Scale tattoo ideas

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

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Realistic crocodile head tattoo with a glowing orange eye across the forearm, shown in green and brown tones against a dark background.
Crocodile head tattoo on a forearm
Black and grey dotwork tattoo of a bearded sea god holding a trident, with waves and a sea serpent, on the forearm.
Sea god with trident and serpent on forearm
Colour traditional tattoo of a seahorse with teal scales, orange spots and a red and brown flower on the inner arm.
Traditional seahorse with a flower on the arm
Black and grey realistic tattoo of a crocodile head with open jaws and visible teeth on the forearm.
Crocodile head on forearm
Small fine line black tattoo of the Libra scales zodiac symbol on the inner wrist, with succulents in a pot behind.
Libra scales symbol on the inner wrist
Black and grey Celtic knotwork tattoo on the left hand and scale pattern tattoo on the right hand, both extending onto the forearms, with fingertips touching against a black background.
Celtic knotwork and scale tattoos on both hands
Black and grey dotwork tattoo of stacked planets, including two ringed planets, within a thin rectangular frame marked 0, 1/2 and 1, on a forearm.
Planets in a vertical scale on forearm
Black and grey Japanese dragon with clouds, maple leaves and a rose across a forearm, shown from three angles.
Japanese dragon and maple sleeve on a forearm
Gold and silver metallic geometric temporary tattoos on a woman's forearm and wrist, including a pineapple design on the hand.
Metallic gold and silver wrist tattoos
Black and grey full sleeve tattoo on an arm, showing a woman's face with flowing hair beside floral and swirling motifs, extending from the shoulder to the forearm.
Woman portrait and floral full sleeve
Full arm sleeve tattoo in Japanese style showing a blue-green scaled serpent, red flames and dragon heads, shown from three angles.
Full sleeve with dragons and serpent in Japanese style
Fine line mermaid tattoo seen from behind on the forearm, with black linework and teal watercolour splashes on the scaled tail.
Mermaid with teal wash on forearm
Colour tattoo of three scaled dragon eggs in teal, purple and orange above a black banner reading DRACARYS, on a forearm.
Three dragon eggs and a Dracarys banner on a forearm
Black and grey Japanese style full sleeve tattoo on an upper arm and forearm, showing armour plates, a scale pattern and swirling shapes.
Japanese armour sleeve on an arm
Black and grey realism tattoo of an open-mouthed dragon head with bared teeth and spiked horns, on the forearm.
Realistic dragon head on forearm
Colour tattoo of a dark-haired mermaid with closed eyes and a teal scale tail, surrounded by red fish, on a forearm.
Mermaid with red fish on a forearm
Black and grey Japanese dragon full sleeve tattoo with scales, waves and clouds, covering the shoulder, upper arm and forearm.
Japanese dragon full sleeve
Gold metallic fan-scale pattern in geometric rows across the inner forearm, with a metal watch and bracelets at the wrist.
Gold scale pattern on a forearm
Black and grey dotwork snake coiled up the forearm with flowers, leaves and small dotted accents, in blackwork style.
Snake and flowers on a forearm
Small black fine line tattoo of the Libra zodiac symbol on the inner wrist, with a white sleeve cuff above it.
Libra scales symbol on the inner wrist
Black fine line ruler tattoo with numbers from 5 to 35 running down a forearm, held beside a perch fish.
Ruler tattoo on a forearm beside a perch
Watercolour-style tattoo of a red-haired mermaid with a blue and purple tail on the forearm.
Watercolour mermaid on a forearm
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
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 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
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
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
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
Full arm sleeve in blackwork and dotwork with a hexagon scale pattern on the forearm and an ornamental mandala on the upper arm, shown from three angles.
Blackwork sleeve with hexagon scales and mandala
Colour tattoo sleeve with red apples, leaves and green snake scales across the chest, shoulder and arm of a shirtless man against a black background.
Apples and snake sleeve on chest and arm
Full body Japanese style tattoo with koi, dragon and lotus motifs across the arms, chest and legs of a seated person against a black background.
Japanese bodysuit with koi and dragon
Woman seen from behind with a colourful Japanese-style phoenix and flower sleeve on her arm and a large tattoo across her thigh.
Japanese phoenix and flower sleeve with thigh tattoo
Black and white ink snakes coiled together across a forearm, rendered in blackwork and dotwork style.
Intertwined snakes on a forearm
Gold and silver metallic temporary tattoo bands with scale, chevron, dot and swirl patterns wrapped across a forearm.
Gold and silver metallic temporary tattoos on forearm
Several arms linked together, showing gold and silver metallic temporary tattoos of scales and geometric bands on the upper arm, forearm and hand.
Gold and silver metallic temporary tattoos
Colour traditional tattoo of a pin-up mermaid with a flower in her hair and a green scaled tail, on the inner forearm.
Pin-up mermaid on a forearm
Gold and silver metallic geometric temporary tattoos on a woman's forearms and hand, including a small pineapple on the hand.
Metallic geometric temporary tattoos on forearms
Neo-traditional style colour tattoo of a fish with blue-grey scales and teal dots, shown on the forearm.
Fish tattoo on a forearm
Black and grey realistic snake coiled around a round orb, tattooed on the forearm.
Coiled snake and orb on a forearm
Black and grey blackwork tattoo of a scaled snake, open flowers and dotted geometric lines on the outer forearm.
Snake and flowers on a forearm
Black and grey traditional tattoo of a rose and a skull with scale detail on a woman's forearm.
Rose and skull on a forearm
Colour Japanese-style dragon tattoo with green scales and white whiskers, set among red clouds, on a forearm.
Green dragon with red clouds on an arm
Black ink ruler tattoo marked 1 to 10 running along a person's forearm towards the wrist, with the hand clenched in a fist.
Ruler tattoo on a wrist
Two matching black and grey tattoos of balance scales with yin yang symbols, placed side by side on the inner wrists.
Matching scales and yin yang wrist tattoos
Woman with long blonde hair in an orange top, wearing gold metallic tattoos of scales and geometric patterns on her shoulder, upper arm and forearm.
Gold metallic tattoos on shoulder and arm
Realistic brown snake tattoo being worked on a forearm, with the artist's gloved hands and tattoo machine visible.
Realistic snake tattoo on a forearm
Two black and grey pineapple tattoos on a forearm, one in fine line shading with dotwork scales and one in bold blackwork with a solid black crown.
Two pineapple tattoos on forearms