Water tattoo ideas

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

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Full back tattoo of a red koi fish swimming among pink cherry blossoms and water swirls in Japanese style, across the upper and middle back.
Koi fish and cherry blossom on a back
Back-angled photo of a green shaded fish scale tattoo on a person's ribs, with a fine black script quote above it.
Green scale pattern and script on ribs
Three views of a colour Japanese-style half sleeve on the upper arm and shoulder, with teal waves, red blossoms and dark shaded rays.
Japanese waves and blossom half sleeve
Small blue watercolour-style wave tattoo with black linework curling across the inner wrist, with a soft pink-tinged skin background.
Blue wave on a wrist
Fine line black ink tattoo of bare trees standing in shallow water with a low shoreline, placed on the inner forearm.
Bare trees rising from water on a forearm
Small fine line anchor tattoo in pale ink on the side of a finger, held up against a blue rippling water background.
Small anchor tattoo on a finger
Traditional style tattoo of a rowboat on water beneath a moon and two birds, framed by a heart-shaped rope border, on a forearm.
Rowboat in a rope heart on a forearm
Shaded purple lotus flowers and a purple butterfly tattoo on a person's lower back, with a black lace waistband visible at the bottom edge.
Purple lotus flowers and butterfly on lower back
Colour tattoo of a green sea turtle swimming through blue waves beside a sun and a star, placed on the top of a foot.
Sea turtle tattoo on a foot
Black and grey botanical tattoo of cattails and reeds with stippled shading on the outer upper arm, with a dark sleeve and stone wall behind.
Cattails tattoo on an upper arm
Colour tattoo of a stylised wave curling inside a circle, in blues, teal and green with black outlines, on the inner forearm.
Stylised wave in a circle on a forearm
Black and grey blackwork tattoo on an upper arm showing a woman with long hair flowing into water beneath a crescent moon, with trees, mountains and a tower.
Woman in water beneath a crescent moon
Black and grey fine line tattoo of vertical lettering running down a calf, with a small line drawing of a reclining figure across the top of the foot.
Vertical text and reclining figure on leg
Black line drawing of a Japanese-style koi fish swimming among lotus flowers and swirling waves, shown as a tattoo design with no body placement.
Koi fish with lotus flowers and waves
Full arm sleeve tattoo in a watercolour style showing a mermaid with flowing red hair and a green tail, with blue splashes, covering the upper arm and shoulder down to the forearm.
Watercolour mermaid full sleeve
Colour tattoo on a person's upper back of a woman's face with flowing red hair, with two fish and a fishing hook above her head.
Woman's face with red hair and fish on upper back
Small blue and black wave tattoo in a Japanese style on the centre of a chest, shown above an open zipped dark jacket.
Blue wave on the chest
Colour tattoo of a cartoon woman with flowing dark hair and autumn leaves on the thigh, with a red cartoon creature at the top right.
Cartoon woman with flowing hair on thigh
A multicoloured puzzle-piece heart design on the upper back of a woman with long dark hair, on a wooden pier by the water.
Puzzle heart on a upper back
Colour tattoo of a tiger cub sitting in water with a small fish, with a butterfly above, on a person's upper back.
Tiger cub with butterfly on upper back
Small blue tattoo of a circular emblem with spirals and wave lines in a geometric style, placed on an ankle.
Blue wave and spiral emblem on an ankle
Black and grey fine line tattoo on the inner forearm of a small figure in a pointed hat sitting on a wooden jetty beside a tree and calm water.
Small figure on a jetty, forearm
Neo-traditional tattoo of a snarling grey wolf with a third eye and a gold-hilted dagger on an upper arm, with blue water swirls.
Wolf head and dagger on an upper arm
Realism tattoo of a leaping largemouth bass with a lure, dead tree stumps and a fisherman in a boat, across a man's back and shoulder.
Leaping bass and angler across back and shoulder
Full-colour Japanese style koi fish design drawn in red and orange with white wave lines and a black and grey swirl behind it, shown as a flash drawing with no body placement.
Koi fish with swirling waves design
Black and grey realism tattoo of a wrecked sailing ship and a distant ship on rocky water, across a person's upper back.
Shipwreck and sailing ship across a back
Pen sketch of a tattoo design showing a hand rising from ripples with a banner reading DON'T LET ME DROWN, in black and grey linework.
Hand rising from water with banner
Black and white flash design of a fish caught on a hook above waves, with the words Good Hope in lettering along the bottom.
Fish on a hook with Good Hope lettering
Woman seen from behind on a boat in a bikini, with a gold metallic sea turtle tattoo on her upper back near the shoulder.
Gold sea turtle tattoo on upper back
Watercolour flash design of a mermaid with long black hair and red flower accents, with a grey and red scaled tail and bubbles, on a white background.
Mermaid with flowing black hair
Woman soaking in a bath strewn with flowers, showing a dark ornamental circular tattoo on her upper back.
Circular design tattoo on upper back in a flower bath
Japanese-style landscape tattoo on an upper arm and shoulder, showing a grey pagoda, cherry blossom, red maple, rocks and rushing water.
Japanese pagoda landscape on upper arm
Three side-by-side views of a full back tattoo in colour, with blue waves and a figure on one side and orange flames on the other, shown on a bare back.
Full back piece, water and fire split, three views
Flash design of a teal watercolour cat with gold eyes, leafy foliage, a full moon and a small silhouetted cat on a branch.
Cat and moonlit foliage design
Black and grey realism tattoo covering a whole back, showing a winged figure standing in water beneath mountains, sun rays, birds and trees.
Full back landscape with winged figure
Black and grey drawing of a mermaid with long flowing hair, her scaled tail curving around to form a circular design with bubbles rising beside her.
Mermaid within a circle
Colour tattoo of an open-jawed alligator among reeds and pink lotus flowers in water, in a neo-traditional style on the foot.
Alligator with lotus flowers on a foot
Black and grey tattoo on an upper arm showing a head profile filled with a night sky, a ringed planet, triangular mountains and a dotted water reflection.
Ringed planet and mountains in a profile silhouette
Black and grey Japanese-style wave tattoo covering the upper arm and shoulder, with swirling curls and shaded crests.
Black and grey wave sleeve on upper arm
Three-panel photo of a colour Japanese-style forearm tattoo showing a blue horned sea serpent, red fish and outlined waves.
Blue sea serpent and red fish on a forearm
Close photo of a blue watercolour-style wave tattoo with splashes on the side of a person's ribs, below a black top.
Blue wave on the ribs
Teal line drawing of a lion's head in profile, with its mane flowing into water splashes over a pale watercolour wash.
Lion head with flowing mane and water splash
Black and grey realism design of Medusa, with a woman's face framed by coiled snakes and rippling water below, shown on a dark background.
Medusa with snakes in black and grey
Coloured pencil drawing of a blue turtle creature with a brown shell peering over a grey anchor inside a rope frame, with blue water swirls above, shown as a tattoo design on paper.
Blue turtle creature on an anchor and rope
Colour tattoo of a sinking ocean liner with small boats in the water, placed on the upper chest.
Sinking ocean liner on chest
Blue and teal tattoo of a circle filled with spirals and wave lines, with splash marks around its edge, on the upper back near the shoulder blade.
Circular wave emblem on upper back
Pen drawing of a traditional-style anchor wrapped in rope, with a seagull, a ribbon banner reading family and blue water, shown as a design with no body placement.
Anchor and rope design with family banner
Black and grey realism tattoo on the outer thigh showing a row of bare trees above water, with a realistic face with closed lips in the reflection below.
Trees reflected in water with a face on the thigh