Skeleton tattoo ideas

238 photos and flash · 20% Traditional, 19% Realism · Forearm most common

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Black linework tattoo of a spine with wing-like shapes across a person's upper back, photographed from behind against a white background.
Spine and wing outline across a back
Colour tattoo of a decayed zombie cat character with a pink bow and two bats on the upper arm, in a neo-traditional style.
Zombie cat with bats on upper arm
Black and grey realism tattoo of a spine, ribcage and shoulder blade across a person's upper back, photographed in a bath.
Spine and ribcage tattoo across the back
Flash design of a grey stippled skeletal ribcage, spine and pelvis filled with red, orange and yellow roses and green leaves, on a white background, in a botanical realism style.
Skeleton ribcage and pelvis with red and yellow roses
Design reading YOU'RE ALREADY DEAD, with each letter formed from bones such as ribs, vertebrae and a skull, in white on a black background.
You're Already Dead bone lettering
Drawn tattoo design of a skeletal ribcage and pelvis with a pink rose and a blue insect wing, in a realistic style on white paper.
Ribcage, pelvis and rose with blue insect wing
Black and grey tattoo of a skeleton drum major in a plumed shako hat and tunic, holding a baton in a high-kicking pose, on the side of the torso.
Skeleton drum major on the side of the torso
Black and grey traditional flash sheet on a wooden table, showing video game themed designs including a castle, bomb, ghost, shy guy, tombstone reading GAME OVER and a pin-up figure.
Video game themed flash sheet in black and grey
Black and grey comic-panel tattoo on a forearm showing a skull-faced figure reaching toward a dark silhouette, with speech bubble text above.
Comic panel skeleton on forearm
Realistic black and grey tattoo across the top of a foot, showing peeled-back skin, muscle and toe bones in a realism style.
Anatomical foot tattoo with exposed muscle
Black and grey full sleeve tattoo of a haunted house, bats, a full moon and skeletal figures across the shoulder and arm, shown from three angles.
Haunted house and graveyard full sleeve
Black ink drawing of a skeletal ribcage and pelvis with a peony rose and a winged insect, drawn on plain white paper as a tattoo design.
Skeleton torso with rose and insect
Black line drawing flash of a skeleton leaning on a 3D gravestone reading ACAB, with pink tears, a pink rose and a black coffin, shaded in pink and black.
Skeleton leaning on an ACAB gravestone with rose
Black and grey fine line tattoo of a skeletal mermaid with long flowing hair and a fishtail, placed on the calf.
Skeletal mermaid with flowing hair on a calf
Black and grey blackwork tattoo on the forearm of a bottle with a jagged crown top, holding a skull and a white skeletal figure.
Skull and skeleton in a black bottle
Black and grey dotwork tattoo on an upper arm showing a skeletal deer, a crescent moon, a dahlia at the shoulder and fine geometric lines.
Skeletal deer and dahlia on upper arm
Black silhouette flash design of a skeleton standing among twisting branches, vines and leaves on a white background.
Skeleton entwined with branches
Tattoo of a skeleton playing a gold trumpet while riding a red bicycle, drawn with bold black outlines and a flat, illustrative look on skin.
Skeleton trumpeter riding a red bicycle
Black ink drawing of a ribcage, spine and pelvis with a peony, rose stems and a moth wing, shown as a tattoo design on white paper.
Ribcage, pelvis and moth with peony
Black and grey flash design of a hooded skeleton pushing a cart of skulls, with a hammer and sickle on the cart side and Cyrillic lettering above and below.
Hooded skeleton pushing a cart of skulls
Black and grey cameo tattoo on the forearm showing a skeletal woman with a pink rose in her hair, set in an ornate scrolled frame.
Skeleton cameo with rose on a forearm
Solid black silhouette design of a theropod dinosaur skeleton in side view, shown on a plain white background with no body placement.
Dinosaur skeleton silhouette design
Two hands with small grey skeleton tattoos on the fingers, one wearing a blue bow tie and the other a pink flower, shown in a fine shaded style.
Matching skeleton tattoos on two fingers
Black and grey tattoo of a three-dimensional cube frame holding small figures and skeletal shapes, on the inner upper arm.
Figures inside a cube on the upper arm
Traditional colour tattoo of a skeletal cat head and ribcage in an orange oval frame with a red rose, on the forearm.
Skeletal cat and rose on a forearm
Black and grey ink drawing of a milk bottle labelled MILK above a ribcage, set within a hatched oval with a laurel wreath, a ribbon banner and a diamond at the top; a tattoo design, no body placement
Milk bottle and ribcage in laurel oval
Black and grey traditional flash sheet of skulls, an eagle, a reaper, a pigeon, a deer head, a sun, and two feathered headdresses, with no placement shown.
Traditional flash sheet in black and grey
Black and grey dotwork drawing of a human ribcage with spine and shoulder blades, set within a circle of ornamental floral swirls.
Ribcage and floral dotwork design
Pencil sketch of Jack and Sally dancing across two curling banners, with the words We can live like Jack and Sally if we want, as a tattoo design.
Jack and Sally design with banners
Black and grey realism back tattoo showing a hooded grim reaper, a winged woman, hourglasses and a skeletal hand, with clouds and a ship on the upper arm.
Grim reaper and winged woman across a back
Black and grey tattoo of a snake skeleton wrapping around the outer thigh, with the skull near the front and the spine curling round the leg.
Snake skeleton wrapped around a thigh
Colour traditional-style tattoo of a fish with a bold black and red outline, grey-blue shading and yellow and orange markings, beside a skeleton tattoo on skin.
Fish tattoo with a red outline
Coloured pencil drawing of a Deathly Hallows triangle and circle symbol surrounded by pink roses, skulls, round-framed glasses, a golden cup and a green snake, shown as a tattoo design.
Deathly Hallows symbol with roses and skulls
Black and grey pen drawing of a skeleton couple in a pinup dress and top hat, with banner scrolls of text above and below them, shown as a tattoo design without a body placement.
Skeleton couple with banner scrolls
Two thighs with colourful traditional tattoos: a grey wolf head and roses on the left, and a crowned shield with a bird on the right.
Wolf, roses and crowned shield on thighs
Black and grey tattoo of a pin-up style figure with an exposed ribcage and shaded roses on the upper thigh, shown on a person lying on a white bed.
Pin-up figure with ribcage and roses on thigh
Black and grey photograph of a man's back and raised arms covered in skeletal anatomy tattoos, including a skull, ribcage, spine and spiders.
Skeletal back and arms tattoo, black and grey
Colour tattoo of Jack Skellington, Sally and other Nightmare Before Christmas characters under a spiral moon, covering an upper arm and shoulder.
Nightmare Before Christmas characters on upper arm
Black ink line drawing of a living hand clasping a skeletal hand, shown as a flash design on a pale background.
Two hands clasped, one skeletal, in black line
Black and grey realism style tattoo of a skeletal raptor dinosaur running across the upper back near the shoulder blade, shown in two photos.
Skeletal raptor dinosaur on a shoulder
Drawn design of a skeletal ribcage and pelvis with a pink rose on the left and a blue butterfly on the right, with the text you're the only thing that's keeping me alive.
Skeleton ribcage with rose and butterfly
Colour tattoo of a round-headed skeleton figure in a long dark coat, set in a black ornate oval frame with a purple and yellow moon, bats and a swirl hill, on the thigh.
Skeleton figure in an ornate oval frame on a thigh
Black and grey realism tattoo of two stacked skulls with a ribcage and skeletal hand on an upper arm.
Skulls and skeleton ribcage on upper arm
Black and grey tattoo of a skeleton drum major in a shako hat, mid high-step with a baton, with the script 'We'll Carry On' below, on the thigh.
Skeleton drum major with 'We'll Carry On'
Black and white line drawing design of Jack Skellington's head and body set against a spider web with two bats, shown as a flash design with no body placement.
Jack Skellington with spider web and bats
Realistic black and grey tattoo of a zipper opening on a forearm, revealing a skeletal claw beneath the skin.
Unzipping skeletal claw on a forearm
Black and grey realism tattoo of ribs wrapping over the shoulder blade on a person's upper back.
Ribcage tattoo over shoulder blade
Black and grey traditional tattoo of a skeleton holding a long staff inside a framed tarot card, placed on the upper arm.
Skeleton tarot card on upper arm