Wave tattoo ideas

1,081 photos and flash · 24% Japanese, 20% Fine line · Forearm most common

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A sheet of blue line and solid wave designs in a Japanese-influenced style, arranged in rows on a white background.
Sheet of blue wave designs
Navy engraved-style drawing of a curling wave with foam and a dark speckled circle on a beige background, a flash design with no body placement shown.
Curling wave with splatter circle
Black ink design of a swallow in flight, with its wings and body filled with Japanese-style waves, flowers and a koi-like fish, drawn on a white background.
Swallow in flight with wave and koi patterns
Black line drawing of a Japanese shishi lion with peonies and swirling waves, styled as a tattoo design on paper, with no body placement shown.
Japanese shishi lion with peonies and waves
Pencil sketch of a Japanese-style dragon with claws, whiskers and a scaled body, drawn in blue and red pencil for a tattoo design.
Japanese dragon design in pencil
Line drawing of a Japanese-style peony and chrysanthemum design with swirling waves and clouds on a dark background, shown as a tattoo design rather than on skin.
Japanese peony and wave design
Japanese style flash drawing of a green and red dragon coiling over black and grey waves, with a small cartoon figure in a yellow robe beside it.
Green dragon flash with wave background
White line drawing of a whale built from stylised waves on a navy background, with a tiny boat and figures in the sea, drawn as a flash design.
Whale formed from waves and a small boat
Illustration of a hairless cat with a Japanese style koi fish, waves and clouds tattoo in blue and black, leaning over a pale hairless cat.
Tattooed hairless cat with a koi and waves design
Black ink drawing of two whale tails rising from stylised waves on white paper, shown as a tattoo design with no body placement visible.
Two whale tails with waves
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
Colour Japanese style full back tattoo design showing a pig-headed figure in a patterned robe, surrounded by orange flames, clouds and a snake.
Pig-headed figure in flames, Japanese back design
Pencil sketch of a geisha with cherry blossom, clouds and a koi fish in Japanese style, drawn on pink paper as a tattoo design.
Geisha with koi and cherry blossom sketch
Coloured Japanese-style design of a samurai warrior in armour holding a drawn sword, surrounded by yellow lightning bolts, clouds and black waves.
Samurai warrior with lightning and waves
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
Full-colour Japanese style flash design of a green spotted lion dog beside a pink peony, set among black and grey waves and swirling clouds.
Peony and lion dog back piece design
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
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
Black linework flash drawing of a Japanese-style dragon coiling among peony, cherry blossom, wave and cloud motifs, with no body placement shown.
Japanese dragon with peonies and cherry blossoms
Japanese style flash drawing of a black and grey snake coiled around two blue peonies, with a small skull in grass at lower left.
Snake and peony flash design
Black and grey Japanese style flash drawing of a hannya demon mask with lotus flowers and swirling wave motifs.
Hannya mask with lotus and waves
Black line drawing of a woman with long hair and closed eyes, showing a Japanese-style sleeve of cherry blossoms, a koi-like fish and a skull on her arm.
Woman with Japanese-style sleeve and skull
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
Pencil drawing of a Japanese-style foo dog with a flowing mane and tail, standing among swirling clouds, shown as a black and grey tattoo design sketch.
Japanese foo dog with swirling clouds
Colour flash design of a monkey king in gold and green armour holding a staff, with red dragons, leaves and waves, in Japanese style.
Monkey king with red dragons and golden staff
Black and grey drawing of a Japanese-style dragon coiling through clouds above a swirling wave, shown as a tattoo design with no body placement.
Japanese dragon with clouds and swirling wave
Japanese style design drawing of a Guanyin figure with praying hands, a red lotus and swirling waves, shaded in black, grey and red.
Guanyin with lotus and waves design
Line drawing of a Japanese-style dragon, lion-like mask and lotus flowers over waves and clouds, with pink wash shading, as a tattoo design.
Japanese dragon and lotus flash design
Black and grey Japanese style tattoo design of a koi fish swimming among stylised waves, lotus flowers and maple leaves.
Koi fish with lotus flowers and waves
Green pencil sketch of a geisha with cherry blossom branches, a large moon, hair pins and a kimono patterned with clouds, with waves at the sides, as a Japanese style flash design.
Geisha with cherry blossom and waves sketch
Blue line drawing of a symmetrical panda face flanked by two koi fish and lotus flowers, in a dotwork and Japanese-influenced style, shown as a tattoo design on a cream background.
Symmetrical panda with koi and lotus
Pen and coloured pencil drawing of two koi fish circling a blue circle filled with white swirls and water splashes, a tattoo design with no body placement shown.
Two koi fish around a swirling wave circle
Full body suit design of a red Japanese dragon with yellow claws, chrysanthemums and clouds across the back, arms and thighs.
Red dragon full body suit design
Japanese style flash drawing of a red koi carp with maple leaves, grey swirling waves and a purple lotus, with Japanese characters beside it.
Koi carp flash with maple leaves and waves
Black line drawing of a Japanese-style dragon with scaled body, clawed feet and swirling flames and clouds, shown as a tattoo design without a body placement.
Japanese dragon with flames line drawing
Blue wave tattoo design with curling foam crests, black zigzag lines and dots, shown as a standalone drawing with no body placement visible.
Blue wave and Aquarius symbol design
Japanese style tattoo flash of a red and gold snake coiled among colourful chrysanthemums and black swirling waves.
Snake and chrysanthemums with waves design
Black ink pen drawing of a fox-masked figure surrounded by peonies, a woman's face and an oni face, designed as a Japanese-style tattoo sketch with no body part shown.
Fox mask figure with peonies and oni face sketch
Japanese-style flash of an orange lion dog among gold clouds and grey waves, with a pink peony and a small butterfly, intended for a back or sleeve tattoo.
Lion dog and peony flash design
Black and grey pencil drawing of a Japanese-style skull with peony flowers and swirling wave motifs, shown as a tattoo design without a body placement.
Skull and peonies in a Japanese design
Pencil sketch of a koi fish swimming upward among lotus flowers and swirling water lines, drawn as a tattoo design in a Japanese style.
Koi fish sketch with lotus flowers
Black and grey Japanese style drawing of a peony, cherry blossoms and a swirling wave, shown as a tattoo design with no body placement visible.
Peony and cherry blossom wave design
Coloured pencil drawing of a koi fish and a long-beaked bird above stylised swirling waves, in a Japanese-influenced flash design.
Koi and bird over swirling waves
Black line drawing of three lotus flowers with curling Japanese-style waves, shown as a tattoo design with no body placement visible.
Three lotus flowers with swirling waves
Black and grey Japanese style illustration of a woman in a patterned kimono holding a dragon, with a tattoo-style design on her upper arm and a parasol behind her.
Kimono woman with dragon and parasol
Five Japanese-style full back tattoo designs drawn on paper sheets, showing dragons, an oni mask, a warrior with a sword, a woman and waves in colour.
Japanese back piece designs on painted sheets
Greyscale pencil drawing of two koi fish swimming through stylised waves, a Japanese style tattoo design on paper.
Two koi fish among waves design
Colourful Japanese-style koi fish design in orange and gold on a deep blue background, framed by teal wave and cloud swirls.
Koi fish with swirling waves