Traditional tattoo ideas

4,572 photos and flash · Forearm most common

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Traditional colour tattoo on a calf showing a cabin beneath a red sun, clouds, pink flowers and the words Home is where you are in a banner, with black and grey versions shown either side.
Cabin and red sun on a calf
Small traditional-style anchor tattoo with a pink flower on the side of an ankle, shaded in grey.
Anchor and flower on an ankle
Torso of a person lifting a white shirt, showing a winged figure, a spider and red LOCALS ONLY lettering in traditional-style tattoos on the stomach, with a sleeve on the upper arm.
Winged figure and spider on torso with arm sleeves
Black and grey traditional style tattoo of a skeletal Uncle Sam in a striped top hat pointing forward, on the forearm.
Skeletal Uncle Sam on a forearm
Traditional style tattoo of a red heart with a yellow NOTHANKS banner, yellow flowers and dark green leaves on the lower leg.
Traditional heart with NOTHANKS banner and flowers
Colour tattoo of pink scissors, an embroidery hoop, a green thread spool and a needle, in traditional style with black outlines, on skin.
Scissors, hoop and thread spool
Two lowered-view legs in satin pointe shoes show black and grey tattoos on the calves, including a raven, a lightbulb and a cluster of roses in traditional and dotwork style.
Raven, roses and lightbulb on legs in pointe shoes
Woman in a lace bra and open plaid shirt, showing a traditional-style rose and bird tattoo on her ribs, script lettering on her upper chest, and a rose and portrait design on her thigh.
Rose and bird tattoos on torso and thigh
Flash design of a red and black skull with lightning-bolt eyes above the words SEMPRE OLTRE, beside a black cat with red eyes above the words LA NOTTE È LUNGA, in a traditional style.
Skull and black cat flash with Italian lettering
Traditional colour tattoo of a pin-up sailor in an oval rope frame with a ship's wheel and daisies, across the upper back.
Pin-up sailor and ship's wheel on a back
Black and grey flash sheet of nine traditional-style tattoo designs, including a rose with a banner, a skull with crossed shovels, a boombox and two bold character heads.
Black and grey traditional flash sheet
Traditional style colour tattoo on a forearm showing two toucans perched above a pineapple, with a red flower and watermelon slice below.
Toucans, pineapple and watermelon on a forearm
Colour tattoo of a sword wrapped in red roses and green vines, with a grey triforce above it, on a person's upper back near the shoulder.
Sword, roses and triforce on a shoulder
Black and grey traditional tattoo of an ornamental elephant head with dotwork patterns on the inner forearm, set against a red wash.
Ornamental elephant head on inner forearm
Black and grey Japanese style tattoo of a shark with an anchor and rope amid curling waves, covering a person's upper arm and shoulder.
Shark, anchor and waves on upper arm
Colour tattoo of a cartoon blue bird holding a teal ribbon in its beak, outlined in bold black linework on skin.
Cartoon blue bird with teal ribbon
Traditional flash sheet of tattoo designs in bold colour, including a skull with crossbones, a hand with flowers, a snake and heart, mushrooms and a frog.
Traditional flash sheet with skull, hand and snakes
Traditional style full sleeve tattoo on an upper arm and forearm, with a ship, swallows, a shark, a pin-up and banner lettering, shown in three photographs.
Traditional sailor full sleeve in three views
Traditional style colour tattoo on a forearm of a grim reaper holding a scythe, a rose and a banner reading MISOGYNY, with DEATH TO above.
Grim reaper and rose with banner on forearm
Black and grey traditional style flash sheet showing a shield with three horses and an eagle at the top, with a swallow, key, dagger, rose, skull, bicycle and other small designs below.
Traditional flash sheet with horses, eagle and dagger
Colour tattoo of Snoopy in sunglasses and a red jumper marked JOE COOL, sitting on the inner forearm with a small cast shadow beneath.
Joe Cool Snoopy on a forearm
Black and grey engraved-style tattoo of two cats on the inner forearm, shown from three angles.
Two cats on a forearm
Flash-style drawing of a flaming skull wearing a vest top above a banner reading LOOKS LIKE SHIT, in red and navy line work with a small star below.
Flaming skull in a tank top with banner
A woman holding a white mug shows a black and grey traditional style tattoo on her forearm, with a fist and leaf shapes.
Black and grey traditional forearm tattoo
Colour tattoo on an ankle showing two smiling cartoon characters holding hands in front of a yellow starburst, with script reading friends by chance and sisters by choice.
Friends by chance, sisters by choice lettering
Traditional style flash design of a red heart with the words WELL FUCK, a red flower and two dark teal leaves on a cream background.
Traditional heart with flower and leaves
Colourful traditional mandala tattoo on the back of a hand, with bold black outlines and green, purple and pink petals, against a whitewashed brick wall.
Mandala tattoo on the back of a hand
Black and grey blackwork tattoo of an astromech droid with ornate geometric panels, on the outer thigh.
Astromech droid on a thigh
Traditional-style tattoo of a red heart pierced by an arrow, with a yellow banner reading BACON and blue stars, on an upper arm.
Heart with arrow and BACON banner on upper arm
Traditional style anchor flash design with a red heart and a banner reading DAD, drawn in red, blue and yellow with bold black outlines.
Traditional anchor and heart with DAD banner
Red pencil flash drawing of a Ball Mason jar with flowers on the lid and a banner reading MOONSHINE, in a traditional style.
Mason jar with flowers and moonshine banner
Black and white flash design of a seated cat covered in swirling, tribal-style linework, with curled whiskers and a curled tail.
Seated cat with swirling tribal linework
Traditional colour tattoo on a thigh showing a compass rose, a blue swallow, a purple rose and a banner reading Not all who wander are lost.
Compass, swallow and rose on a thigh
Traditional style tattoo on a forearm showing a seated figure in a feathered headdress holding a rose shield, with a red sun disc and small flowers.
Headdress figure with rose shield on forearm
Colour traditional tattoo of a winged golden ball with a lightning bolt mark, a green cloud and four-point stars, on an upper arm.
Winged golden ball with stars on arm
Traditional style tattoo on an upper arm showing a dark-haired woman in a blue headscarf wearing red boxing gloves, with the words PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE STRUGGLE in black lettering.
Boxer pin-up with slogan on upper arm
Traditional style tattoo of a black cat face with a gold crescent moon and heart-shaped nose, on the thigh.
Black cat face with crescent moon on thigh
Black and grey dotwork tattoo of a horned demon with ram horns, wings and clawed hands on an upper arm.
Horned demon with wings on upper arm
A bold nautical star design filled with the stripes and canton of the American flag, with black shaded points, shown as a flash drawing rather than on skin.
American flag nautical star design
A clenched fist with blue-grey blackletter-style lettering reading CATS MEOW across the knuckles, with a turquoise painted fingernail on the thumb below.
Cats Meow lettering across knuckles
Black and grey sewing machine, dress form and buttons with a red flower and a banner reading POR VIDA, tattooed on a forearm, in a traditional style.
Sewing machine and dress form on a forearm
Black and grey tattoo of a three-masted sailing ship on rolling waves, framed in a circle with dashed sky lines, on the forearm.
Sailing ship in a circle on a forearm
Small traditional-style tattoo of a dark grey storm cloud with an orange lightning bolt on the back of a hand.
Storm cloud and lightning bolt on a hand
Black line drawing flash of an hourglass, three roses, a pocket watch and banners reading I wish time was on our side, in a traditional style.
Hourglass, roses and pocket watch flash design
Traditional-style flash design of red and yellow roses and rope framing a lettered sign on a aged yellow background, with no body part shown.
Roses and rope sign flash design
Colour traditional-style tattoo of a hand gripping a beaded ring medallion, shaded in gold and brown, on the back of a lower leg.
Hand holding a beaded medallion on a calf
Traditional black and grey back tattoo of a large moth with filigree ornament above an animal and a row of roses, with a small red rose on the upper arm.
Moth, animal and roses across a back
Colour tattoo of Bambi, Thumper and Flower in an oval frame with roses, birds and a red drape, on a lower limb.
Bambi, Thumper and Flower in a rose frame