Wave tattoo ideas

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

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Black and grey Japanese-style wave sleeve tattoo covering the shoulder and upper arm of a shirtless man, with swirling water and wind motifs.
Black and grey wave sleeve on a shoulder and upper arm
Close-up of a bare foot with a small black fine-line curved tattoo on the outer ankle, beside a woven bracelet.
Small curved line tattoo on an ankle
Black and grey realism back piece showing Poseidon with a trident above a sailing ship in a storm, placed across the whole of the upper and middle back.
Poseidon and a sailing ship across a full back
Traditional-style colour tattoo of a black and white striped lighthouse with a red light and swirling blue waves inside a porthole frame, on the forearm.
Lighthouse and waves in a porthole frame
Black and grey realism full back tattoo of a dragon above a yin yang symbol, set among carved-looking clouds, waves and a Greek key border.
Dragon and yin yang full back piece
Colour tattoo of two purple and teal koi fish swimming through stylised blue waves, in Japanese style, on a forearm, shown twice side by side.
Purple and teal koi fish on forearm
Black and white photo of a fine line wave tattoo with three curls on the inner wrist and forearm.
Fine line wave on the inner wrist
Black and grey tattoo of a three-masted sailing ship inside a bottle with a rope stopper, on the inner forearm.
Sailing ship in a bottle on a forearm
Fine line black tattoo of a sailboat above rolling waves on the inside of a forearm.
Sailboat and waves on a forearm
Small fine-line black tattoo of a curling wave inside a circle on a pale forearm, with a dark sleeve at the left edge.
Wave inside a circle on a forearm
Traditional colour tattoo of a three-masted sailing ship with a red hull, clouds and birds, above a banner reading Homeward Bound, on a forearm.
Sailing ship with Homeward Bound banner on a forearm
Black and grey traditional tattoo of a sailing ship in an ornate oval frame on the inner forearm, shown in two side by side photographs.
Sailing ship in oval frame on forearm
Full back tattoo in Japanese style showing a geisha holding fans, cherry blossoms, butterflies and wind lines in colour across the back.
Full back Japanese piece with geisha and butterflies
Black ink line drawing of an ornate scallop shell with a woman's face and pearl necklace at its centre, surrounded by smaller shells, waves and bubbles, drawn as a tattoo design.
Shell and wave design sketch
Black and grey tattoo of a muscular, bearded sea god holding a trident, with a water-tail base, on the upper arm.
Trident-bearing sea god on upper arm
White single-line drawing of a small circle above a stylised wave on a dark background, a fine line design with no body placement shown.
Circle above a wave line drawing
Fine line black script reading let it be, joined to a curling wave, on the side of a bare foot above a thin ankle chain, with a wooden deck behind.
Let it be script with wave on ankle
Neo-traditional colour tattoo of a horned beast face above a red rose in a pink oval, placed on the thigh.
Horned beast and rose on a thigh
Black ink line drawing of a three-masted ship on hatched waves with a dotted line to an anchor, above the script words Life's roughest storms prove the strength of our anchors, on crumpled paper.
Ship, waves and anchor with script quote
Colour tattoo of a bearded sea god with a trident and a blue horse among turquoise waves, covering the upper arm and shoulder.
Sea god and blue horse on upper arm
Black tribal swirl tattoo with wave-like linework on the hip and upper thigh of a person swimming underwater.
Tribal swirl tattoo on a hip
Black and grey Japanese style back tattoo of a geisha with chrysanthemums and wave patterns, covering most of the upper back.
Geisha and waves across a back
Neo-traditional tattoo on a calf of a bearded sailor smoking a pipe, with a sailing ship, orange roses, waves and a lighthouse.
Bearded sailor with ship and roses on a calf
Fine line black wave tattoo on the inner forearm, just below a white beaded bracelet, as a hand makes a hang loose gesture against the sea at dusk.
Small wave tattoo on forearm
Black ink line drawing of a mermaid with scaled tail and curling waves, sketched on paper beside two fineliner pens, a tattoo design for fine line work.
Mermaid with curling wave tail line drawing
Colour Japanese-style tattoo of a red koi fish with a pink lotus flower and turquoise waves on the upper back.
Koi fish and lotus on the upper back
Colour Japanese style tattoo of a koi fish leaping through black and grey waves with pink cherry blossoms, covering the upper arm and shoulder.
Koi and cherry blossoms on upper arm
Black ink flash sheet of six alien-themed designs, including a UFO over pine trees, a banner reading Scully and Aliens, and a Believe diamond.
Six UFO and alien flash designs on paper
Black and white ink drawing of a crescent moon above a circular scene of a breaking wave and a rock under a night sky, a possible tattoo design.
Crescent moon over a wave in a circle
Fine line black tattoo of a single curling wave on the inner wrist.
Single-line wave on the inner wrist
Colourful watercolour-style tattoo of a fox-like creature with galaxy dots and eye motifs on the thigh.
Watercolour fox and galaxy on a thigh
Small black fine line wave tattoo on an ankle, with a bare foot resting on a sandy beach beside clear turquoise water.
Small wave tattoo on an ankle
Colour tattoo of a sunset beach with palm trees, breaking waves and surfboards, with pink hibiscus flowers, covering an upper arm and shoulder.
Sunset beach scene and hibiscus on an upper arm
Black fine-line tattoo of an anchor whose curves and wavy lines form a heart shape, shown on skin.
Anchor and heart fine-line tattoo on skin
A full colour Japanese style sleeve tattoo of a red koi fish, cherry blossoms and waves on a woman's upper arm and forearm.
Koi and cherry blossom sleeve on an arm
Small black fine line wave tattoo on the side of the torso near the ribs, on sun-warmed skin dusted with sand.
Small fine line wave on the side of the body
Black and grey tattoo of curling waves, swirling clouds and a stippled sun with rays, on the upper arm, in a linework style.
Waves and rising sun on an upper arm
Traditional style tattoo on the lower leg of a palm tree, red hibiscus, waves and the words Endless Holiday, with a sailing ship running down the shin, photographed on a beach.
Palm tree and ship on the lower leg
Black line drawing of a heart enclosing the words Adventure is where your heart is, with a cactus, mountains, palm tree, sailboat, pine trees and a sun, as a tattoo design.
Heart with adventure lettering and landscape
Traditional style flash design of a woman in profile wearing a black bowler hat with a red flower, beside a ship's wheel and green leaves.
Profile woman in bowler hat with ship wheel
Black and grey photograph of a raised arm with a Japanese style sleeve on the upper arm, showing clouds, swirling waves, wings and script lettering.
Japanese style arm sleeve with wings and script
Black and grey Japanese style sleeve tattoo with a koi fish on the upper arm and shoulder and wave-like linework on the forearm.
Koi and wave sleeve on a arm
Small black line tattoo of a ship's wheel, an anchor and a wave on the outer ankle, shown in two photographs.
Ship's wheel, anchor and wave on ankle
Navy line drawing of three skeletons in a row, swimming, cycling and running, as a triathlon-themed design on a cream background.
Skeletons swimming, cycling and running
Dark single-line drawing of a leaping dolphin among curling wave scrolls, shown as a stitched design on a pale textured background.
Dolphin with swirling waves
Colour Japanese style tattoo of a red koi fish, yellow and blue flower and grey waves covering the upper arm and shoulder.
Koi fish and flower on an upper arm and shoulder
Traditional style tattoo of a three-masted sailing ship inside a bottle-shaped outline with a red anchor, red clouds and flowers, on a limb.
Traditional sailing ship with anchor and flowers
Person seen from behind with a full blackwork tattoo covering the back, buttocks and legs, featuring a lattice spine panel, swirling motifs and hexagon patterns.
Full back and legs blackwork tattoo