Scale tattoo ideas

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

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Traditional style tattoo of a reptile head with spiny ridges and clawed forelimbs on the back of a hand.
Reptile head on the back of a hand
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
Two painted traditional flash designs of daggers on cream paper, one with a red rose at the guard and one with a scaled hilt, an eye and a ribbon banner.
Two traditional dagger designs on cream paper
Traditional-style flash drawing of a green snake coiled around a cream banner that reads Tunnel Snakes Rule, set on a plain green background.
Green snake with Tunnel Snakes Rule banner
Japanese style flash drawing of a green and red dragon coiling over black and grey waves, with a small cartoon figure in a yellow robe beside it.
Green dragon flash with wave background
Black and grey traditional style tattoo of a mermaid sitting in a clawfoot bathtub inside an ornate oval frame, on the thigh.
Mermaid in a bathtub inside an ornate frame
Black and grey Traditional style tattoo of a winged Egyptian-style figure seated on the chest, with wings spread and a feather headdress.
Winged Egyptian figure on the chest
Black and grey traditional tattoo of a coffin with a cross, scale pattern and two roses with leaves and tendrils, shown on a limb in three close-up photos.
Coffin and roses in black and grey
Black and grey traditional-style tattoo of a snarling wolf head in profile with a scaled mane, shown on skin.
Snarling wolf head with scale mane
Sheet of dragon flash designs in black and grey, including a large central Chinese-style dragon with swirling tribal detailing, shown without a body placement.
Dragon flash sheet in black and grey
Traditional coloured floral leg sleeve with red roses, leaves and fern fronds running down a bare leg, with a mug held in the hand beside it.
Floral leg sleeve with red roses
Black and grey traditional-style tattoo of a bat with spread wings and a crescent moon on a person's stomach, above the waistband of dark trousers.
Bat with crescent moon on the stomach
Traditional style flash drawing of a pin-up mermaid with brown hair, a red hibiscus, a shell top and a teal scaled tail, on a white background.
Pin-up mermaid with a shell top
Japanese style flash drawing of a black and grey snake coiled around two blue peonies, with a small skull in grass at lower left.
Snake and peony flash design
Traditional colour tattoo of a heart and a brain balanced on scales above a red rose with green leaves, on the upper arm.
Heart and brain scales with rose on upper arm
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Close photo of a traditional style tattoo of a green dragon head with orange-tipped frill, bold black outlines and yellow ringed eyes, on the lower leg.
Green dragon head on a calf
Black and grey Neo-trad back tattoo of a woman holding a set of scales, with roses, a skull and feathered wings across the back.
Woman with scales and skull on full back
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
Drawn koi fish tattoo design in a Japanese style, with black scales, orange-gold fins and a red gill, beside the headline The Meaning Behind Koi Fish Tattoos.
Koi fish tattoo design with headline
Japanese style dragon tattoo in red, orange and cream over dark green-black scale ground, across a hip and thigh with a white cloth wrapped around the waist.
Red and green dragon on hip and thigh
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 traditional tattoo of a mermaid with red roses and yellow flowers on the outer leg, with a bird at the top left.
Traditional mermaid with roses on a leg
Large Japanese-style dragon tattoo in grey shading with red flowers and falling petals, across a person's thigh.
Dragon and red blossoms on a thigh
Traditional style tattoo of a teal and orange beetle with a central eye and green leaves, placed on the upper back near the neck.
Traditional beetle with eye on upper back
A mermaid tattoo in grey-green ink on a preserved piece of skin, displayed in a sealed glass jar, in a traditional style.
Preserved mermaid tattoo on skin in a jar
Black and grey traditional tattoo of a skeletal mermaid with long hair and a fish tail on an upper arm, with a peony above it.
Skeleton mermaid with peony on upper arm
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
Traditional colour tattoo of a pin-up mermaid with dark hair, a polka-dot flower and a red shell top, with a red-to-green tail, on the thigh.
Pin-up mermaid with shell top
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
Colour neo-traditional tattoo of a dark-haired mermaid with teal scales, red roses and a conch shell, on the upper arm.
Mermaid with roses and shell on a limb
Black and grey traditional owl tattoo with ornamental swirls and a shaded rose below, covering the upper arm and shoulder.
Owl and rose on upper arm
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
Colour tattoo of a pink and orange dragon with horns and whiskers coiling down the upper thigh, in a Japanese-influenced style.
Pink dragon coiled around a thigh
Black and grey traditional tattoo on a forearm showing Anubis seated between hanging scales, with a winged Eye of Horus above and a pyramid and sun below.
Anubis and Eye of Horus on a forearm
Colour tattoo of a skeleton mermaid with flowing red hair and a green scaled tail, in a traditional style, on a lower leg.
Skeleton mermaid on a lower leg