Wave tattoo ideas

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

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Black and blue butterfly tattoo on the ribs, with wave patterns filling the wings in a Japanese style.
Butterfly with wave pattern on ribs
Small black fine line tattoo of three curling waves on the inside of a forearm, with a red fabric and a gold chevron pendant in the background.
Three wave curls on a forearm
Blue Japanese-style wave tattoo with white foam detail running down the inside of a forearm against a plain beige wall.
Blue wave tattoo on a forearm
Colour traditional tattoo of a red and white lighthouse among waves and palm trees, with the words THE SEA WAS ANGRY THAT DAY beneath, on an upper arm.
Lighthouse and stormy sea on an arm
Full body Japanese style tattoo covering a man's arms, chest, back and legs, with a dragon, cherry blossoms, clouds and waves in bright colour on grey shading.
Full body Japanese bodysuit tattoo
Fine line blue ink tattoo of a three-masted sailing ship with flags and waves, placed on the upper back below the nape of the neck.
Sailing ship tattoo on upper back
Solid black silhouette design of a dolphin leaping beside curling wave splashes, shown as a stencil-style tattoo design with no body placement visible.
Dolphin and wave design
Rainbow-coloured mermaid tattoo with flowing red hair and a blue to green tail, sitting on the upper arm.
Rainbow mermaid on upper arm
Black ink pen drawing of a sailing ship on rough waves with a dangling anchor and the script words a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor, on white paper.
Sailing ship and anchor with quote
Black and grey dotwork tattoo of rolling waves and a crescent moon inside a circle, placed on the outer ankle.
Waves and crescent moon in a circle on an ankle
Black and grey Japanese style tattoo of an oni demon mask with koi fish and clouds covering the upper arm and shoulder.
Oni mask and koi on upper arm and shoulder
Black and white neo-traditional flash design of an anchor wrapped in rope, a compass rose, a lily, a banner and waves.
Anchor, compass and lily tattoo design
Fine line black palm tree tattoo with two small birds and a scalloped wave line on an ankle, beside sand.
Palm tree and birds above a wave
Fine line tattoo of a paper boat in a bottle with teal waves, a pink heart and the words LOVE TO TRAVEL on the upper thigh.
Paper boat in a bottle with lettering
Black and grey realism tattoo of a Buddha face with leaves and swirling waves on an upper arm.
Buddha face with leaves on upper arm
Fine line black script tattoo on an upper arm, repeating the word Miami along a jagged heartbeat-style line.
Repeated script word in a wave line on arm
Black linework tattoo of stacked wavy lines forming a band across the inner forearm, in a fine line and blackwork style.
Wavy line band on a forearm
Colourful Japanese style octopus tattoo with grey waves and green tentacles across the upper arm and shoulder.
Octopus and waves on an upper arm
Neo-trad style flash design of a brown otter curling through blue water beside a fish, framed by swirling waves and bubbles in a circle.
Otter and fish in swirling water
Black ink postmark tattoo on the chest, showing a circular stamp reading Buffalo NY, PM and 15 JUL 2005 beside wavy cancellation lines.
Postmark stamp tattoo on chest
Woman seen from behind on a beach with a fine line black wave tattoo on her upper back, between the shoulder blades.
Small wave tattoo on upper back
Blue line tribal design with spirals, wave shapes and bands of triangles and fine parallel lines, shown as a drawing with no body part visible.
Blue tribal design with spirals and waves
Black and grey realism tattoo of a scowling bearded face with swirling wave-like hair across the shoulder and upper arm.
Bearded face tattoo on shoulder and upper arm
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
Black and grey realism tattoo of two dolphins swimming through shaded water across the top of a foot.
Realistic dolphins across the top of a foot
Grid of nine pen drawings on paper showing swirl, wave, dot and leaf-shaped line patterns in black ink, shown as tattoo design sketches with no body placement.
Nine pen sketches of line and dot tattoo designs
Traditional style flash drawing of a red and white lighthouse inside a bottle labelled On the Rocks, with an anchor on the neck, waves and rocks below.
Lighthouse in a bottle flash design
Colour tattoo of a green octopus with pink suckers among blue waves across a person's chest, in a traditional style, with tattooed arms visible at the sides.
Green octopus and waves on chest
Red koi fish with a white lotus flower and grey water swirls in Japanese style across a person's upper back.
Koi fish and lotus on the upper back
Black and grey Japanese-style wave tattoo covering the upper arm and shoulder of a man in a grey vest top.
Japanese wave design on upper arm and shoulder
Colour tattoo of a green sea turtle with pink and purple plumeria flowers and blue wave shading on the outer thigh, in a neo-traditional style.
Sea turtle and plumeria on a thigh
Black and grey wave tattoo enclosed in a circle on a forearm, shaded with fine stippled linework.
Wave inside a circle on a forearm
Small black fine line wave tattoo on the side of a finger, shown with the hand curled loosely in a relaxed pose against a pale fabric background.
Small wave tattoo on a finger
Traditional style tattoo of a sailing ship with red and yellow accents on a calf, with the words Loose lips sink ships on a banner below.
Sailing ship with banner on a calf
Several small black fine line wave tattoos on a forearm, a finger, and the wrists and hand of two people sitting close together.
Matching fine line wave tattoos on hands and forearms
Colour Japanese style tattoo of two koi fish and pink blossoms with swirling linework across the upper thigh and hip.
Koi fish and blossoms on a thigh
Fine line black wave tattoo on the side of a finger, with a patterned metal ring on the neighbouring finger.
Wave tattoo on the side of a finger
Colour traditional-style tattoo of a green sea turtle with a yellow and black compass rose shell on a calf, set against blue-grey clouds.
Turtle with compass shell on a calf
Black and grey full sleeve tattoo on an upper arm, with a mandala on the shoulder and a serpent over geometric bands.
Mandala shoulder and serpent sleeve on upper arm
Black and white photo of a small fine line wave tattoo on an ankle, beside a beaded anklet with an elephant charm, on sand.
Small wave tattoo on ankle
Dark blue dotwork tattoo of swirls, waves and dots covering the back of a hand, with a partly visible tattoo on the wrist above.
Blue swirl and wave pattern on a hand
Purple flash design of a mermaid silhouette with swirling hair and a curled tail, holding a fish, shown without any body placement.
Mermaid silhouette with swirling hair
Black and grey fine line tattoo of a palm tree with birds, a half-set sun and wave lines, on the forearm.
Palm tree and sunset on a forearm
Black ink Aquarius zodiac symbol of two wavy lines and a looped stroke on the inner wrist, above a red sleeve.
Aquarius zodiac symbol on a wrist
Watercolour-style blue and teal wave tattoo with white highlights across the inner forearm.
Blue watercolour wave on a forearm
Traditional tattoo of a three-masted sailing ship with billowing sails, framed by clouds and gulls, with a Sailors Grave banner and red flower across the upper back.
Sailing ship with banner on a back
Pen and ink tattoo design sketch of a kraken with tentacles wrapping a sailing ship, with lightning bolts and ornate scrollwork in a neo-traditional style.
Kraken wrapped around a sailing ship
Black and grey tattoo of a cartoon cat wearing a bow and holding a pistol, with wavy shading below, on a forearm.
Cartoon cat with a pistol on a forearm