red flames, its head on the shoulder and body wrapping down the upper arm and forearm.
Blue Japanese dragon sleeve on an arm
Realistic black and grey fish tattoo with orange and teal triangular shards, running down the back of a calf.
Fish with coloured shards on a calf