Stencil tattoo ideas

99 photos and flash · 19% Geometric, 15% Botanical · Forearm most common

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Solid black silhouette pine tree tattoo on an ankle, with a white paper stencil of the same tree beside it.
Pine tree silhouette on an ankle
Ten numbered black silhouette hibiscus flower designs on a white background, some solid and some outlined, shown as possible tattoo stencils.
Ten hibiscus flower designs
Solid black stencil-style tattoo of a figure mid-throw holding a bouquet with small red flowers, on the side of the ribs.
Figure throwing a bouquet on the ribs
Solid black tribal-style biohazard symbol on a white background, drawn as a bold stencil-like flash design with no body placement shown.
Tribal biohazard symbol design
Realistic colour tattoo of a tiger head with blue eyes and a city skyline above a club crest, on the upper arm and shoulder.
Realistic tiger head with blue eyes on upper arm
A gloved tattooist works a machine along a dotted black outline on skin, with blue guide lines drawn nearby.
Tattoo outline being inked with a machine
Solid black flash design of a deer skull with large antlers and two crossed rifles, shown on a plain white background with no body part visible.
Deer skull with antlers and crossed rifles
Solid black stencil drawing of the head of Eeyore the donkey in profile, shown as a tattoo design on a plain white background.
Eeyore head stencil design
Four-panel collage of a faceted gem tattoo with radiating rays on a forearm, from stencil and linework to coloured shading in purple, grey and green.
Faceted gem with rays on forearm, four stages
Four solid black dragonfly silhouettes in a horizontal row on a white background, shown as a tattoo stencil design with no body part visible.
Four dragonflies in a row
Black and grey fine line tattoo of a globe with a latitude grid and soft shaded continents, with arrow lines extending outward, on the inner forearm near the wrist.
Globe with compass arrows on the forearm
Black and grey traditional anchor tattoo with a banner and rope on the back of a hand, with the word FIND tattooed across the knuckles.
Anchor and banner hand tattoo from sketch to finish
Close view of a tattooed hand holding a paper stencil on a thigh, with a black and grey rose on the hand and a brain and cloud design on the leg.
Black and grey hand and thigh tattoos
A dark chevron stencil on a forearm, held in place by a paper band, while a hand wipes the skin with a green cloth.
Chevron stencil on a forearm
Purple stencil of a geometric lion with a mandala crown on skin, beside the matching black linework transfer design on paper.
Lion and mandala stencil with geometric pendant
Two-panel image of a lower leg: red outline stencil on the left and a finished black tribal pattern tattoo covering the calf on the right.
Tribal calf tattoo, stencil and finished
A tattooist in black gloves uses a machine to work on a partly finished animal design with purple outlines and grey shading on a person's skin.
Tattoo being inked with a machine
Solid black stencil-style design of a serene Buddha face with curled hair, topped by an Om symbol, on a plain white background.
Buddha face design with Om symbol
Four black line drawings on tracing paper showing a moth, a scrolling mandala, a fleur-de-lis spire and a half mandala, all designs for tattoos.
Four ornate tattoo design drawings on tracing paper
Fine line tattoo of a barn owl within overlapping geometric shapes and dots on the upper arm, with a paper stencil of the same design held beside it.
Barn owl in geometric frame on upper arm
A black and white flash sheet of twenty labelled moustache designs, shown as stencil-style temporary tattoo artwork with no body placement visible.
Moustache designs on a temporary tattoo sheet
Black and grey dotwork rose with leaves inside nested geometric diamonds, tattooed on a limb, with a printed stencil of the same design beside it.
Rose within nested geometric diamonds
Side-by-side photos of a small lightsaber tattoo with a red blade and grey hilt on skin over a pale linear mark, with the purple stencil shown on the left.
Lightsaber tattoo over a linear mark
Black dotwork flash sheet of ten pairs of crescent arc designs with dot clusters and hanging drops, shown without any body part.
Dotwork arc and drop ornament flash sheet
Three black butterfly stencil designs on a white background, one at the top and two lower down, with wings filled in by bold solid shapes and open cut-outs.
Three butterfly stencil designs
Black silhouette design of a small fairy and several flying figures on a white background, shown as a standalone design with no body part visible.
Silhouetted flying figures design
Three-panel progression of a realistic colour portrait tattoo of a wild-haired figure with a wide grinning face, from purple linework stencil to finished shading on skin.
Realistic portrait tattoo, stencil to finished
Two matching pink bow tattoos on the lower legs, with stencil transfer sheets and ink caps shown in the smaller photos below.
Matching pink bow tattoos on calves
Gloved hands press a blue and purple transfer stencil of a dome and rain-like design onto a forearm ahead of tattooing.
Transfer stencil being applied to a forearm
White Celtic heart knot stencil design with interlaced looping bands, shown against a grey metallic background.
Celtic heart knot stencil
White cut-out stencil of a seated mythical creature with a flowing mane and a curled tail, on pale blue stencil film, for a tattoo design.
Seated mythical creature silhouette stencil
Small black serif lettering reading PARTY, set vertically on the inner wrist of a forearm, with its mirrored stencil visible on the paper below.
PARTY lettering on the inner wrist
Black and white stencil of an ornate floral design with a central heart, scrolls and leaves, laid on a dark surface beside a pair of white rings.
Floral heart stencil design
Solid black silhouette stencil of a spiky-haired clawed figure with three long blades on each forearm, shown on a white background.
Clawed figure silhouette stencil
Three-panel collage of a winged cartoon cat tattoo: a purple stencil on skin, a gloved tattooist working on the outline, and the finished blue and black cat on the upper arm.
Winged cartoon cat on the upper arm
Collage of a feather tattoo on the hip and side of the torso, shown as a purple linework stencil and as a finished piece in black, pink and blue.
Feather tattoo on the side of the hip
Realistic pink rose tattoo on the thigh, shown as a blue linework outline on skin and as a shaded colour version in a collage.
Pink rose tattoo from outline to colour
Black line stencil of an ornate hamsa hand with mandala patterns and dotted border on transfer paper, with a faint pink outline behind it.
Hamsa hand stencil with mandala detail
Red heart and black and grey stencil-style figure tattooed on a forearm, beside a printed reference design of the same motif.
Heart and figure stencil on a forearm
Coloured drawing of a koi and a yellow goldfish among yellow and red flowers, with a black-and-white stencil version of the design in the top left corner.
Koi and goldfish design with stencil inset
Black line drawing of a tiger's face, front on, with bold stripes and tapering fur strokes on a white background, shown as a design rather than on skin.
Tiger head stencil design
Black silhouette design of four perched birds on a bare branch, with a songbird on a leafy twig and three small birds in flight above.
Silhouette birds on branches stencil
Colour realism tattoo of a Doberman's head on a limb, shown beside the blue line stencil used to transfer the design.
Doberman portrait tattoo beside its stencil
Teal and sage green stencil design of a symmetrical lotus flower with layered petals on a white background.
Stylised lotus flower stencil
White lotus flower stencil designs in four sizes on a teal gradient background, with one large and three smaller versions.
Lotus stencil designs in four sizes
Black and white stencil-style drawing of a man's face turned slightly to the side, with swept-back hair and a heavy brow line.
Stencil-style portrait of a man's face
A floral tattoo stencil on transfer paper is pressed onto a person's upper back, with a hand holding the paper in place.
Floral stencil being applied to a back
White stencil of a Celtic knotwork tree of life with interlaced roots and branches, set against weathered wood panels.
Celtic tree of life stencil