Wave tattoo ideas

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

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Colour tattoo of a closed-eyed matryoshka doll with pink sun rays, wave lines and a small heart flower on a forearm, in a neo-traditional style.
Matryoshka doll with sun rays on forearm
Pencil line drawing of a mermaid with both arms raised, flowing hair and a scaled tail, shown as a tattoo design sketch on paper with no body placement.
Mermaid with raised arms, pencil sketch
Full back tattoo in traditional style showing an eagle, a coiled snake, a sailing ship on waves and red roses, placed on the back.
Eagle, snake and ship across a full back
Traditional style tattoo on a calf showing a sailing ship and lighthouse in a rope frame, with an anchor, stars and a red heart.
Lighthouse and sailing ship with heart on a calf
Neo-traditional colour tattoo of a sailing ship in a glass bottle wrapped in rope, with an orange sunset, on the upper arm.
Ship in a bottle on upper arm
Full sleeve Japanese-style tattoo in colour showing cranes flying through clouds, a purple mountain, pine trees and turquoise waves, on an arm.
Japanese landscape full sleeve with cranes and waves
Realistic forearm tattoo of grey clouds and a mountain above blue water with hammerhead shark silhouettes.
Hammerhead sharks and clouds on a forearm
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
Colour Japanese style koi fish tattoo with blue water splashes on the top of a foot.
Koi fish with water splash on a foot
Black and grey dotwork tattoo of a world map with two compass roses and dashed route lines, across the forearm.
World map with compass roses on a forearm
Black linework tattoo of a naga serpent, lotus flowers and swirling waves covering a leg from thigh to calf.
Naga serpent and lotus leg tattoo
Light blue scale tattoo on the outer thigh of a person lying on a carpet, with a drawn wave design on paper beside them.
Blue scales tattoo on thigh
Black ink line drawing of a mermaid with a long, flowing tail curling upwards past rising bubbles, shown as a fine line tattoo design with no body placement.
Mermaid tail with rising bubbles line drawing
Colourful neo-traditional style tattoo of pink plumeria flowers, teal swirling vines and palm trees against a sunset, running down the side of the ribs.
Tropical flowers and palms along the ribs
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
Flash sheet of black line flourishes, scrolls, leaves, arrows and a laurel motif on a white background, with a white laurel on a grey panel at the top.
Flourishes and ornaments flash sheet
Fine line black script tattoo reading 'to the sea' with a small wave flourish on the side of the torso, above the waistband of underwear.
To the sea script with a wave on the side
Colour neo-traditional tattoo on a forearm showing a California state outline with a bear, orange poppies, waves, a Hollywood sign and a yellow banner reading Dreamer.
California state map with poppies on a forearm
Traditional style tattoo on a forearm showing a three-masted sailing ship above a grey sperm whale rising from teal sea, with birds and clouds.
Sailing ship and whale on a forearm
Black line drawing of a mermaid with flowing, swirling hair and an ornamental scrolled tail on a white background, suitable as a tattoo design.
Mermaid with swirling hair and tail
Colour Japanese-style tattoo of a fox seen from behind, with orange swirl patterns and black outlines, on the upper arm near the elbow.
Orange fox with swirling linework on upper arm
Black line flash sheet of small geometric motifs including skull faces, spirals, zigzags, diamonds, squares and asterisks, with no body placement shown.
Geometric motif flash sheet in black line
Realism tattoo of a lighthouse under a lightning storm with rough sea below, placed on the calf.
Lighthouse and storm on a calf
Sketchy black cat with a yellow eye and a swirling tail, sitting on a crescent-shaped wave, tattooed on the upper arm and shoulder.
Black cat with yellow eye on upper arm
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
Two side-by-side photos of gold, silver and black temporary tattoos on arms, including palm trees, arrows and an Eye of Horus design.
Metallic temporary tattoos on arms and forearm
Black and grey traditional tattoo of a mermaid seated on a rock within an anchor-framed oval, topped with a fleur-de-lis, on the thigh.
Mermaid in an anchor frame on a thigh
Back of a shirtless man with arms outstretched, showing a black and grey Japanese style koi and lotus back tattoo with arm tattoos on the upper arms.
Koi and lotus back piece
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 Japanese-style dragon tattoo with green scales and wave details on the side of a person's torso, above the waistband of their jeans.
Green dragon tattoo on the side of the torso
Tall black and white design drawing for a full sleeve, showing cats, bats, waves and a geisha-style figure in a Japanese-influenced style.
Black ink sleeve design with cats, bats and geisha
Traditional style tattoo of a sailing ship against a red sunset inside a rope border, with a flower below, on a forearm.
Sailing ship and flower on a forearm
Hand-drawn flash design of four stacked motifs in bold black linework with green, red and blue wash, including a swirling vine, a flame trail and a wave.
Four elemental motifs in black ink and wash
Black and grey traditional tattoo of a seated mermaid within an anchor frame, with a fleur-de-lis above, on the outer thigh.
Mermaid and anchor on a thigh
Black and grey drawing of a mermaid with swirling hair, a scaled tail and curling waves, presented as a tattoo design.
Mermaid with flowing hair and waves
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
Realistic colour tattoo of a flock of black birds over a pink and purple sunset, with a wrecked ship in waves and a cliff, across a person's upper back and side.
Bird flock and sunset sea scene on a back
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
Black and grey tattoo of a lighthouse with a beam of light above crashing waves and clouds, shaded across the inner forearm.
Lighthouse and storm waves on a forearm
Black line drawing of a mermaid with flowing hair and an ornamental scaled tail on a white background, shown as a tattoo design with no body placement visible.
Mermaid line drawing design
Full arm sleeve in Japanese style with cream peonies, red and green flowers and dark wave patterns, shown on the upper arm and forearm.
Japanese peony arm sleeve
Black and grey Japanese style tattoo of a dragon-headed carp among waves, covering a thigh.
Black and grey carp and waves on a thigh
Black tribal tattoo design of a large spiral and flowing swirls with notched edges, shown as a stencil-style drawing with no body part visible.
Tribal spiral and swirl design
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
Colour tattoo of a sailing pirate ship with a black skull and crossbones flag and blue waves, on the side of a torso.
Pirate ship with skull flag on the side
Realism tattoo of a lighthouse beneath a lightning storm above breaking waves, on the calf.
Lighthouse in a storm on a calf
Black line drawing of a sailing ship above a curling banner reading IT IS NOT DOWN ON ANY MAP TRUE PLACES NEVER ARE, with waves below, in a traditional style.
Ship and banner quote design
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