Realism tattoo ideas

6,297 photos and flash · Forearm most common

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Black and grey realism tattoo of a raven in flight with spread wings and smoky shading across the side of a torso on the ribs.

Raven in flight on the ribs

Close side view of a shaded black and grey realism feather tattoo on the ribs, with the wearer's face turned away from the camera.

Shaded feather tattoo on the side ribs

Realistic grey elephant tattoo with blue, pink and orange watercolour splashes on the side of a torso.

Elephant with watercolour splashes on the side

Black and grey realism style flash design of a skull wearing a feather headdress, with a rope, banner and arrow below, not shown on skin.

Skull in feather headdress with banner

Charcoal-style drawing of a skull wearing a black paisley bandana, with a dagger through the jaw, a rosary and a cross hanging below, as a tattoo design.

Skull in bandana with dagger and rosary

Pen and ink sketch of three feathers on cream paper, drawn in fine black linework with soft shading, suited to a feather tattoo design.

Three feather sketches on cream paper

Colour realism tattoo of a dark-haired figure with smudged eye makeup and hands pressed together in prayer, shown on a limb.

Realism portrait of a figure with hands clasped

Realistic black and grey pocket watch with a dangling chain and a teal star tattoo on a forearm.

Pocket watch and star on an arm

Grey shaded VW Beetle tattoo

Close-up of a grey and red biomechanical skull tattoo with realistic shading across the upper arm and shoulder.

Biomechanical skull on upper arm

Colour tattoo of a pink rose, magnolia blooms and buds with blue and pink watercolour splashes on a lower calf.

Rose and magnolia with watercolour splashes on a calf

Realistic colour tattoo of five blue butterflies with dark edged wings, arranged in a diagonal line across the upper shoulder.

Five blue butterflies across a shoulder

Black and grey pencil drawing of a tattoo design showing a pocket watch on a scroll banner, an hourglass with chain, roses and a Holy Bible banner, in a realistic style.

Pocket watch, hourglass and roses sketch

Wolf head tattoo on a thigh, realistic on the left and broken into faceted triangles on the right, with a yellow eye and a blue eye.

Geometric wolf head on a thigh

Realistic colour tattoo of a blue-green eye with long lashes, red petal shapes and a tear drop on the arm, with black swirl linework above.

Realistic eye with red petals and a tear

Purple pencil flash drawing of a planchette-style design with a shaded eye, a smiling sun, a crescent moon and the words SPEAK TO ME NO MORE, in a neo-traditional style.

Planchette design with eye, sun and moon

Colour tattoo on a thigh of two blue birds, a birdcage, red roses, a teacup, a pocket watch and a pair of rings in a neo-trad style.

Birds, birdcage and roses on a thigh

Black and grey realism tattoo of an elephant head with a curved tusk, shown on a man's forearm.

Elephant head on a forearm

Realistic penny coin on the ribs

Black and grey realism tattoo of a barn owl face on a woman's lower stomach, above the waistband of her jeans.

Barn owl face on the lower stomach

Black and grey realism tattoo of a compass over a world map on a forearm, with map labels visible around it.

Compass over a world map on a forearm

Black and grey realism tattoo of a feather breaking up into a flock of birds on the upper back, near the shoulder blade.

Feather dissolving into birds on upper back

Grey shaded cat head with teal eyes, surrounded by scrolling swirls and lotus flowers, tattooed on the side of a thigh.

Cat head with teal eyes and lotus flowers on thigh

Sepia pencil drawing of a winged angel with a sword standing over a crouched demon, a design suited to a large back or chest piece.

Winged angel standing over a fallen demon

Four views of a colourful realism full sleeve on an upper arm and forearm, showing a spiral galaxy, planets, a spaceship and a bare tree under a moon.

Full sleeve space and moonlit landscape

Realistic colour tattoo of a smoking caterpillar beside a brass hookah, in teal and orange, wrapping around a forearm.

Caterpillar with hookah on a forearm

Sepia photo of a shaded black and grey tattoo of a seated winged figure with a long braid, placed centrally on a person's mid back.

Seated winged figure with braid on mid back

Realistic colour tattoo of the bones of a foot, showing metatarsals and toe bones with shaded depth, on the top of a foot.

Realistic skeletal foot tattoo

Black and grey dotwork tattoo of two adult elephants and three calves walking in a line across the upper back.

Elephant family walking across upper back

Colour tattoo of a cherry blossom branch with pink flowers and buds wrapping up the inside of a forearm, shown in a realistic style.

Cherry blossom branch on a forearm

Black and grey dotwork compass rose with a world map behind it, tattooed across the top of both feet.

Compass rose and world map on both feet

Two side-by-side views of a realistic colour tattoo of a pocket watch and red rose on a forearm, set against an orange watercolour wash.

Pocket watch and rose on a forearm

Realistic tattoo of a black paintbrush with a red paint stroke on an upper arm, shown in a close photograph.

Paintbrush with red paint stroke on an arm

Black and grey realism tattoo of two roses and three daisy-like flowers wrapping around the outer forearm.

Black and grey roses and daisies on a forearm

Black and grey wing tattoo with outlined feathers and soft shading across the inner forearm, beside a gold watch and bracelet on a white fur rug.

Black and grey wing on a forearm

Black and grey realism tattoo of a shaded feather with silhouetted birds rising from its tip and the text Isaiah 40:31 beneath it, on the side of the torso.

Feather and flying birds with scripture on flank

Four-panel photo of a realistic red magnolia tattoo with black ink splatter across the shoulder and upper arm.

Magnolia and ink splatter on a shoulder

Realistic red rose tattoo in colour with black shading behind it, on the forearm of a person in a white top.

Realistic red rose on a forearm

Realism style tattoo of two grey roses with black lace filigree and teal and pink butterflies, placed on a person's upper back and shoulder.

Roses, lace and butterflies on a back

Realistic colour tattoo of a frowning cat face with a teal halo background on the outer forearm near the elbow.

Grumpy cat portrait on a forearm

A sheet of ten black and grey rose drawings on a white background, shaded with fine hatching and stippling in a botanical realism style.

Ten black and grey rose flash designs

Black and grey pencil drawing of a jellyfish with a shaded, ridged bell and long flowing tentacles, shown on a cream background, in a realism style suited to a tattoo design.

Jellyfish pencil drawing

Black and grey realistic skull tattoo wearing a bandana and a studded eye patch, shown on a limb.

Realistic skull with bandana and eye patch

Black and grey realism tattoo of a skull wrapped in octopus tentacles across the upper arm, shown in a full view and a close-up.

Skull and octopus tentacles on upper arm

Black and grey realism tattoo of three roses, a compass and script on the outer thigh.

Roses and compass on a thigh

Realistic black and grey tattoo of a Nikon FM10 film camera, a film strip and daisies on the outer thigh.

Film camera and daisies on a thigh

Two calf tattoos of grey cat portraits, one framed by gold scrollwork with a red rose, the other surrounded by orange poppies, in a realism and neo-traditional style.

Cat portraits with flowers on two calves

Colour realism tattoo of pink orchid blooms with dark stems running down the side of the ribs and torso.

Pink orchids down the side of a torso