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
Close photo of a realistic shaded snake tattoo wrapping down a person's calf, with dark scales and pale markings.
Shaded snake coiled around a calf
Black and grey realism dragon tattoo with spread wings across a person's back, with the head turned to the right and mouth open.
Black and grey dragon across a back
Black and grey realistic tattoo of a crocodile head with open jaws and visible teeth on the forearm.
Crocodile head on forearm
Realistic full-colour tattoo of a green-eyed reptile with scales and teeth on a lower leg, photographed in a studio.
Green-eyed reptile tattoo on a calf
Black and grey realism tattoo of a mermaid sitting on a rock with long hair blowing, placed on the outer thigh.
Mermaid sitting on a rock on the thigh
Black and grey realistic lion head tattoo with a flowing mane and a yellow eye, sitting on the shoulder.
Realistic lion head on a shoulder
Black and grey realism tattoo of a mermaid with long flowing hair and a scaled tail, covering a person's upper back.
Mermaid across the upper back
Black and grey realistic fish scale tattoo with small bubble details on the hip, shown in a close-up photo.
Fish scale pattern on a hip
Realistic colour tattoo of a blue steel armour plate with a Celtic triquetra knot and scale mail, set within torn skin and flames on a man's upper arm and shoulder.
Armour plate and flames on an upper arm sleeve
Black and grey realistic dragon with a shaded head and scaled body, claws gripping a sphere, tattooed on the upper arm.
Black and grey dragon gripping a sphere on upper arm
Black and grey realism tattoo of a mermaid draped over an anchor on the upper arm and shoulder.
Mermaid draped over an anchor on an upper arm
Black and grey shaded dragon tattoo running from the shoulder down the upper arm, with its horned head resting on the shoulder.
Black and grey dragon across shoulder and arm
Black and grey realism tattoo of a shaded skull and ornate key on an upper arm, with part of a scaled fish tattoo visible above it.
Skull and ornate key on upper arm
Realistic black and grey dragon tattoo with spread wings and a long curled tail across a man's upper back and shoulder blade.
Winged dragon across a back
Black and grey realism tattoo of a rearing cobra with a raised hood and coiled body on the upper arm.
Cobra tattoo on upper arm
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
Blue fish scale tattoo on the top of a foot, shown through a torn skin effect in a realistic style.
Blue fish scales through torn skin on a foot
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
Realistic green reptile eye with a vertical slit pupil and scaly skin tattooed on a limb, shown in two side-by-side photographs.
Reptile eye tattoo on a limb
Close-up of a 3D-style tattoo on the top of a foot, showing two puzzle pieces in grey shading with one piece filled with teal mermaid scales.
Puzzle pieces with teal scales on a foot
Black and grey realism back piece of a blindfolded Lady Justice holding scales and a sword, with cherubs and a ship across the upper back.
Blindfolded Lady Justice back piece
Black and grey Japanese-style dragon tattoo with scaled body, wings and clawed feet across an upper arm, shown in four close-up panels.
Black and grey dragon on an arm
Colour tattoo of blue, purple and teal fish-like scales shown through a torn-skin effect on a person's limb.
Blue and purple scales under torn skin
Black and grey realism tattoo of a winged dragon wrapped in smoke, on the outer upper arm and shoulder.
Black and grey dragon on an upper arm
A realistic green snake tattoo with grey shading wraps around the outer thigh, its head turned to the left.
Green snake on a thigh
Colour realism tattoo of a green chameleon head with a detailed scaled texture on a lower leg, set against a black plastic backdrop.
Realistic chameleon on a lower leg
Black and grey realistic mermaid tail tattoo with fine scales running up a lower leg, beside black platform shoes.
Mermaid tail tattoo on a lower leg
Black and grey realism tattoo of a blindfolded Lady Justice holding scales, with acanthus leaf ornament, on the side of the torso.
Blindfolded Lady Justice with scales
Realism style tattoo of two 3D jigsaw puzzle pieces on the top of a foot, one shaded grey-beige and one filled with blue scales.
3D puzzle pieces on the top of a foot
Black and grey realism tattoo of a creature with ridged scales and two gripping hands tearing through skin across the centre of the back.
Creature tearing through skin on back
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Black and grey realism tattoo of a Godzilla-style kaiju in profile with a spiked back and tail, on the side of the ribs.
Godzilla-style kaiju tattoo on the side ribs
Black and grey realism tattoo of claws tearing through skin on the upper chest, with small stars visible inside the tear.
Claws tearing through skin on chest
Black and grey realistic tattoo of two coiling snakes with patterned scales wrapping across the ribs and side of the torso.
Coiled snakes across the ribs
Realistic brown and tan snake tattoo with shaded scales coiling from the shoulder down across the chest.
Realistic snake tattoo across the chest
Shaded colour mermaid tattoo with purple and teal scales and an orange starfish, placed across a person's upper back.
Mermaid with starfish on upper back
Black and grey realistic snake coiled around a round orb, tattooed on the forearm.
Coiled snake and orb on a forearm
Black and grey realistic dragon biting its own tail in a circle, tattooed across the upper back.
Dragon coiled in a circle on upper back
Black and grey realism design of a mermaid with long flowing hair, her scaled tail curling into a circle around her, surrounded by smoke-like swirls.
Mermaid curled within a scaled tail