Sketch tattoo ideas

480 photos and flash · 22% Botanical, 14% Fine line · Forearm most common

What will it cost? Try the tattoo cost calculator
Pencil sketch of a swallow in flight above two roses and a rosebud, drawn in blue and orange pencil on cream paper, as a design for a tattoo.
Swallow and roses tattoo sketch
Pencil flash sketch of an elephant framed by lotus petals and mandala detailing, with a mechanical pencil resting across the drawing on tracing paper.
Elephant and lotus tattoo sketch
Pencil and pink-tinted sketch of a compass surrounded by roses and dotted lines, drawn as a tattoo design on paper with pens beside it.
Compass and roses tattoo design sketch
Black and grey pencil drawing of three roses and two leaves with scrolling swirls, a tattoo design sketch with no body placement shown.
Pencil sketch of roses with swirls
Black and grey lilac sprig tattoo with stippled petals and two leaves on the thigh, beside a pencil drawing of the same flower.
Lilac sprig on the thigh
Pencil sketch of a stylised flower bud with curled petal tips and a long stem, shown as a tattoo design with no body placement visible.
Stylised flower bud pencil sketch
Pen sketch in purple ink of a stag's head with antlers, set within loose swirling lines beside a leafy botanical sprig, drawn on cream paper.
Stag head with botanical sprig sketch
Black and grey dotwork design drawings of peonies, leaves and olive sprigs on tracing paper, with two marker pens beside them.
Peony and olive branch tattoo design sketches
Red pencil sketch of a pocket watch with two roses, beads and leaves, drawn as a neo-traditional tattoo design with no body placement shown.
Pocket watch and roses design sketch
Pencil line drawing of a woman's face and shoulders with flowers in her hair and leaves along her neck, shown as a flash design sketch with no visible body placement.
Pencil sketch of a woman with flowers in her hair
Pencil sketch of a tattoo design showing a Roman numeral clock face with a monarch butterfly, orchids and ornamental swirls, with no body placement shown.
Clock, orchids and butterfly design sketch
Black and white photo of a floral and geometric tattoo design drawn in a sketchbook, beside a dotwork mandala tattoo on a forearm.
Floral and geometric sketch with forearm mandala
Two pen sketches of tattoo designs: a left panel with a skull, roses and geometric lines, and a right panel with a bull skull, moths and dotwork shading.
Skull and rose designs in pen sketches
Two black linework snail designs on pale paper, each with an ornate patterned shell, set over faint lotus outlines in a botanical flash style.
Two ornamental snail designs with lotus outlines
Black and grey pencil drawing of a sunflower with shaded petals and a dark centre, suitable as a botanical tattoo design.
Sunflower pencil sketch
Sketch-style skull with purple and blue poppies and anemone flowers tattooed across a person's upper back and shoulder.
Skull and poppies across a back
Pencil sketch of a tattoo design showing a butterfly with lotus flowers and swirling vines, shown as a drawing rather than on skin.
Butterfly and lotus flower design sketch
Black and grey flash collage of Totoro-style creatures in ink sketches, with plants, mushrooms, a pair of Chinese characters and an Art Nouveau reclining figure.
Totoro sketches, botanicals and Art Nouveau figures
Pencil and ink sketch of a botanical floral design with blossoms, leaves and a trailing vine on white paper, with a thumb at the left edge.
Floral sketch with blossoms and vine
Pencil sketches of peony clusters with leaves on tracing paper, drawn as designs for a tattoo in a fine line botanical style.
Peony cluster tattoo sketches on tracing paper
Three pencil sketches of the word Vegan in script lettering, decorated with leaves, a small heart and swirls, drawn on torn paper.
Vegan script lettering sketches with leaves
Black ink dotwork sketch of two roses with shaded leaves, drawn on white paper in a spiral sketchbook as a tattoo design.
Two roses dotwork flash sketch
Pencil drawing of a dagger with a flower-shaped guard and an ornamental pommel, shown as a design sheet, in a fine line style.
Dagger with flower and ornate hilt drawing
Pencil sketch of a symmetrical lotus flower with layered petals and dotted lines above and below, drawn as a possible botanical tattoo design.
Lotus flower pencil sketch
Pencil sketch of a tattoo design showing two lilies and a small blossom joined by swirling linework, drawn in black and grey shading.
Pencil sketch of lilies and swirling flourishes
Pencil and colour sketch of a grey Celtic knot ringed by green and purple thistles, a tattoo design drawn on paper.
Celtic knot with thistles
Black ink mandala flower drawings on sketchbook paper, with the foreground design in dotwork and fine line, shown without a body placement.
Mandala flower design drawings on paper
Pencil sketch of a calla lily tattoo design with leaves and curling scrollwork, drawn in a botanical style with no body placement shown.
Calla lily design with swirls
Black sketchy linework tattoo of a fox and a rabbit with leaves and a branch across the chest and shoulder.
Fox and rabbit with leaves on chest
Pencil sketch of a symmetrical lotus flower with dotted petal detail and small dots above and below, shown as a botanical tattoo design on plain paper.
Lotus flower pencil design
Pencil sketch of a looping acanthus scroll with leaves and small flower shapes on translucent paper, with the handwritten word angel at the top left.
Acanthus scroll pencil sketch
Pencil sketch of a compass rose with a leafy tree and twisting roots at its centre, with a heart-tipped loop line running to the east point.
Compass rose with tree and roots sketch
Pencil sketch of two bell-shaped lily of the valley flowers on a thin curved stem, drawn in fine line on white paper.
Lily of the valley pencil sketch
Pencil sketch of a tattoo design with a rose at the centre, leaves, stacked triangles and dotted lines, drawn on skin.
Rose and geometric triangles sketch
Pencil and ink sketch of a fine line botanical design of ferns and small flowering sprigs arranged in an open arc, with a pen resting beside it on white paper.
Botanical sprig arc design sketch
Black ink line drawing of a peony with blossoms, leaves and berry sprigs on white paper, a botanical tattoo design sketch.
Peony and blossom floral sketch
Red pencil sketch of a botanical flower and swirl tattoo design wrapping along the side of a torso and hip, drawn on a sketchbook page.
Floral side piece sketch in red pencil
Black and grey pencil-style sketch of a lotus flower with an Om symbol above it and dotted swirl accents, drawn on a white background, shown as a tattoo design with no body placement visible.
Lotus and Om symbol design
Three pencil and ink flash drawings of roses inside triangular frames, drawn on translucent paper, with botanical and geometric detailing.
Three triangle framed rose designs on tracing paper
Black ink drawing of seven moon phases stacked in a vertical column, each filled with floral linework, on a sketchbook page beside a fineliner pen.
Seven moon phases with floral fills
Pen sketch of a weeping willow rising from a cupped open hand, drawn in black ink with dense hatching, a design suited to a botanical tattoo.
Weeping willow growing from an open hand
Pencil sketch of an ornamental lotus-style tattoo design with beaded details and chain swags running across the page, drawn on paper beside a mechanical pencil.
Ornamental lotus pendant design with chain swags
Ink line drawing of a lion's head framed by chrysanthemums, daisies and leaves on white paper, shown as a tattoo design with no body placement visible.
Lion and flowers line drawing
Red and blue coloured pencil drawing of a lily with three butterflies and flowing swirls, a tattoo design with no body placement shown.
Lily and butterflies tattoo design sketch
Black and grey pencil sketch of an open rose drawn on paper, shown as a tattoo design study with no body part visible.
Pencil sketch of an open rose
Purple ink sketch of two peony flowers with leaves and a long stem, drawn as a botanical tattoo design in a spiral sketchbook.
Two peony flowers in purple ink sketch
Pencil sketch of three lilies with trailing swirling vines in black and grey, a botanical tattoo design shown without any body placement.
Lily and vine tattoo design sketch
Black ink sketch of a single pine tree with a loose, shaded canopy on white paper, beside a black pen, shown as a botanical tattoo design.
Pine tree design sketch in black ink