Water tattoo ideas

300 photos and flash · 22% Japanese, 20% Realism · Forearm most common

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Forearm tattoo of the Aquarius water-bearer symbol, two black wave lines inside a loose teal brush-stroke circle.
Aquarius symbol in a teal circle on a forearm
Before and after side-by-side of a botanical lotus cover-up tattoo on a forearm, with the faded grey original on the left and a purple and blue version on the right.
Lotus cover-up on a forearm, before and after
Colour realism tattoo of an orange jellyfish with red trailing tentacles and a teal wash behind it, on the side of a torso over the ribs.
Orange jellyfish with teal wash on ribs
Black ink tattoo of the Golden Gate Bridge with a lace-patterned lower edge on the outer thigh, with the bridge and bay visible behind.
Golden Gate Bridge silhouette on a thigh
Colour neo-traditional tattoo of a grinning shark head rising from a purple cupcake beneath a parasol, with bubbles, on the outer thigh.
Shark cupcake with parasol on thigh
Colour drawing of a silver Japanese-style dragon with orange flame accents, coiling through blue stylised waves, as a tattoo design.
Silver dragon with blue waves and orange flames
Small black and grey fine line tattoo of a curling wave inside a circle on the inner forearm, in a Japanese woodcut style.
Wave in a circle on a forearm
Black ink tattoo of the Golden Gate Bridge with a lace-style border across the outer thigh, with the bay and red bridge visible behind.
Golden Gate Bridge in lace on a thigh
Colour realism tattoo on an upper arm showing a woman with downcast eyes in teal tones, with a sea turtle below her and streaks of water-like colour above.
Woman and sea turtle on upper arm
Realistic black and grey tattoo of a full moon, clouds, pine trees and a seated woman by water across a forearm.
Moonlit pine forest and figure on a forearm
Full colour tattoo across a person's upper back showing a blossoming tree split between a night scene with moon and aurora on the left and a sunset with red sun on the right.
Day and night landscape with blossom tree on back
Black and grey realism tattoo on a forearm showing a full moon over clouds and pine trees, with a seated figure reflected in water below.
Moon, pine forest and seated figure on a forearm
Colour tattoo of a pink flamingo with a large cartoon eye and yellow beak, set against blue clouds and water, on the forearm.
Pink flamingo with clouds on a forearm
Black and grey dotwork and fine line tattoo of a curling wave and feathers running along the outer forearm.
Wave and feather on a forearm
Full-colour realism tattoo of a mountain lake at sunset with pine trees and an autumn tree on the left, shown on a limb in two photographs.
Mountain lake landscape on a limb
Purple lotus flower with grey ripples in shaded water, tattooed on the upper arm in a botanical style.
Purple lotus on upper arm
Black and grey sketch-style tattoo of mountains, pine trees and a lake across the forearm, shaded with dotwork.
Mountain lake landscape on a forearm
Colour tattoo of two stylised blue and purple koi fish with pink flowers and leaves across the top of a foot.
Blue and purple koi with pink flowers on a foot
Realism style tattoo of a purple-grey storm sky with forked lightning above a wooden pier, on the upper leg.
Lightning storm over a pier on a thigh
Japanese style full sleeve tattoo on an arm showing a koi fish, rolling waves, lotus flowers and a skull, shown from three angles.
Koi, waves and lotus full sleeve
Traditional-style flash design of a yin yang symbol, with the black side filled with red and yellow flames and the white side with blue water splashes, shown without any body placement.
Yin yang with fire and water
Blue ink drawing of two koi fish circling in a yin and yang arrangement, surrounded by stylised water swirls, in a Japanese style.
Two koi fish in a yin and yang circle
Black and grey fine line tattoo of two mountain peaks beneath an outlined sun, with wavy water lines below, on the inner forearm near the wrist.
Mountains and sun tattoo on the forearm
Fine line black tattoo of four stacked elemental symbols, a spiral swirl, a flame, a stepped earth tile and a water circle, on the forearm.
Four elemental symbols stacked on an arm
Colour tattoo of stylised blue and teal waves with black outlines and a curled crest, on the thigh, in a Japanese-influenced style.
Stylised blue waves on a thigh
Full back Japanese style tattoo of samurai warriors, flames, clouds and birds, with blue waves across the lower back.
Japanese back piece with samurai and flames
Black city skyline tattoo with a reflection on the inner wrist of a raised hand, with a waterfront skyline behind.
City skyline tattoo on a wrist
Grey shaded cartoon baby elephant spraying a purple and blue watercolour splash from its trunk, tattooed on a calf.
Baby elephant spraying water on a calf
Realistic colour tattoo of a white water lily, green lily pads and an orange koi with ripples, across a person's upper back.
Water lily and koi on upper back
Realism tattoo of a great white shark with a school of fish in blue water, on a man's back and side, with red coral at the lower edge.
Great white shark and fish tattoo on the back
Black tribal-style flash design of two dolphins leaping above curling swirls and water splashes, with no body placement shown.
Two dolphins with tribal swirls
Black line drawing of a koi fish with flowing fins and curling waves, shown as a Japanese style tattoo design on a white background.
Koi fish with swirling water design
Large colour and grey back tattoo of two mermaids entwined in a circle, with an infinity symbol between them, red koi fish and fish skeletons around them.
Two mermaids in a circle with koi on a back
Realism style black and grey tattoo on a forearm showing a full moon over clouds, a pine treeline and a kneeling figure by water.
Moonlit forest landscape on a forearm
Black and grey iceberg tattoo with hatched shading on the outer thigh, sitting just above a wavy horizontal waterline.
Iceberg on the thigh
Thigh with a coloured portrait of a woman framed by flowers, a black and grey sailing ship in a rope border, and a small teal lotus with pink characters above it.
Portrait, ship and lotus tattoos on a thigh
Black and grey Japanese-style wave sleeve tattoo covering the shoulder and upper arm of a shirtless man, with swirling water and wind motifs.
Black and grey wave sleeve on a shoulder and upper arm
Colour tattoo of two purple and teal koi fish swimming through stylised blue waves, in Japanese style, on a forearm, shown twice side by side.
Purple and teal koi fish on forearm
Realistic colour tattoo of a seal's face with whiskers and bubbles on a blue background, placed on the upper back near the shoulder blade.
Realistic seal portrait on upper back
Black line drawing of two solid black hands reaching up out of concentric ripples, shown as a flash design on a white background.
Two hands rising from ripples
Coloured ink drawing of a leaping trout curved into a circle, with black linework, green, peach and teal washes, and splashes of water around it.
Leaping trout within a circle of splashes
Black and grey tattoo of a muscular, bearded sea god holding a trident, with a water-tail base, on the upper arm.
Trident-bearing sea god on upper arm
Watercolour-style orca tattoo with blue, purple and green washes on the outer forearm.
Orca with watercolour splashes on a forearm
Colour Japanese-style tattoo of a red koi fish with a pink lotus flower and turquoise waves on the upper back.
Koi fish and lotus on the upper back
Black and grey fine line tattoos on an upper arm, including a crescent moon with a bird, a speech bubble reading CAN I LIVE, a palm tree over water and a small heart.
Small flash-style tattoos along an upper arm
Black and white flash sheet of fourteen tattoo designs, including Chinese characters for health, wisdom and love, a bagua, and a mystic knot, each with a printed English label.
Chinese symbol flash sheet with labelled motifs
Black and grey forearm tattoo of mountains and a sun inside a circle, with a handwritten quote above and around it about going somewhere and having room for one more troubled soul.
Mountain and sun quote on a forearm
Black and grey fine line tattoo of a mountain with pine trees, small clouds and rippled water below, on the side of the ribs.
Mountain landscape on the ribs