Wave tattoo ideas

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

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Fine line black tattoo of a Venus symbol above three wavy lines on the back of a person's neck, with a kitchen in the background.
Venus symbol and waves on the back of the neck
Full back tattoo of a red koi fish swimming among pink cherry blossoms and water swirls in Japanese style, across the upper and middle back.
Koi fish and cherry blossom on a back
Colour cartoon tattoo of a smiling teacup character with blue wave-like hair and a pink ship-like shape above it, on the outer thigh.
Cartoon teacup character on a thigh
Colour Japanese-style tattoo of a dragon and an eye with wave and cloud details on a lower leg, above black trainers with a floral swoosh.
Japanese dragon and eye tattoo on a calf
Three views of a colour Japanese-style half sleeve on the upper arm and shoulder, with teal waves, red blossoms and dark shaded rays.
Japanese waves and blossom half sleeve
A black and white flash sheet of nautical designs including anchors, a lighthouse, a whale, a compass star, a ship's wheel, a sailing boat and a sailing ship.
Nautical flash sheet of anchors, waves and ships
Black and grey realism tattoo of a tall sailing ship on rolling waves and clouds across the back of a hand.
Sailing ship on the back of a hand
Realism tattoo of palm trees silhouetted against a sunset over the sea, wrapping around the forearm and shown from three angles.
Palm trees and sunset on a forearm
Small blue watercolour-style wave tattoo with black linework curling across the inner wrist, with a soft pink-tinged skin background.
Blue wave on a wrist
Close-up of a small black fine line tattoo of a single curved wave on the inner wrist of a hand with pale nails.
Small wave line tattoo on wrist
Colourful peace symbol tattoo on a shoulder, with sun faces, stars, clouds, flowers, a globe and a butterfly in a bold illustrative style.
Peace symbol with sun and nature panels on shoulder
Black and grey Traditional style tattoo of octopus tentacles rising from engraved waves beneath stars and clouds, on an upper arm.
Octopus tentacles rising from waves on an upper arm
Black and grey blackwork tribal flame tattoo with a thin-line infinity loop and curled ends, placed on a shoulder.
Tribal flame and infinity swirl on shoulder
Black ink tattoo of three triathlon pictograms, a swimmer, a cyclist and a runner, stacked vertically on the upper arm near the shoulder.
Triathlon pictograms on the upper arm
Fine line black sailboat tattoo with waves on the inner wrist of a raised hand, set against a nautical chart.
Tiny sailboat on the inner wrist
Small fine line black ink tattoo of a curling wave inside a circle on a pale forearm, beside a black sleeve.
Wave in a circle on a forearm
Black and grey circular tattoo of a crescent moon, stars, waves and a whale tail in fine line and dotwork on the upper back near the shoulder.
Moon, waves and whale tail in a circle on a shoulder
Colourful neo-traditional tattoo of a breaking wave with an orange sun inside the curl, set against a sunset sky, on a man's upper arm and shoulder.
Colourful breaking wave and sunset on shoulder
Black and grey infinity symbol tattoo on the ankle with tribal patterns in the loops and the word ohana in script across the centre.
Infinity symbol with ohana script on ankle
Black and grey dotwork and linework tattoo of a whale tail among curling waves inside a circle, placed on a woman's upper back.
Whale tail in circular waves on upper back
Black and white photo of a small fine line wave tattoo on the inner wrist of a raised hand.
Small wave tattoo on the wrist
Black and grey fine line tattoo on a forearm showing a wave inside a circle, with triangles, arrows and dotted geometric lines.
Wave in a circle with arrows on a forearm
Pencil drawing of a tribal-style design with a blank central circle, flanked by swirling bands filled with hatched and chevron patterns, shown on a plain background.
Tribal-style circle design in pencil
Small black fine line tattoo on a forearm showing a wave, a pine tree and a mountain above an arrow marked 49 degrees and an anchor.
Fine line wave, tree, mountain and anchor on arm
Black and grey hibiscus flower with tribal swirl and chevron banding tattooed on the outer thigh.
Hibiscus and tribal swirls on a thigh
A tattooist in blue gloves uses a machine to work on a colourful Japanese-style koi fish and wave tattoo on a forearm.
Koi fish tattoo being inked on an arm
Two mirrored neo-trad tattoos on the calves showing a white sailing ship on red and grey waves inside a black and grey ornate frame.
Sailing ship in an ornate frame on calves
Colour tattoo of a green sea turtle swimming through blue waves beside a sun and a star, placed on the top of a foot.
Sea turtle tattoo on a foot
Flash sheet of gold, red, green and black temporary tattoo designs, including flowers, a chain bracelet, wave bands and patterned borders.
Metallic temporary tattoo flash sheet
Two hands held together, each with a thin black fine line tattoo of a looping wave wrapped around the base of a finger.
Matching fine line wave tattoos on two fingers
Close photo of a fine line black wave tattoo on the inside of a wrist, worn beside woven friendship bracelets.
Small wave line tattoo on wrist
Colour traditional-style tattoo on the upper arm showing a mermaid with a zodiac medallion, a red heart, pink roses, a skull and a blue rose.
Mermaid and heart upper arm sleeve
Close photo of a small black fine line wave tattoo on the side of a torso, just below a dark sweater pulled up.
Simple wave tattoo on the side ribs
Black and grey dotwork tattoo of a cat in a striped jumper fishing from a rowboat under a dotted crescent moon, on the upper back.
Cat fishing from a rowboat on the upper back
Black tribal tattoos with spiral and leaf motifs on a person's upper thigh and lower leg, shown in a photo with a patterned sarong.
Tribal thigh tattoos in black ink
Black and grey Buddha face with pink blossoms, a pagoda and a coloured lotus across an upper arm, in a Japanese style sleeve.
Buddha face, pagoda and lotus upper arm sleeve
Colour tattoo of a stylised wave curling inside a circle, in blues, teal and green with black outlines, on the inner forearm.
Stylised wave in a circle on a forearm
Pen drawing of a neo-trad style lighthouse design inside a rope-edged oval, with clouds, waves and crystals, in black and grey ink on paper.
Lighthouse in rope frame design
Colour traditional tattoo on a calf showing a woman clinging to a cross beside a ship, under a banner reading Rock of Ages.
Rock of Ages cross and woman on a calf
Black line drawing of a Japanese-style koi fish swimming among lotus flowers and swirling waves, shown as a tattoo design with no body placement.
Koi fish with lotus flowers and waves
Black linework flash drawing of a Japanese-style dragon coiling among peony, cherry blossom, wave and cloud motifs, with no body placement shown.
Japanese dragon with peonies and cherry blossoms
Japanese style flash drawing of a black and grey snake coiled around two blue peonies, with a small skull in grass at lower left.
Snake and peony flash design
Black line tattoo of three pine trees, a mountain and a sun above wavy water on an ankle, in a fine line style.
Pine trees and sun on an ankle
Fine line black wave tattoo on the inner wrist of a hand reaching towards a white textured wall.
Small wave tattoo on the inner wrist
Fine line fox with leafy sprigs and a long flowing tail tattooed on a forearm, in black and grey ink.
Fox and foliage on a forearm
Colour tattoo of a circle with a blue wave and red swirl on the left and bicycle wheel spokes on the right, inside a scalloped outline, on skin.
Waves and bicycle wheel in a circle
Fine line black tattoo of a wave shape across the top of a finger, with a silver ring on the next finger.
Wave line tattoo across a finger
Black and white line drawing flash sheet showing a lighthouse, a sailing ship, a compass rose, an anchor, two birds and a floral swirl, with no body placement shown.
Nautical flash sheet with lighthouse and anchor