Wave tattoo ideas

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

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Black and grey traditional style back tattoo of a skull wearing a pearl-trimmed bandana beside a tall sailing galleon in rough waves.
Skull and galleon across a back
Black geometric line and dot tattoo covering the back of a hand, with a black and grey wave sleeve on the forearm above it.
Geometric line and dot pattern on the back of a hand
Black line tattoo of four elemental symbols stacked down the outside of a lower leg, showing water, earth, fire and air.
Four element symbols down a calf
Black dotwork wavy line and a small cross tattooed across the middle finger of a hand, with grey painted nails.
Dotted wave and cross on a finger
Black and grey Japanese style koi fish tattoo with wave linework on a person's upper back and shoulder blade.
Koi fish and waves on upper back
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
Black line drawing of a cartoon captain in a rowing boat on waves, with lettering around a circular rope border, shown as a tattoo design.
Cartoon captain rowing a boat with lettering
Two calves with tattoos: pink cherry blossom branches on the left leg with script lettering along the shin, and a grey realistic Buddha head with blossoms and waves on the right leg.
Cherry blossom and Buddha on both calves
Black and grey traditional tattoo of a striped lighthouse inside an oval rope frame with waves and a flower, on the forearm.
Lighthouse in rope frame on a forearm
Black tribal swirl tattoo with scrollwork and a central ornament running along the ribs and side of a torso in a sepia-toned photograph.
Tribal swirl tattoo along the ribs
Fine line black wave outline above the handwritten words Isaiah 43:2 in black ink on a person's lower torso, above a patterned waistband.
Wave outline above Isaiah 43:2 lettering
Two fine line black tattoos on ankles: a small wave on the left ankle and a simple shell outline on the right, with jeans rolled above black socks.
Wave and shell ankle tattoos
Black and grey sailing ship on rough waves tattooed on the outer thigh, with a dotted line running down to a small anchor, in blackwork and dotwork style.
Sailing ship and anchor on a thigh
Black and grey dotwork tattoo of a curling wave with spray inside an outlined triangle, on the outer thigh.
Wave inside a triangle on the thigh
Black and grey Japanese full sleeve tattoo on an upper arm and shoulder, with cherry blossoms, waves, chrysanthemums and a sun motif.
Japanese sleeve with cherry blossoms and waves
Traditional style colour tattoo on a person's side above the hip, showing a red open mouth with teeth beside a sailing ship on blue waves.
Sailing ship and waves with open mouth
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
Two matching black and grey traditional rosette tattoos with layered leaves on the knees, with a small sunrise tattoo above the right knee.
Matching rosette tattoos on both knees
Black outline tattoo of flowers, swirls and a geometric city skyline across a shoulder and upper arm, with red shading.
Flowers, swirls and a city skyline on upper arm
Colourful Japanese style tattoo of a yellow chrysanthemum and a pink flower with grey waves across the upper arm and shoulder.
Chrysanthemum and pink flower on upper arm
Japanese full sleeve tattoo with a samurai mask, koi, lotus flowers, a green dragon and waves, shown on an upper arm next to its flash design.
Samurai, koi and dragon Japanese full sleeve
Black tribal flash design with cherry blossoms, waves and a central medallion, in a bold blackwork style with no body part shown.
Tribal and cherry blossom sleeve design
Black and white line drawing of a mermaid silhouette with flowing hair and a curling tail, surrounded by bubbles, shown as a tattoo design with no body part visible.
Mermaid with bubbles tattoo design
Drawn tattoo design of a black whale tail rising from blue watercolour waves, with five black birds and a dotted pink circle, shown on a white background.
Whale tail, waves and birds design
Realistic colour tattoo of a lighthouse, a sailing ship and a moon over a stormy sea, covering the upper arm and shoulder.
Lighthouse and sailing ship seascape on upper arm
Black ink blackwork and dotwork tattoo of a curled-up cat in front of rooftops, a sun and waves, inside a circle on the upper arm.
Sleeping cat and town in a circle on upper arm
Traditional tattoo of a black and yellow compass rose with pink flowers, green leaves and an anchor, on the upper arm.
Compass rose with anchor and flowers on upper arm
Black and grey traditional swallow tattoo with a sunburst and wave lines on the inner forearm, photographed over a printed page.
Swallow and sun over waves on a wrist
Colour tattoo on the side ribs showing a Minnesota state outline with a sunset, a common loon, pink lady's slipper orchids, a walleye and a 'You Betcha' banner.
Minnesota loon, walleye and orchids on ribs
Full back tattoo of a colourful phoenix with roses, cherry blossom and wave motifs in Japanese style, shown on the back of a person with dark hair.
Phoenix and roses across a full back
Two matching blue circle tattoos with black vertical bars and blue wavy lines, one on each inner forearm.
Matching blue circle emblems on two forearms
Close photo of a faint brown dotwork tattoo of wavy lines on the inner wrist and forearm, held by another person's hand.
Dotted wave lines on a wrist
Black and white photo of a small fine-line wave tattoo on the side of a torso, beneath a raised arm.
Small fine-line wave on the side ribs
Black and white photo of a man seen from behind, showing a large Japanese style back tattoo of an eagle, waves and clouds, with script lettering and tattoos on his upper arms and forearms.
Full back piece with eagle and waves
Colour tattoo of a grey arrow crossing a stylised symbol, framed by blue swirling waves, on the shoulder.
Arrow symbol with blue waves on shoulder
Man seen from behind with a column of teal circles running down his spine, a small bird on his lower left back and a blue-green arm tattoo on his right upper arm.
Circle spine tattoo on a muscular back
Fine line black wave with the words let it be in script on a woman's ankle, with a thin chain anklet, on a sunlit wooden boardwalk.
Wave and script ankle tattoo
Fine line black tattoo of a continuous wavy line with a small sprig of leaves and a tiny mark on a man's forearm near the elbow.
Single line sprig on a forearm
Two hands with a colour nautical star on the back of one hand, LOVE on the knuckles, and Japanese-style dragon and koi tattoos on the arms and legs behind them.
Nautical star and Japanese sleeve on hands
Full arm sleeve tattoo of a koi carp with chrysanthemums and clouds in Japanese style, shown from three angles on an upper arm.
Koi and chrysanthemum arm sleeve
Black and grey neo-traditional tattoo of a lighthouse, lotus and sailing ship across a shoulder and upper arm.
Lighthouse, lotus and sailing ship on shoulder and arm
Black and grey dotwork and blackwork tattoo of a wave and setting sun inside a circle on the forearm.
Wave and sunset in a circle on a forearm
Fine line black wave tattoo on the inner wrist, with a red beaded bracelet and a sandy beach behind the hand.
Small wave tattoo on the inner wrist
Black and grey tattoo of stylised sea waves and rocks with dotted shading on the calf, with a green string anklet and grey canvas shoe.
Stylised waves and rocks on a lower leg
Colour tattoo on a forearm of a woman with closed eyes and long hair, surrounded by purple flowers, green leaves and a teal swirl, in a bold neo-traditional style.
Woman with purple flowers on a forearm
Black fine-line wavy tattoo running vertically down the spine of a woman seated with her bare back to the camera.
Wavy line tattoo down the spine
Colour tattoo of an anchor with a pink bow, a sailing ship inside a pink rope ring and a small heart, on a person's upper back.
Anchor and sailing ship on a back
Three-panel photo of a black linework wave tattoo covering a shoulder and upper arm, in a fine line style with Japanese-inspired curling waves.
Stylised wave tattoo across shoulder and upper arm