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 and triangular patterns running down the outer thigh and over the knee.
Tribal band tattoo on a thigh and knee
Line drawing of a lion head in profile, its mane filled with swirls and tribal patterns, on a cream parchment background.
Ornate lion head in profile
Sheet of eight black tribal-style gecko and lizard designs with white pattern details, shown as flash for tattoo use.
Tribal gecko flash sheet
Two forearms crossed in front of a pale green t-shirt, both covered in bold black tribal blackwork patterns on the forearm.
Black tribal patterns on both forearms
Black ink drawing of a lion head in profile, with a flowing mane and tribal-style patterns in fine line and dotwork, shown as a tattoo design on white.
Ornamental lion head in profile
Black tribal sleeve tattoo with a stylised face motif and swirling bands covering a man's upper arm and shoulder.
Tribal face sleeve on upper arm
Shirtless man in swim briefs showing a black tribal blackwork sleeve covering his right shoulder, upper arm and forearm, with a separate band near the wrist.
Polynesian-style tribal sleeve on shoulder and arm
Black tribal tattoo with bands, chevrons and solid black panels wrapping the upper arm and shoulder.
Polynesian-style tribal sleeve on upper arm
Black geometric tribal tattoo of zigzags and triangles on a forearm, with a sleeping black French bulldog resting on the arm.
Tribal geometric tattoo on forearm with sleeping dog
Flash sheet of gold, silver and black metallic temporary tattoo designs, including arrows, feathers, a hamsa hand and geometric bands.
Metallic flash sheet of arrows, feathers and hamsa
Black and grey tattoo of spirals and organic tribal-like shapes wrapping around a lower leg.
Swirling black and grey leg tattoo
Black tribal-style sleeve tattoo covering the shoulder, upper arm and forearm, with spiral and band patterns in solid black ink.
Tribal-style black sleeve on arm and shoulder
Three side-by-side photos of upper arm tattoos: a black tribal pattern on the left, a red and black biomechanical alien design in the centre, and a grey and black biomechanical skull with a green eye
Three upper arm tattoos: tribal and biomechanical
Black tribal lion design in mid-stride with a flowing mane and raised front paw, drawn on a plain white background.
Tribal lion design
Black and white drawing of a tattoo design with interlocking arcs, fern fronds, diamond motifs and stippled shading, suited to a large back or sleeve piece.
Black and white tribal leaf and geometric pattern
Black ink drawing of a sitting cat filled with ornamental tribal patterns on a cream background, suited to a blackwork tattoo design.
Sitting cat in tribal patterns
A woman in a black bikini sits on rocks by a river, showing a black blackwork tribal pattern on her left hand and forearm and black flame tattoos on her right upper arm.
Blackwork tribal and flame tattoos by a river
Ink drawing of a cat face with a large bow on its ear, with tribal-style swirls and dotted shading filling one side of the head.
Cat head with bow and tribal swirl pattern
Black ink Polynesian tribal sleeve tattoo covering a man's upper arm and shoulder, with bold solid bands and geometric patterns.
Polynesian tribal full arm sleeve
Black tribal-style design of a leaping orca with swirling wave patterns on a white background.
Tribal orca leaping through waves
Black tribal-style sea turtle design with a spiral head, patterned shell and stylised flippers, shown as a line drawing on a white background.
Polynesian-style sea turtle design
Black tribal-style kiwi bird design with swirling koru patterns across its body, shown as a black-on-white flash drawing.
Tribal kiwi bird tattoo design
Flash design of a leaping dolphin filled with dark brown marble texture and white tribal wave and spiral linework, with no placement shown.
Tribal dolphin design with wave linework
Black tribal-style tattoo with red accents covering the shoulder, upper arm and chest of a shirtless man.
Tribal sleeve and chest piece with red accents
Black and grey realism tattoo of a snake coiling around a hand that holds an apple, with banknotes and feathers, on the side of the ribs.
Snake and hand with banknotes on ribs
A black tribal blackwork band being tattooed on skin with a tattoo machine, with a gloved hand guiding the needle and small spots of blood visible.
Black tribal band being tattooed
Realistic black and grey portrait of a man's face framed by tribal scrollwork on an upper arm.
Realistic portrait of a man framed by tribal scrollwork
Black and white tribal-style design of a bull's head in profile, with swirling bold shapes forming the horns, eye and muzzle.
Tribal bull head design
Hand-drawn flash design of seven decorative arrows in purple, teal, pink and navy on a white background, with no body placement shown.
Seven coloured arrows in a row
Black and grey tribal tattoo with spirals and cross motifs running in an S-curve down a bare back and side.
Tribal spiral tattoo down a back and side
Black and grey anime-style portrait tattoo with crows and a red and black emblem on a person's upper arm and shoulder.
Anime portrait with crows on upper arm
Black tribal-style manta ray tattoo with a long tail running down the spine, and a smaller turtle on the lower back of a woman's bare back.
Manta ray and turtle on a back
Black tribal tattoo on a calf showing a stylised face within bands of triangles, spirals and geometric patterns.
Tribal face and pattern calf tattoo
Black and white tribal design of interlocking spirals and curved bands filled with linear and hatched patterns, shown as a standalone drawing without a body part visible.
Tribal spiral design in black
Black ink tattoo of a cartoon cat face with a bold tribal-patterned headband, on the forearm, in a blackwork style.
Hello Kitty face with tribal headband
Black and white Polynesian-style tribal design showing a sea turtle, fern fronds and bands of geometric pattern, drawn as a flash sheet with no body part visible.
Polynesian-style turtle and fern tribal design
Black and grey blackwork tribal swirl tattoo running up a lower leg, with a bare foot visible at the bottom right.
Swirling tribal pattern on a lower leg
Black line drawing of an ornamental dragon with swirling tribal-style patterning, shown as a flash design with no body placement.
Ornamental black line dragon design
Close photograph of a grey tribal-style tattoo with spiral and interlocking patterns across the back of a hand and up towards the wrist.
Tribal design across the back of a hand
Black and grey geometric thunderbird tattoo with spread wings across the inner forearm.
Geometric thunderbird on the inner forearm
Black and grey tribal sun with a face and bands of spiral and triangle patterns covering a person's upper arm and shoulder.
Sun face tribal upper arm tattoo
Black and grey tribal eagle tattoo with spread wings across a man's upper back, photographed from behind.
Spread-winged eagle across upper back
Black and grey flash design of a tribal-patterned owl perched on a bare branch, shown without any body placement.
Tribal owl perched on a branch
Black linework tribal tattoo with swirling spirals and a small turtle across the upper back and down the spine, photographed in sepia.
Tribal swirls and turtle across a back
Black tribal blackwork tattoo of bands, spirals and hooks running down the outer thigh and calf of a person wearing dark shorts.
Tribal bands and spirals on a leg
Black ink blackwork tribal sleeve of spirals and triangles covering the shoulder and upper arm.
Tribal arm sleeve with spirals
Black ink full sleeve tattoo with bold geometric and tribal-style patterns covering a forearm, upper arm and hand, shown on a standing person in a grey t-shirt.
Black geometric sleeve tattoo on arm and hand
Pencil sketch of a howling wolf head with tribal-style swirls and flowing bands beneath it, drawn as a tattoo design.
Howling wolf with tribal swirls sketch