Tribal pattern tattoo ideas

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

What will it cost? Try the tattoo cost calculator
Black and white tribal armband designs with a central tiki face motif, shown in several sizes on grey body silhouettes for upper arm placement.
Tribal armband designs on silhouettes
Small black geometric tattoo of a stacked arrow and diamond motif running vertically down the middle of a woman's upper back.
Vertical geometric arrow tattoo on the back
Large black tribal-style back tattoo with bold geometric bands and circular motifs, shown on a woman's bare back seen from behind.
Tribal back tattoo with circular motifs
Black and grey tribal ornamental tattoo across a person's lower back and hip, photographed from behind with jeans visible at the waistband.
Tribal ornamental tattoo across lower back
Black tribal-style dragonfly design with swirling Polynesian-inspired patterns filling the wings, shown on a white background.
Tribal dragonfly design
Bold black tribal tattoo in a Polynesian style covering a man's upper arm, shoulder and chest, with his face cropped out of frame.
Polynesian-style tribal sleeve and chest
Black tribal-style rampant lion tattoo with a flowing mane and raised paw, centred on the upper back.
Tribal rampant lion on the upper back
Black blackwork tattoo of a tribal-patterned sea turtle on the lower leg, with solid fins and a patterned shell.
Tribal sea turtle on a lower leg
Black and grey lizard tattoo with ornamental patterns covering a forearm, with the hand raised against a white fluffy blanket.
Lizard and ornamental pattern on forearm
Black tribal-style design of a whale with ornamental linework and swirls, shown as a standalone drawing on a white sticker background rather than on skin.
Tribal whale design in black ink
Black and grey tribal sleeve tattoo on an upper arm and shoulder, with a shaded palm tree against a sunset.
Palm tree and tribal bands on an upper arm
Black tribal-style sea turtle design with bold solid shapes, swirling motifs and patterned flippers on a white background.
Tribal sea turtle design
Black line drawing of a coiled snake with tribal-style patterned scales on a white background, shown as a standalone design with no body placement.
Ornamental snake design
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
Close crop of a model's arms with black spiral and bold tribal designs on the upper arm and forearm, worn beneath a woven black leather garment.
Spiral and bold tribal designs on upper arms
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
Geometric tribal diamond column in gold ink running down the middle of a woman's back, photographed from behind on a sunny beach.
Diamond column tattoo down the spine
Black tribal tattoo of a sun motif with triangular and spiral patterns covering the upper arm and shoulder of a person in a red vest top.
Polynesian sun tribal on upper arm
Black tribal-style manta ray tattoo across a woman's upper back with a tail running down the spine and a turtle tattoo near the lower back.
Manta ray and turtle tattoos on a back
Black and white tribal-style frog design with swirling patterns cut into its body and limbs, shown as a standalone drawing with no body part visible.
Tribal-style frog design
Blackwork tribal leg tattoo with three red hibiscus flowers running from the thigh to the calf of a woman standing on a beach.
Polynesian-style leg tattoo with red hibiscus flowers
Side view of a shirtless man showing a bold black tribal tattoo across his shoulder and upper arm.
Black tribal tattoo on a shoulder
Black and white drawing of a long S-curved shape filled with paisley and tribal ornament, shown on a plain white background with no body part visible.
Elongated paisley and tribal ornament design
Black and grey tribal sleeve tattoo on an upper arm with a dimensional, cracked stone effect.
Tribal pattern on an upper arm
Black and grey Polynesian-style tribal tattoo on a shoulder and upper arm, centred on a sea turtle with a star compass motif.
Polynesian turtle tattoo on shoulder and upper arm
Black and grey blackwork Polynesian tribal tattoo covering the shoulder, upper arm and upper chest of a bare torso.
Polynesian tribal shoulder and arm sleeve
Black Polynesian-style tribal tattoo covering the upper arm and shoulder, with bold triangles, bands and fine hatched fills.
Polynesian tribal upper arm and shoulder
Black tribal-style sea turtle tattoo design with a spiral shell and patterned flippers, shown as a drawing with no body placement.
Polynesian-style sea turtle design
Black tribal-style dragon design with spread wings, a segmented body and a barbed tail, shown as a drawing on a white background.
Tribal dragon with spread wings
Black tribal band tattoo wrapping a forearm, with bold solid shapes, triangles and spirals, photographed in black and white.
Tribal band tattoo on a forearm
Black ink drawing of a lion face with bold tribal patterns filling the mane, shown as a tattoo design on a tan background.
Lion face with tribal patterned mane
Black and grey realistic octopus tattoo with a tribal pattern above it on the lower arm.
Octopus with tribal pattern on a forearm
Black geometric tattoo of a heart filled with tribal bands and chevrons, placed on the upper arm of a woman in a black top.
Heart with tribal pattern on upper arm
Blackwork tribal bands of triangles and hatched lines on a forearm, with the hand resting under the chin beside it.
Geometric blackwork bands on a forearm
Black geometric band tattoo of triangles and chevrons wrapped around a forearm near the wrist, in blackwork style.
Geometric band tattoo around a forearm
Black and grey geometric elephant head tattoo with dotwork shading, centred across the upper back.
Geometric elephant head on upper back
Black tribal-style horse design with white linework through the body and flame-like mane and tail, shown on a plain white background.
Tribal horse with flame mane and tail
Man seen from behind with black tribal tattoos on his back, down his spine, and across both upper arms and shoulders.
Tribal back and arm tattoos on a shirtless man
Black and grey fine line tattoo of a feathered arrow with a patterned shaft and a curved bow line with beads, sitting on the upper arm.
Feathered arrow on upper arm
Black and grey realistic skull tattoo covering the back of a hand, with a tribal pattern continuing up the forearm.
Shaded skull on the back of a hand
Black tribal spiral designs with curling patterns shown as armbands and shoulder pieces over grey body silhouettes.
Tribal spiral armband designs on body silhouettes
Black and grey blackwork tattoo of a skull wearing a feathered headdress, covering the upper back.
Skull in feather headdress across a back
A woman seen from behind wears a black tank top and shows a black and grey back tattoo of vertical bands and script-like marks, with a tattoo on her upper arm.
Back tattoo of bands and script marks
Solid black tribal tattoo with a sun face on the chest, extending over the shoulder and down the arm to the wrist, shown on a shirtless man.
Tribal sun chest piece and arm sleeve
Three views of a bold black tribal tattoo covering a calf, with spirals, circular motifs and triangular bands on the skin.
Tribal pattern tattoo on a calf
Black tribal-style compass rose design with a patterned ring and central flower motif, drawn on a parchment background, with no body placement shown.
Compass rose design with tribal bands
Close view of a black blackwork tribal spiral tattoo in a circle on an arm, with a chalked hand resting beside it and further black tribal tattoos below.
Black tribal spiral circle on an arm
Black and white tribal-style flash design of a Mickey Mouse face, with ornate swirling patterns filling the ears, nose and mouth, and no placement on the body shown.
Tribal-style Mickey Mouse face design