Tribal pattern tattoo ideas

263 photos and flash · 51% Blackwork, 24% Geometric · Upper arm most common

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Black tribal tattoo with swirls, triangles and spiky bands wrapping around the upper arm, shown from the side.
Tribal bands tattoo on upper arm
A symmetrical butterfly design with bold black tribal-style outlines and wings shaded from blue and purple to red and yellow, shown on a white background.
Black-outlined butterfly design in purple and orange
Black tribal-style gecko design with a curled tail, clawed feet and geometric patterns cut into its body, shown on a white background.
Tribal gecko design in solid black
Black and grey photo of a bold blackwork tribal tattoo covering a shoulder and upper arm, with a swirl and chevron bands.
Bold tribal band on a shoulder
Black and grey ornamental drawing of a wolf head built from dense, intricate patterned linework, shown as a tattoo design on a white background.
Ornamental wolf head design
Close-up of a solid black geometric band tattoo with triangles, zigzags and fringed lines wrapping the forearm near the wrist.
Black geometric band on a forearm
Black tribal blackwork tattoo wrapping a person's calf and shin, with further tribal patterns on the ankle and upper thigh, seated on concrete steps.
Polynesian-style tribal leg tattoo
Solid black tribal tattoo of a stylised bird with spiral details and spiked wing feathers, placed across the upper back below the shoulder blade.
Black tribal bird on upper back
Black tribal-style sea turtle tattoo on a woman's upper back near the shoulder blade, with four pastel pink, blue and green plumeria flowers inside the shell.
Sea turtle with plumeria on upper back
Black linework lion face design with a symmetrical, swirling mane on a white background, shown without a placement on the body.
Swirling lion face design
Black and grey blackwork tattoo of a skull wearing a feathered headdress, covering most of a person's back.
Feathered skull headdress across a back
Three views of a black dotwork tattoo on a shoulder and upper arm, with chevrons, diamonds and arched mandala bands in a geometric style.
Dotwork geometric shoulder and upper arm tattoo
Black and white photo of a bare back with two large blackwork tattoos, one a mandala and paisley design on the left and one a tribal-style feather on the right, placed across the back.
Ornamental back tattoos in black ink
Light blue tribal-style sea turtle tattoo design on a white background, with bold solid shapes and patterned shell detail.
Tribal sea turtle design
Three ornamental feather designs drawn in black ink with pink, purple, blue and orange accents on a white background, suited to a tattoo flash sheet.
Three ornamental feathers in ink and colour
Upper arm sleeve in a tribal-style blackwork design with bands of spirals and triangles, featuring two red flower motifs.
Tribal sleeve with red flowers on upper arm
Black tribal flash design of a stylised face inside a circle, with sun-like rays and bold blackwork patterns.
Tribal sun face design
Collage of an abstract ornamental tattoo across a hand, fingers and forearm, with black linework, purple shading and an eye motif.
Eye and swirl tattoo on hand and forearm
Black ink tribal sleeve in Polynesian-style patterns covering the shoulder and upper arm of a man wearing a black vest top.
Tribal sleeve over shoulder and upper arm
Black and grey blackwork back tattoo of a turtle shell with a turtle head, tribal patterns and two reptilian eyes across the lower back.
Turtle shell and tribal back piece
Close photo of a hand with a bold black tribal blackwork tattoo of chevrons, hexagons and bands covering the back of the hand, fingers and wrist.
Blackwork tribal pattern across the hand
Forearm with a teal and black tribal spiral tattoo, with silver chain and shell-inlay bangles worn on the wrist.
Blue tribal spiral tattoo on a forearm
Black tattoo of a stacked tiki totem with a tribal band across the nape of the neck, shown on the back of a person's neck and upper back.
Stacked tiki totem on the neck and upper back
Black and grey tribal tattoo covering the back of a man's neck and upper back, with bold chevrons, triangles and shaded panels.
Tribal neck and upper back tattoo
Black tribal-style flower tattoo with triangle-pattern bands running across the side of the hip.
Tribal flower with triangle bands on hip
Black and white Norse sleeve design with runes, a Vegvisir and valknut symbols, shown beside a mock-up of the design on an upper arm.
Norse rune sleeve design with Vegvisir
Black and grey Polynesian-style tattoo with tribal bands and two flowers across the back of a woman's neck and upper back.
Polynesian-style neck and upper back tattoo with flowers
Black geometric tribal tattoo with an arrow motif on the index finger of a hand, beside a gold band ring and a woven bracelet.
Geometric tribal tattoo on a finger
Tribal turtle and three blue plumeria flowers tattooed on the top of a foot, with a black tribal band running up towards the ankle.
Tribal turtle and plumeria foot tattoo
Woman seen from behind kneeling at the water's edge, with a large blackwork tribal tattoo across her back and arm and red, green and pink colour accents.
Full back tattoo with tribal sleeve at the shore
Black tribal-style wolf design shown in profile, walking left, with bold patterned linework along its body and a flame-like tail, drawn as a flash design on a pale grey background.
Tribal wolf design in profile
Black and grey tribal cat tattoo with geometric and dotwork patterns, sitting on the upper arm.
Tribal cat tattoo on an upper arm
Three side-by-side views of a black and coloured tribal-style tattoo on a calf, with a sun-like motif, triangles and stars, shown in red, blue and black ink.
Tribal calf sleeve with stars
Black tribal-style dragon tattoo design with spiral patterns on its body and wings, drawn on a white background, with no placement shown.
Tribal dragon design with spiral patterns
Black and grey Polynesian-style tribal tattoo covering the upper arm, shoulder and chest, with bold solid patterns and a central sun-like motif.
Polynesian tribal shoulder and chest piece
Black ink tattoo of a stretching cat decorated with tribal patterns and spirals, on the outer upper arm beside a white sleeve.
Stretching cat with tribal patterning on upper arm
Teal flat design of a sea turtle with a white hibiscus flower in its shell and tribal-style patterns on the flippers and head, shown as a stencil-style drawing.
Sea turtle with hibiscus flower design
Black tribal tattoo running from the upper back down the spine to the hip, shown in a black and white photo of a bare back.
Tribal tattoo down the spine
Black tribal pattern tattoo with bands, chevrons and curved lines covering a person's thigh and down towards the knee.
Tribal band tattoo covering a thigh and knee
Lower back tattoo of a dreamcatcher with dark feathers, flanked by two black tribal-style bands, shown in a close photograph of the skin.
Dreamcatcher with tribal bands on lower back
Black ornamental winged bird tattoo spanning the upper back and onto the upper arms, in blackwork and dotwork style.
Ornate winged bird tattoo across a back
Black line hibiscus flower tattoo on the lower abdomen above a black and red tribal band tattoo on the upper thigh.
Hibiscus and tribal tattoos on hip and abdomen
Black and grey blackwork tribal chest tattoo with symmetrical spirals and a central motif, shown on a bare torso with hands resting over the breasts.
Symmetrical tribal chest piece
Back view of a man with a large black tribal tattoo covering his back and upper arms, with bold solid shapes and fine interlocking patterns.
Full back tribal tattoo with arm sleeves
Black and grey infinity symbol tattoo on the ankle with tribal patterns in the loops and the word ohana in script across the centre.
Infinity symbol with ohana script on ankle
Black tribal-patterned feather tattoo with a circular motif on the upper arm, with a small red star beside its lower tip.
Tribal feather tattoo on upper arm
Black tribal-style design of a winged sword with flowing spiked wings on a white background, shown as a flash drawing with no body placement.
Winged sword tribal design
Black and grey blackwork tattoo of tribal patterns on the shoulders and upper arms, with fine script lettering across the chest and a forearm lettering piece, on a shirtless torso.
Chest script and tribal shoulder tattoos on a torso