Wave tattoo ideas

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

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Colour tattoo of a moonlit castle on a hill above rippling blue water, with a full moon, stars and a dark silhouette at the top, across the upper arm and shoulder in a bold neo-traditional style.
Moonlit castle night scene on upper arm
Full sleeve tattoo on an upper arm in Japanese style, with orange, green and red lotus-like motifs, swirling clouds and layered scale patterns.
Colourful ornamental sleeve on upper arm
White ink tattoo sleeve of mandalas, leaves and geometric patterns covering an upper arm and shoulder.
White ink sleeve with mandalas and leaves
Colourful Japanese-style half sleeve on an upper arm and shoulder, showing a blue VW camper van among grey waves, purple plumeria and red clouds.
VW camper van and flowers on an upper arm
Colour tattoo of a koi fish and pink lotus flower with teal waves across the upper back and shoulder, in a Japanese style.
Koi fish and lotus on a shoulder
Tattoo on a woman's shoulder with soft purple, blue and pink washes, black brush-style linework and a black circle.
Abstract watercolour swoosh on shoulder
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
Colour Japanese style sleeve tattoo on an upper arm and shoulder, with orange tiger lilies, purple flowers, green leaves and grey waves.
Lily and waves sleeve tattoo
Japanese style full sleeve tattoo of a purple octopus with pink suckers and grey waves across the shoulder and upper arm, with a green anchor near the lower arm.
Octopus and waves full sleeve
Three views of a full arm sleeve tattoo in colour, showing blue tulip buds, swirling scrolls and pale clouds across the upper arm and forearm.
Full arm sleeve with tulips, clouds and scrolls
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
Colourful Japanese style octopus tattoo with grey waves and green tentacles across the upper arm and shoulder.
Octopus and waves on an upper arm
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
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
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
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
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 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
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 Japanese style full sleeve tattoo of koi fish, waves and cherry blossom covering the upper arm and shoulder.
Koi and wave full sleeve
Black ink tribal-style tattoo with hibiscus and plumeria flowers covering a woman's ribs and flank, with a smaller floral piece on her upper back.
Black ink Polynesian-style side piece with flowers
Black and grey Japanese style skull tattoo with curling waves and cherry blossom flowers across a person's upper back and shoulder.
Skull, waves and blossom on a back piece
Black and grey Japanese full arm sleeve tattoo on the upper arm and shoulder, with cherry blossoms, wave patterns and a sunburst, shown from three angles.
Japanese cherry blossom sleeve in black and grey
Black and grey realism tattoo of palm trees above a beach and waves on an upper arm and shoulder, with blue script lettering above, shown from three angles.
Palm trees and beach on upper arm
Black and grey Japanese style tattoo of a shark with an anchor and rope amid curling waves, covering a person's upper arm and shoulder.
Shark, anchor and waves on upper arm
Japanese style full sleeve tattoo on an arm, showing a red koi carp, purple lotus flowers, cherry blossoms and clouds, shown from three angles.
Koi and lotus full sleeve
Seated man shown from the neck down, covered in a full Japanese style tattoo with a dragon and phoenix on the arms and a deity figure across the chest and abdomen.
Full body Japanese tattoo with dragon and phoenix
Black linework tattoo of a walking pilgrim with a staff and a dog, set among clouds and waves, on the upper arm of a person in a blue tank top.
Pilgrim with staff and dog on upper arm
Black and grey tribal sun with a face and bands of spiral and triangle patterns covering a person's upper arm and shoulder.
Sun face tribal upper arm tattoo
Japanese style koi fish with red and black scales swimming among waves and clouds, tattooed on an upper arm and shoulder.
Koi fish and waves on an upper arm
Full colour Japanese sleeve tattoo on an upper arm and forearm, showing foo dogs, peonies and waves against a plain wall.
Japanese lion and peony full arm sleeve
Colour tattoo of a yin and yang design on a shoulder blade, with pine trees and exposed roots on one side and teal ocean waves on the other.
Yin yang with pine forest and ocean waves
Colour Japanese style full sleeve tattoo on an upper arm and forearm, showing a blue koi fish, pink cherry blossoms and a red chrysanthemum among grey clouds.
Koi and blossom full sleeve on an arm
Black and grey Japanese style arm sleeve tattoo with a bird, swirling clouds and pink lotus flowers across the shoulder, upper arm and forearm.
Bird and flower full arm sleeve
Black and grey blackwork tattoo of a flowing wave and scrolling swirls across the shoulder and upper back.
Flowing black wave swirl on the shoulder
Black and grey Japanese style tattoo of a guardian lion with open jaws, a small demon on a pedestal and waves, covering the upper arm and shoulder.
Japanese guardian lion on upper arm
Colour tattoo on an upper arm and shoulder showing a profile head filled with a stormy sea and sky, black rain drips, and a faceted blue anchor.
Storm profile and anchor on upper arm
Japanese style tattoo of a white tiger prowling among red flowers and dark waves across the upper arm and shoulder.
White tiger with red flowers and waves on upper arm
Japanese style upper arm tattoo of a shaded grey Buddha face with a pagoda, waves and a pink lotus flower.
Buddha face and lotus sleeve on upper arm
Black and grey realism tattoo of a skull and a sailing ship with billowing sails on the upper arm and shoulder.
Skull and sailing ship on an upper arm
Colour Japanese style tattoo of a koi fish, lotus flowers and a red maple leaf wrapping around an upper arm and shoulder.
Koi fish and lotus flowers on an upper arm