Wave tattoo ideas

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

What will it cost? Try the tattoo cost calculator
Black line tattoo of a curling wave with spray dots on the inner forearm, in a fine line style with Japanese-inspired detail.
Curling wave on a forearm
Blue wave tattoo with a curling crest and spray, shaded in a painterly style across the forearm.
Blue wave tattoo on a forearm
Two tattooed people in a Japanese style: a woman with a grey oni mask on her stomach and a man with a full colour sleeve and an oni mask on his chest.
Two people with Japanese style tattoo sleeves and torsos
Black and grey Japanese-style wave tattoo covering a forearm, with a cloud motif near the elbow and solid black bands near the wrist.
Japanese waves and clouds on a forearm
Colour Japanese style tattoo of a noodle bowl with chopsticks and green garnish on a forearm, partly covered by a paracord bracelet with a metal clasp.
Noodle bowl tattoo on a forearm
Black and grey circular tattoo of a curling wave with dotwork shading, on a forearm.
Hokusai-style wave in a circle on a forearm
Fine line black tattoo of a curling wave inside a circle on the inner forearm, with stippled dots in the spray.
Wave inside a circle on a forearm
Black and grey Japanese style sleeve tattoo on a forearm, showing a foo dog, an oni mask, a skull, a pagoda and swirling clouds.
Japanese sleeve with lion, oni and pagoda
Japanese-style wave tattoo with pale outlines over solid black ink, running along a forearm.
Stylised waves on a forearm
Black and grey wave tattoo with curling crest inside an inverted triangle outline on the inner forearm, in a Japanese-inspired style.
Wave inside an inverted triangle on a forearm
Small black and grey fine line tattoo of a curling wave inside a circle on the inner forearm, in a Japanese woodcut style.
Wave in a circle on a forearm
Five views of a colourful full sleeve tattoo in neo-traditional and Japanese-inspired style, showing birds, swirling clouds and rays across the upper arm and forearm.
Colourful bird and cloud full sleeve
Japanese style full sleeve tattoo on an arm showing a koi fish, rolling waves, lotus flowers and a skull, shown from three angles.
Koi, waves and lotus full sleeve
Full colour sleeve tattoo in a Japanese and traditional style on a raised arm, showing a rose, clouds, a wave and a script banner on the forearm and upper arm.
Colour sleeve with clouds and script banner
Blue Japanese-inspired wave tattoo with a handwritten quote on the inner forearm, reading You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.
Blue wave and quote on a forearm
Black and grey Japanese dragon full sleeve tattoo with scales, waves and clouds, covering the shoulder, upper arm and forearm.
Japanese dragon full sleeve
Black and grey dotwork and linework tattoo of a stylised Great Wave off Kanagawa inside a circle, with small circles and Mount Fuji, on a forearm.
Great Wave tattoo in a circle on a forearm
Three views of a full arm sleeve tattoo in Japanese style, showing a man rowing a boat on blue waves and a red octopus with suckers on the upper arm and forearm.
Full sleeve of a boatman, waves and red octopus
Full body Japanese-style tattoo with green and orange dragons, koi and goldfish over black wave-patterned ground across the chest, arms and thighs.
Full body Japanese irezumi with dragons and koi
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
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
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
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
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
Overhead view of a seated person with hands on their knees, showing a Japanese-style red flower tattoo on one forearm and a black and grey cloud design on the other.
Japanese-style forearm tattoos seen from above
Blue and black tattoo of Hokusai's Great Wave inside a golden ratio spiral grid, on the inner forearm.
Great Wave with golden ratio grid on forearm
Woman seen from behind with a colourful Japanese style koi and wave tattoo covering her back and left arm, against a dark red studio backdrop.
Full back Japanese koi and wave tattoo
Black and grey Japanese-style wave tattoo with fine linework and dotwork shading on the inner arm.
Great wave tattoo with dotwork shading
Back of a woman with a black linework Japanese-style lotus and wave design across her lower back, and a peony and flower sleeve on her arm, photographed in a dim studio.
Lotus back piece and flower arm sleeve
Black line drawing of a woman with long hair and closed eyes, showing a Japanese-style sleeve of cherry blossoms, a koi-like fish and a skull on her arm.
Woman with Japanese-style sleeve and skull
Japanese style chrysanthemum tattoo in orange and grey shading covering a forearm, with wave shading above and small script on the wrist.
Chrysanthemum sleeve on a forearm
Black and grey Japanese full back tattoo of a lion dog, tiger, clouds and lotus flowers, with a cicada on the upper arm.
Full back Japanese lion dog and tiger piece
Three-panel photo of a colour Japanese-style forearm tattoo showing a blue horned sea serpent, red fish and outlined waves.
Blue sea serpent and red fish on a forearm
Black and grey forearm tattoo of a bold sunburst with rays above a shaded mountain and rolling waves, in a realistic style.
Sunrise over mountains and sea on a forearm
Colour tattoo of stylised teal and blue ocean waves with white foam crests and black outlines, on the forearm.
Stylised ocean waves on a forearm
Fine line black and grey tattoo of a curling wave inside a circle, placed on the inner forearm.
Small circular wave on a forearm
Japanese style full arm sleeve with red lotus flowers, teal shading and grey clouds across the upper arm and forearm.
Lotus flowers and clouds on a full arm sleeve
Black and grey Japanese style back tattoo with curling waves, a scaled creature and lotus flowers, extending down the left arm in a sleeve.
Back and arm sleeve with waves and dragon
Full Japanese-style sleeves on both arms and a chest piece, with pink and yellow koi, cherry blossoms and black-grey waves, shown on a shirtless torso.
Japanese koi and blossom full sleeves
Black and grey Japanese-style wave and cloud tattoo on a forearm, with hands pressed together above a yellow mug on a teal wooden surface.
Black and grey wave tattoo on a forearm
Black and grey Japanese style koi fish, flowers, clouds and waves covering a full sleeve from shoulder to forearm, shown from two angles.
Koi and waves full sleeve
Full body Japanese style tattoo with koi, dragon and lotus motifs across the arms, chest and legs of a seated person against a black background.
Japanese bodysuit with koi and dragon
Woman seen from behind with a colourful Japanese-style phoenix and flower sleeve on her arm and a large tattoo across her thigh.
Japanese phoenix and flower sleeve with thigh tattoo
Full sleeve Japanese style tattoo of a teal dragon with red accents, swirling waves and pink peonies, shown on an arm from two angles.
Japanese dragon full sleeve
Teal and black Japanese-style wave tattoo on the inner wrist, shown from three angles in a collage with a small grey tattoo on another wrist.
Teal wave tattoo on a wrist
Two matching circle tattoos on a pair of forearms, one showing a dotwork mountain range and the other a dotwork wave in a Japanese-inspired style.
Mountain and wave tattoos on forearms
Black and grey full sleeve tattoo of skulls, lotus flowers and smoke on an upper arm and forearm, shown from three angles.
Skulls and flowers full sleeve
Full Japanese-style sleeve tattoo on an upper arm and forearm, showing pink cherry blossoms, grey waves and a fish-like creature with a yellow eye.
Japanese full sleeve with cherry blossoms and fish