Tribal pattern tattoo ideas

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

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Black and white photo of a full arm sleeve tattoo in blackwork and dotwork, with spirals and triangular geometric bands running from the shoulder to the forearm.
Full arm tribal sleeve in blackwork
Close photograph of a black tribal-style tattoo of dolphins and fish with swirling linework on a limb, placement not clearly identifiable.
Tribal dolphin and fish tattoo
Black Polynesian-style tribal tattoo wrapping the upper arm towards the elbow, with chevron bands and spiral motifs, shown against a dark background.
Polynesian tribal sleeve on an upper arm
Large black tribal tattoo covering a man's shoulder, upper arm and part of his chest, with bold swirls and geometric bands.
Tribal shoulder, arm and chest tattoo
Black and grey Polynesian-style tattoo of a turtle with geometric bands on the upper arm and shoulder.
Polynesian turtle tattoo on upper arm
Solid black tribal-style spider tattoo design with bold swirling linework, shown on a plain white background.
Tribal spider tattoo design
Black ink tribal design drawn as a heart on an aged parchment background, filled with chevrons, spirals and dotted bands, shown as a flash design rather than on skin.
Tribal-patterned heart design
Blackwork tribal-style tattoo with spirals and hatched fills covering a leg from the upper calf down towards the ankle.
Black tribal pattern down a leg
Black and grey forearm tattoo of flowers and bold tribal bands, with fine line work and shaded petals, running from the wrist towards the elbow.
Floral and tribal band on a forearm
Black tribal tattoo in a Polynesian-style pattern covering a man's chest, shoulder and upper arm, with a sunburst motif and bands of chevrons and triangles.
Polynesian-style chest piece and arm sleeve
Black tribal blackwork tattoo covering a man's upper arm, shoulder and upper chest, made of bands, chevrons and sunburst-like patterns.
Polynesian tribal sleeve and chest piece
Black and white Polynesian tribal sleeve design drawn as a full arm, with spirals, chevrons and wave motifs on a white background.
Polynesian tribal arm sleeve design
Four-panel photo of a black tribal blackwork band wrapping the calf and ankle, with solid bands, triangles, chevrons and zigzag edging.
Blackwork tribal band on lower leg
Black and white tribal flash design of spirals, wave bands and triangles, drawn to fit a full arm sleeve.
Black tribal sleeve design with spirals
Close view of a black tribal-style tattoo running across a forearm and onto the back of the hand, with a silver watch worn on the wrist.
Black tribal tattoo on a forearm and hand
Two-panel image of a lower leg: red outline stencil on the left and a finished black tribal pattern tattoo covering the calf on the right.
Tribal calf tattoo, stencil and finished
Black ink Polynesian-style tattoo of a bird and circular patterns covering the shoulder and upper arm of a woman seen from behind.
Polynesian-style bird tattoo on shoulder and upper arm
Black tribal-style penguin design on a white background, with swirls, spirals and floral motifs filling its body, shown as a standalone drawing rather than on skin.
Tribal-style penguin design
Black ink drawing of a tribal-style owl with a spread wing and swirling feather patterns on a white background, shown as a design rather than on skin.
Tribal owl with spread wing design
Black ink tribal sleeve tattoo with bold geometric bands and chevrons covering a man's shoulder and upper arm, shown in profile against a dark stone wall.
Tribal black ink sleeve on shoulder and arm
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 and grey blackwork tattoo of a skull wearing a feathered headdress, covering most of a person's back.
Feathered skull headdress across a back
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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 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 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
Black Polynesian-style tribal tattoo covering a bent upper arm and the back of the shoulder, shown from behind against a plain wall.
Polynesian tribal sleeve on upper arm and shoulder
Black tribal band tattoo with geometric motifs and a central eye symbol wrapping around a calf, photographed indoors on a patterned tiled floor.
Tribal bands tattoo on a lower leg
Black and grey blackwork tattoo running down the spine of a bare back, with a geometric arrowhead motif at the base.
Spinal tribal band ending in an arrowhead