Traditional tattoo ideas

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Traditional style colour tattoo of a death's head hawkmoth with a skull marking on the upper thigh, set against a red circle.
Death's head hawkmoth on thigh
Close view of black script lettering across the ribs and abdomen, with a traditional envelope tattoo and a larger coloured design on the thigh, on a person lying on a grey patterned blanket.
Script lettering on ribs with thigh tattoos
Colour traditional tattoo of R2-D2 projecting the words You're my only hope, above an orange rose with a Rebel Alliance emblem, on a thigh.
R2-D2 and rebel rose on a thigh
Black and grey traditional style tattoo of a mermaid sitting in a clawfoot bathtub inside an ornate oval frame, on the thigh.
Mermaid in a bathtub inside an ornate frame
Red cherries with green stems and a leaf, surrounded by black stars and dots, in a colour tattoo on the side of the thigh.
Cherries and stars on a thigh
Two black and grey traditional cameo tattoos on the thighs, one showing a man in profile and one a woman with a rose in her hair, each with a scroll banner beneath.
Matching cameo portraits on thighs
Black and grey dagger tattoo on a thigh and shin, with the blade cut at the knee and dripping, shown in a Traditional style.
Dagger tattoo running over the knee
Colour traditional tattoo of an owl with a sugar skull face and red roses on the outer thigh.
Owl with sugar skull face on thigh
Black and grey sailing ship tattoo with a rose and scrollwork running down the ribs and onto the hip in a traditional style.
Sailing ship and rose down the side and hip
Traditional style tattoos of ships, roses and a sailor portrait on a woman's stomach and upper thigh, with her face cropped out of frame.
Ships, roses and a sailor on torso and thigh
Two traditional-style tattoos on a pair of thighs: a bearded man in profile beside a compass and flowers, and a woman in a headscarf beside a red rose.
Portraits, compass and rose on the thighs
Black and grey Traditional-style rose tattoo on one thigh and an ornate cameo frame with roses on the other, both worn with black stockings.
Rose and cameo tattoos on thighs
Two traditional style thigh tattoos showing R2-D2 and C-3PO, each with a banner scroll, roses and a sunflower, on a person's upper thighs.
R2-D2 and C-3PO thigh tattoos
Traditional style tattoo of a grim reaper holding a scythe and smoking a cigarette, with 'Life's a Drag' script, on the upper leg.
Grim reaper with scythe and script
Colour traditional tattoo of mountains, pine trees and a lake inside a rope-edged circle with a sunset and wave border, on the outer thigh.
Mountain lake scene in a rope circle on a thigh
Black and grey traditional tattoo of a woman with wavy hair, two roses and tear drops on a thigh.
Woman with roses and tears on a thigh
Colour traditional tattoo on a thigh showing a pocket watch, painted planets and two banners reading "All of time and space, where do you want to start?"
Pocket watch and planets banner on a thigh
Traditional style tattoo of a snarling black cat head with purple eyes and red ears, with STAY above and HOME below, on the thigh.
Snarling black cat with STAY HOME lettering
Black and grey traditional tattoo of a skull with roses, palm trees and a sunset over waves, on the outer thigh.
Skull with roses and palm trees on a thigh
Traditional style tattoo on a thigh of a grinning puppet in a dark suit and red bow tie, riding a red tricycle.
Puppet riding a red tricycle on a thigh
Traditional style tattoos covering both legs, including a skull and rose on the knee, a snake and a panther on the thigh and calf, and a small piece on the ankle.
Traditional leg tattoos with skull and snake
Traditional colour tattoo of an upside-down pole dancer in heels above a red rose with green leaves, on a thigh.
Pole dancer and rose on a thigh
Black and grey traditional tattoo of a horned figure in a long cloak with a raven on its shoulder, framed in a circle on the thigh.
Horned figure and raven on a thigh
Traditional colour tattoo on a thigh showing a banner reading HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS, with a red and yellow sunburst, a heart and mountains with pine trees.
Home is where the heart is banner on a thigh
Black and grey traditional tattoo of a woman in profile with red lips and cheek, framed by roses and a crescent moon, on the outer thigh.
Traditional woman portrait and roses on thigh
Colour tattoo of a skeletal Rosie the Riveter in a red polka dot bandana and blue shirt, flexing one arm above a 'We Can Do It!' banner on the thigh.
Skeleton Rosie the Riveter on the thigh
Traditional style colour tattoo of an anatomical heart framed by yellow banner scrolls with lettering, on a leg.
Anatomical heart with banner scroll on a leg
Colour neo-traditional sugar skull tattoo in green and blue with red and orange flowers and blue roses, on the thigh.
Colourful sugar skull with roses on a thigh
Neo-traditional tattoo of a black lace bow with red ribbons and a red gem centre, placed on the outer thigh.
Black lace bow with red ribbon on a thigh
Colour traditional-style tattoo of a heart-shaped wreath of blue, orange and pink flowers around black script reading Fall in love with yourself, on the outer thigh.
Heart wreath with script quote on thigh
Woman in a red and white striped swimsuit with a traditional-style eagle and heart tattoo on the chest, and tattoos on the upper arm, forearm and thigh.
Traditional eagle chest tattoo with arm sleeve
Neo-traditional tattoo on a thigh showing a shaded black and grey bird beside red poppies, green leaves and white scrollwork.
Bird and red poppies on a thigh
Traditional style tattoo on a thigh showing a hand holding a white rose, with banners reading Valar Morghulis and Valar Dohaeris, framed by red berries, green leaves and yellow flames.
Hand and rose banner tattoo on thigh
Traditional Japanese style colour tattoo of a white maneki-neko lucky cat with a green patterned collar and gold bell, surrounded by red flowers, on the thigh.
Maneki-neko lucky cat with flowers on a thigh
Two colour traditional tattoos on the thighs, one of a bear-like animal and one of a horned animal framed by red roses, with a drink held between the legs by a pool.
Traditional rose and animal thigh tattoos
Traditional colour tattoo of a cat wearing a floral crown, with a teal banner reading MEATBALL and red and yellow flowers, on the thigh.
Cat in a floral crown with banner on thigh
Black and grey ornate elephant head tattoo with a curling trunk and decorative patterning on the outer thigh, in a traditional style.
Ornate elephant head on a thigh
Traditional style tattoo on a thigh showing an instant camera, a red rose, pink flowers and an hourglass in a photo frame, with the words Everything and Changes.
Instant camera, rose and hourglass on a thigh
Traditional style tattoo of a green kaiju monster with an open mouth and red and orange details, set within a black circle with waves, on the thigh.
Kaiju monster in a circle on a thigh
Colour tattoo of sunflowers, red blooms and a purple bud in a botanical style on the outer thigh, with a hand and floral skirt beside it.
Sunflower bouquet tattoo on a thigh
Colour traditional tattoo of a pale-faced woman with blue hair and flowers in an orange frame, beside a red rose, on the upper thigh.
Pale-faced woman in a frame with a red rose
Traditional style tattoo of a grey globe with a woman's profile, a red and orange butterfly and red and orange flowers on the outer thigh.
Globe, butterfly and flowers on a thigh
A seated woman with colour tattoos on her forearm and shoulder, outline stars on her thigh and a red and green snake on her calf, on a black leather sofa.
Star and snake tattoos on bare legs
Traditional style tattoo on a thigh showing a pocket watch with a dangling chain, framed by pink and peach roses and grey leaves.
Pocket watch and roses on a thigh
Traditional style tattoo of a red and white striped lighthouse inside a rope frame, with a pink flower above, on the outer thigh.
Lighthouse and flower on a thigh
Colour traditional tattoo of a hedgehog covered in teal and orange flowers and green leaves, placed on the outer thigh.
Hedgehog made of flowers on a thigh
Colour traditional tattoo on a thigh of a red-haired mermaid with a green tail seated on a rope-wrapped anchor, framed by red, purple and dark roses.
Mermaid on an anchor with roses on a thigh
Two legs covered in colourful traditional tattoos, including roses, a dagger, a heart and a bird, photographed from above in a bath.
Traditional tattoos covering both legs