Skeleton tattoo ideas

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

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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 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 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 silhouette flash design of a skeleton standing among twisting branches, vines and leaves on a white background.
Skeleton entwined with branches
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Pen sketch of a spine and pelvis in shaded ink on white, with the handwritten caption "that's hip." beneath it.
Spine and pelvis sketch with hip pun
Line drawing design of a woman with wavy hair looking into a hand mirror that shows a skeleton, with poppy flowers below, in a neo-traditional style.
Woman with skull reflection in hand mirror
Flash design of a black skeleton cat holding up a blue butterfly, beside a red and gold rose and green leaves, in a traditional style.
Skeleton cat with rose and butterfly
Black and grey flash design of a pin-up skeleton woman and a top-hatted skeleton man holding hands, with a banner quote above and below them.
Skeleton couple with banner quote
Painted flash design of a skeletal mermaid with sugar skull face paint, holding a hand mirror, with teal scale flowers on a pink background.
Sugar skull mermaid with mirror
Drawing of a skeleton hand making the rock horns gesture, outlined in black with purple, green and yellow watercolour-style washes over the bones.
Skeleton hand in rock horns gesture
Black and grey drawing of a skeletal figure in a lace veil and floral headpiece, holding a scythe, with candles and roses in the foreground on a black background.
Skeletal bride with scythe and candles
Traditional style flash design of three cartoon characters, a vampire, a grinning skeleton and a witch, above a banner reading Three of a Kind and a red rose.
Three of a Kind witches and skeleton flash
Navy line drawing of three skeletons in a row, swimming, cycling and running, as a triathlon-themed design on a cream background.
Skeletons swimming, cycling and running
Painted flash design of two skeletons seated among pink cherry blossom branches and green bamboo leaves on a white background.
Two skeletons among cherry blossoms
Line drawing of two skeletal mermaids with mint green hair and pink shells on a black background, with mirrored lettering reading dead and sea.
Skeleton mermaids with mint hair
Drawing of a skeleton in profile within an ornate scrolled cameo frame, with pink roses, spider webs and green leaves, shown as a tattoo design without a body placement.
Skeleton cameo with roses in ornate frame
Black and grey ink drawing of a ribcage, spine and pelvis entwined with flowers and leaves inside a dotted circle, labelled Libra, as a tattoo design.
Libra skeleton and flowers design
Pen drawing of a ribcage arranged in the shape of a heart, shaded with black hatching on white paper beside a black Sharpie pen.
Heart-shaped ribcage drawing in black ink
Black line drawing flash of a woman with a bun and a skeleton man embracing inside an oval rope frame, with roses and leaves below.
Skeleton couple embracing in a rope frame
Black ink drawing of a sugar skull skeleton woman with a hair bun, hand fan and cigarette, on a parchment-coloured background, shown as a tattoo design with no body placement.
Sugar skull skeleton lady with fan
Black and grey dotwork flash drawing of a skeleton resting its head on one hand while holding a steaming mug in the other.
Skeleton resting head on hand with steaming mug
Ink drawing of a skeleton with many arms raised around a halo and a full moon, with feathered wings behind the skull, in navy and cream.
Multi-armed skeleton with moon and halo
Black and grey flash design of three stacked skeletons, one gripping a dagger, with no body placement shown.
Three skeletons with a dagger design
Neo-traditional flash design of two skulls facing each other, surrounded by purple roses and an ornate frame, drawn on cream paper.
Two skulls and purple roses in an ornate frame
Pen drawing of a heart formed from ribs and a sternum, shaded in dark ink on a cream background, shown as a tattoo design with no body placement visible.
Rib cage heart drawing
Two side-by-side tattoo flash drawings: a skull with a wrapped bone-like form above it, and a skeletal hand, both in a neo-traditional style with watercolour washes and black splatter.
Two skeletal bone designs with ink splatter
White line drawings of traditional tattoo flash motifs, including an eagle, skulls, a hand, a bear and a skeleton, on a black fabric tapestry hung against a white wall.
Traditional flash sheet on black fabric
Flash design of a walking skeleton in a wide-brimmed hat and pipe, carrying a crescent moon bindle, with the words SEE YOU OUT THERE, in tan ink on a dark navy background.
Walking skeleton with bindle and pipe
Black ink line drawing of a skeletal couple kissing within an oval rope frame, with a floral-patterned figure and a large rose below, shown as a tattoo design.
Skeleton couple kissing in a rope frame with roses
Ink drawing of a skeletal carousel horse with skulls on its saddle, standing on a pole with a grass base, shaded in black and grey with brown and red accents.
Skeletal carousel horse with skulls
Black and white stippled drawing of a skeleton wearing aviator goggles and a trailing scarf, driving a coffin marked R.I.P. with a winged cross on its lid.
Skeleton driver in a coffin
Black silhouette flash design of two skeletons facing each other, with their arms forming branches and leafy twigs above and roots below, suited to a botanical tattoo.
Two skeletons with a tree of branches and roots
Pencil and coloured pencil drawing of Jack Skellington and Oogie Boogie with dice and a banner reading Jack VS Oogie Boogie, designed as a tattoo flash.
Jack vs Oogie Boogie banner design