Blackwork tattoo ideas

2,168 photos and flash · Forearm most common

What will it cost? Try the tattoo cost calculator
Black blackwork and dotwork tattoo of a gridded globe with birds flying off it, placed on the upper back near the shoulder.
Globe with flying birds on a shoulder
Solid black silhouette of a songbird in profile, with white floral and scroll shapes cut into the body, shown as a blackwork-style tattoo design.
Songbird silhouette with white floral detail
Fresh blackwork tattoo of a large solid black area with a black line spiral on a lower leg, partly covered by clear plastic wrap.
Solid black fill and spiral on a lower leg
Black blackwork and dotwork tattoo of a skull with spiral eyes inside a triangle, with stylised lettering above, on the inside of a forearm.
Skull in triangle on a forearm
Two photos of a solid black blackwork tattoo of two crossed rifles with a heart between them, placed on the ankle.
Crossed rifles and heart on an ankle
Black tribal-style sea turtle design with bold solid shapes, swirling motifs and patterned flippers on a white background.
Tribal sea turtle design
Back tattoo in black tribal linework with red shading, showing a symmetrical stingray-like design with spirals across the upper back.
Tribal stingray design across the upper back
Black and white ink snakes coiled together across a forearm, rendered in blackwork and dotwork style.
Intertwined snakes on a forearm
Black ornamental padlock and key flash design with handwritten script above and below, shown without any body placement.
Ornate padlock and key with love script
Black Celtic knotwork crescent moon tattoo design on a plain beige background, with no body placement shown.
Celtic knot crescent moon
Black and grey geometric tattoo of a hawk head on a forearm, with a solid black wing shape, pine trees and a thin rectangular frame.
Geometric hawk head on a forearm
Back of a person with dark hair in a bun, showing a symmetrical black blackwork geometric tattoo that spreads across the upper back and up the neck.
Geometric black tattoo across upper back and neck
Back view of a shirtless man with a raised arm, showing a solid black tribal blackwork tattoo with triangles and bands across the upper arm and elbow.
Black tribal band on upper arm and forearm
Black and grey dotwork mandala tattoo with floral detail covering the forearm, shown beside a denim-shorted leg against a white wall.
Mandala forearm sleeve in black ink
Black and grey two-panel tattoo on an upper arm in an engraved style, showing scales and a solid polyhedron on the left and a skeleton holding an hourglass above a skull on the right.
Two-panel engraving tattoo on an upper arm
Black and grey mandala-style elephant tattoo across the upper back, with a lotus pattern on its head and ornate patterned ears.
Mandala elephant on upper back
Black and grey dotwork tattoo on the forearm showing a campervan, campfire and pine forest under a starry night sky inside a circular frame.
Campervan and campfire night scene in a circle
Black ink drawing of an ornate bird perched on a white background, built from flowing swirls, spirals and dotted circles, shown as a tattoo design without a body placement.
Ornate swirl bird design
Black and grey cat tattoo sitting on a ball of yarn on the thigh, drawn in bold outline with stippled dotwork shading.
Cat on a ball of yarn on a thigh
Black and white photo of a bold black tribal linework tattoo sweeping across the side of a torso from the lower abdomen over the hip.
Black tribal tattoo on a hip
Black and white flash design of a cat's head filled with intricate paisley, floral and dotted patterns, suited to a blackwork tattoo.
Ornate cat head design in black linework
Black and grey realism tattoo of an eye with branch-like lashes, small birds and a curled hook shape, placed on the upper back.
Eye with birds and drips on upper back
Black and grey tattoo of an outlined heart with an ornate mandala-style border on the upper arm, below a pink knit sleeve.
Mandala heart on upper arm
Forearm tattoo of a solid black rose entwined with pale stippled snakes, with three small outlined geometric shapes above it.
Black rose and white snakes on a forearm
Monarch butterfly tattoo with orange wings framed by black lace ornament and chains across the sternum.
Monarch butterfly with lace on sternum
Black blackwork tattoo of a crescent moon, stars and stylised waves inside a circle, placed on the upper back near the shoulder blade.
Moon and waves in a circle on the upper back
Black and grey peony tattoo on a forearm, with a geometric mandala-style band of ornament below it, photographed beside a wristwatch.
Peony and mandala on a forearm
Black silhouette tattoo of a saluting soldier on a rocky mound near the wrist, with the words Life has a hopeful undertone above it on the forearm.
Saluting soldier silhouette and quote on forearm
Sheet of thirteen black silhouette dragon designs in Japanese-influenced style, shown as flash on a white background.
Collection of black dragon designs
Black tribal-style phoenix with spread wings rising above stylised flames, shown as a tattoo design on a plain white background with no body placement visible.
Phoenix rising through stylised flames
Black ornamental flash design of a bird with spread wings and a rose on its breast, with decorative linework and a ribbon-like tail at the base.
Winged bird with rose ornament
Black and grey lace garter tattoo with dotwork shading and a mandala-like centre on the upper thigh of a person holding plaid shorts.
Lace garter tattoo on a thigh
Black and white three-panel photo of a blackwork band tattoo of varying black lines wrapping around the wrist.
Striped wrist band tattoo
Black geometric band tattoo wrapping around a woman's bent elbow, with dotwork quatrefoil panels and striped triangles in blackwork style.
Geometric band tattoo around an elbow
Black ink tattoo of a circular sea scene with sunrays, clouds and rolling waves on the inner forearm.
Sun, clouds and waves on a forearm
Solid black crow tattoo with stylised feather scales on the upper arm of a person wearing a white t-shirt.
Black crow on upper arm
Black blackwork tattoo of a triangular hooded emblem filled with Celtic knotwork, on the forearm.
Celtic knotwork emblem on a forearm
Black and grey photograph of a blackwork tribal band tattoo with bold triangles on a man's forearm, above a black wristband.
Tribal band tattoo on a forearm
Black tattoo of a tribal band with spirals and chevron patterns wrapped around a forearm, resting on a dark towel.
Polynesian-style band tattoo on a forearm
Black ink flash sheets of roses, daffodils, lotus and a mountain design set inside solid black triangles and circles, shown on white paper beside fresh flowers.
Botanical flash in triangles and circles
Black and grey dotwork dragonfly tattoo with mandala-style floral wings running down the calf.
Mandala dragonfly on a calf
Black and grey blackwork tattoo of a hand with crossed fingers in engraving-style hatching, on the inner forearm.
Crossed fingers hand on forearm
Black tribal-style dragon design with a long horn, open jaw and swirling tail, shown as a flat drawing rather than on skin.
Tribal dragon design with swirling tail
Black and grey photo of a honeycomb band of solid black hexagons with grey outlines across the forearm just above the wrist.
Honeycomb hexagon band on a wrist
Black tribal tattoo with a central turtle motif wrapping the upper arm and shoulder in a Polynesian-style blackwork design.
Polynesian turtle tribal on upper arm
Black and grey blackwork tattoo of a lace-patterned heart with dotted chains hanging below, on the upper leg.
Black lace heart with dotted chains on a leg
Black ink mandala tattoo with dotwork detail on a torso beside the ribs, with a small arrow tattoo near the waistband, in a blackwork style.
Black mandala tattoo on the ribs
Black and grey blackwork tattoo of two ornate, scrolling fish curving down the upper back between the shoulder blades.
Ornamental fish tattoo on upper back