Wave tattoo ideas

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

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Colour traditional tattoo on skin showing a red and white lighthouse inside a golden rope heart, with birds, sea, and a pink flower with green leaves below.
Lighthouse in a rope heart with pink flower
Traditional tattoo sleeve on the upper arm showing a mermaid holding a bouquet, a red heart, pink roses, a skull and a blue rose, outlined in black.
Mermaid and heart sleeve on upper arm
Black and grey whale tail tattoo with dotwork shading and fine line waves, placed on the lower leg above a sock.
Whale tail above waves on a lower leg
Black ink tattoo of a silhouetted figure rowing a boat over wavy lines, with a line of script beneath, on an upper arm.
Rowing boat over waves with script quote
Black and grey pen drawing of a sailing ship in a storm inside an ornate banner, with a lantern above, a compass and skull below and a quote on the scroll.
Ship in storm within ornate banner 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
Fine line white ink wave outline tattooed on the top of a bare foot near the ankle, resting on a grey concrete surface.
Wave outline on the top of a foot
Realistic blue water splash tattoo wrapping around the inner wrist, shown from three angles against a grey background.
Blue water splash on a wrist
Black and grey blackwork tattoo of an anchor over stippled sea waves and a rising sun, set inside a diamond shape on the upper arm.
Anchor and sea waves in a diamond
Black and grey Japanese-style waves filling a triangle outline, tattooed on the forearm.
Wave-filled triangle on a forearm
Fresh colour tattoo of a split heart, with a blue wave on the left and an orange and red flame on the right, on the back of the neck.
Split heart with wave and flame on neck
Black and grey drawing of a fish with a sailing ship and waves in its body and a skeletal tail, a neo-traditional style tattoo design on paper.
Ship-filled fish with skeleton tail design
Black and grey fine line tattoo of a stippled wave inside an outlined triangle on the side of a thigh.
Wave inside a triangle on a thigh
Japanese style colour tattoo of a black cat and a green dragon among waves, covering the upper arm and shoulder, shown in a close-up alongside a detail view.
Cat and green dragon on an upper arm
Front and back views of a full body Japanese style tattoo with a large orange koi, cherry blossoms and grey waves across the back, arms, torso and legs.
Full body Japanese irezumi with koi and cherry blossom
Small black fine line wave tattoo on the upper back near the shoulder of a woman with blonde hair standing on a beach.
Fine line wave tattoo on a shoulder
Black tribal-style sea turtle tattoo with a coloured sunset, palm tree and sea inside its shell, sitting on the upper back.
Sea turtle with sunset and palm tree
Colour tattoo of a stylised flame and water emblem with a rainbow gradient on a forearm.
Rainbow flame and water emblem on forearm
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
A small wave tattoo with black outline and blue shading on the inner wrist, shown freshly done and wrapped in cling film.
Small blue wave on a wrist
Black fine line lettering reading LIKE A WAVE on the inner forearm of a person seated with ripped denim jeans.
Like a wave lettering on forearm
Black and grey dotwork and engraved-style sleeve on the upper arm and shoulder, showing waves, a figure, a moon and a chain along the lower arm.
Engraved sea and figure upper arm sleeve
Realistic colour tattoo of a lighthouse on rocks beside crashing waves under an orange and red sunset, on a calf.
Lighthouse at sunset on a calf
Black ink swallow in a traditional style flying above a rayed sun and wavy lines, tattooed on the forearm.
Swallow over sun and waves on a forearm
Neo-traditional tattoo of a woman's face with teal hair wrap and scalloped collar on the inner forearm.
Stylised woman portrait on a forearm
Black line drawing of a symmetrical design with two mermaids, two seahorses, an octopus and leaves, shown as a tattoo flash style illustration.
Mermaids, seahorses and octopus design
Black dotwork tattoo on a calf, a circle split like a yin-yang with a night sky, moon and pine trees on one side and waves and an animal's face on the other.
Yin-yang landscape on a calf
Close photo of a solid black tribal-style swirl tattoo with curled ends and a sprig-like tip on pale skin, in blackwork style.
Black tribal swirl tattoo on skin
Black tribal-style sea turtles with swirling waves and a line of script above them, tattooed on the side of the ribs.
Three tribal turtles and script on the ribs
Colour Japanese style tattoo of two koi fish among teal waves and red clover shapes across a person's back.
Koi fish and waves across a back
Dark blue-grey shark fin breaking through a wave tattooed on the heel of a bare foot against a clear blue sky.
Shark fin in a wave on a heel
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
Colour tattoo of a stylised figure in blue, green and pink wash on the upper back, with small black footprints above it near the shoulder.
Watercolour figure and footprints on upper back
Black and grey traditional style flash design of an anchor, a sailing ship, two pistols, roses and banners reading Loose Lips and Sink Ships, with no body placement shown.
Anchor, ship and pistols traditional flash
Black and grey forearm tattoo of a pineapple above a pineapple bowl holding a tropical island with palm trees, a thatched hut and a crescent moon, in linework and dotwork.
Pineapple island tattoo on a forearm
Circular tattoo on the lower leg showing a blue Japanese-style wave beneath the black lettering I AM THE SEA AND NOBODY OWNS ME.
Wave and quote on a calf
Black and grey engraved-style tattoo of stylised waves across the top of a bare foot, with a similar faded tattoo visible on the second foot behind it.
Stylised wave tattoo on a foot
Fine line black tattoo of an ECG heartbeat trace that turns into a wave, placed across the upper chest near the collarbone.
Heartbeat line becoming a wave on the chest
Close photo of a small teal fine line wave tattoo on the inside of a wrist, with a raised fist and a car interior behind.
Teal wave tattoo on the wrist
Three-panel photo of a geometric full arm sleeve tattoo in red and black, with a red star motif on the upper arm and a dark rosette pattern on the forearm.
Geometric red and black full sleeve tattoo
Colour tattoo of an anime-style character in a straw hat and red scarf on the forearm, with black and grey shading behind it.
Anime character with stretched arm on forearm
Traditional style tattoo of a red and grey striped lighthouse above waves and rocks, with an 'On the Rocks' banner, on the upper arm.
Lighthouse with waves and banner on upper arm
Black and grey tattoo of a mountain above pine trees and stylised waves inside a square frame, on the upper arm with a light red tint in the peak.
Mountain, pines and waves in a square frame
Fine line mermaid tattoo with flowing red hair, a shell top and blue wash water splashes on the lower leg.
Mermaid with red hair on a calf
Black tribal-style design of a leaping orca with swirling wave patterns on a white background.
Tribal orca leaping through waves
Black and grey pen drawing of a yin yang symbol with a rayed sun, crescent moon, swirling clouds and waves, presented as a tattoo design.
Yin yang with sun and moon
A colourful Japanese-style dragon tattoo with orange and blue scales runs down a leg onto the ankle, where cherry blossom sprigs sit beside a white strap heel.
Dragon tattoo on a leg in white heels
Colour Japanese style tattoo of a red koi and a pale koi swimming over dark blue waves, on the inner forearm.
Red and white koi fish in waves on a forearm