50 Fresh Forearm Tattoos for Women That Will Inspire You

If you’re wanting a forearm tattoo, you’re not alone! Forearm tattoos for women are some of the most requested designs. The forearm is a perennial favorite spot for tattooing because it’s highly visible yet easy to hide if necessary. Further, there are not a ton of nerve endings in your forearm so getting a tattoo in the area is less painful than in other spots. For this spot, the two most painful points are at the bend of your arm and near the bones in your wrist.

We wanted to get a better idea of the freshest forearm tattoos for women so we looked to recent posts on social media to discover the latest tattoos with the greatest designs. We stumbled across a variety of styles, subject matter, and sizes and we will share them with you so that you get an understanding of the possibilities and limitations of forearm tattoos. Let’s get inspired!

Check Out These Forearm Tattoos for Women That Shine!

Set the Scene

The person who shared this tattoo said that the design was inspired by the “PNW” AKA the Pacific Northwest. We find a fox, dogwood flowers, lavender, and a fern leaf in this inspired design. You’ll also notice a blue wash here that’s been made to look like a watercolor painting. All of the blue here makes for a cohesive design.

Black & White Florals

Black ink is a classic choice for tattoos and it is an option that most forearm tattoos for women happen to be. In this magical design, we find black and white ink creating a stunning floral scene. And all the detail that’s packed into this scene is able to be seen because of how this tattoo is shaded and colored.

Mandala-Inspired

Florals are the number one choice for forearm tattoos for women but another huge trend right now are these Mandala-inspired designs that look perfectly intricate and ornamental. These tattoos can be on the larger side or pretty small, and that doesn’t take away any of the detail that is seen in these tattoos. These tattoos have a lot of variety.

The Real Dill

Here we find some blooming dill. It’s an undersung herb especially when it comes to tattoos. But, we think it works out perfectly. This tattoo has a very minimal design, but that doesn’t mean that it didn’t take quite a lot of skill. The bold likes and stippling effect that makes up the flowers make this a really solid tattoo.

Minimal Yet Evocative

Go minimalist with your tattoo design for an understated design. This sleeping cat is just too precious! Pet tattoos are really popular among forearm tattoos for women. We’ll see more as this list goes on. We love how minimal this design is. The thin lines and minimal design make this tattoo easy to remember and a pleasure to look at.

For Cleo

Well, you did not have to wait too long! Here’s another pet tattoo of a dog named Cleo. It’s not huge but it still makes a big impact thanks to the level of detail contained in the design. This tattoo artist was able to capture the dog’s likeness extremely well. We’re in love with the way this tattoo came together.

Phases

Here we find the phases of the moon as told by botanicals. Forearm tattoos for women with the phases of the moon are pretty popular but you don’t see many with this level of creativity. This tattoo beautifully connects the life cycle of a flower as well as the phases of the moon. Who wouldn’t want to have this tattoo?

For the Plant Lover

Where are the houseplant lovers at? We find a tattoo of the humble snake plant in this design. If you are a plant parent to one of these, you know they are worthy of some ink!  The twist and turns of this plant give this tattoo an amazing amount of added depth that makes it look a little more realistic.

Radiate

Floral designs are really dominating the forearm tattoos for women field. What’s interesting here is the triangle that’s been worked into the design with bold, black lines. In a smaller detail, we find thin lines radiating from behind the bloom to create even more visual interest. This tattoo adds a lot of extra texture by playing around with the ink.

A Haunting Snake

Snakes are popular forearm tattoos for women. We are not the biggest fans of the slithering creatures so we don’t exactly get it. But, we can’t deny the haunting beauty of this tattoo. This snake looks poised and ready to strike, and we’re not ashamed to admit that we’d take a few steps back if we saw it hanging around.

All Hail the Space-Shark

Tattoos are all about self-expression. In this mesmerizing design, we find a shark floating through the cosmos. The bold black lines and geometric patterns help to balance the overall design. This might be too “loud” for some but we think it’s a winning tattoo. Wacky designs like this one definitely have a lot of appeal, and we can see why.

Make It Pop

The tattoo artist who completed the above tattoo really understood the importance of highlighting when tattooing deep reds, purples, and blacks. We find a balanced tattoo with butterflies that look like they could take flight at any moment. We can see how each color shifts from lighter to darker shades and adds a lot of depth to this entire tattoo.

One Beautiful Bird

Wow! Here’s a handsome feathered friend. So much detail has gone into this design from the intricate bark on the branch to the texture that’s been applied to give the feathers their signature lightness. This tattoo is super realistic. Can you imagine how much time it took for the tattoo artist to get this good? This takes so much talent.

RELATED: 25 Cool Half Sleeve Tattoos That Prove You Don’t Know the Half of It

Ready for This Jelly

One of our favorite and big forearm tattoos for women on this list comes in the form of jellyfish. The color choices here feel truly inspired and pair extremely well together. We love how the tattoo artist was able to make it seem as though the jellyfish were actually floating in water. This tattoo has a really good looking flow.

Snip Snip

In this forearm tattoo, we find a pair of scissors that are very ornamental in their style. The dramatic black ink really aids heft to this small design. All in all this tattoo is really simple but also very pretty to look at. What do you think about this tattoo? Would you get it for yourself? We think its awesome!

A Great Western Hemlock

Here’s a gorgeous tattoo of a Hemlock tree that’s got something special going on in the root system. If you’re in need of inspiration for forearm tattoos for women, turn to nature as it is endlessly inspiring. These tattoos often include pieces of nature that are significant to the person who gets it. These tattoos are simple and extremely meaningful.

A Fine Line

The lines of this tattoo are so fine. If you’d like something dainty and decorative, consider something similar for your forearm tattoo. Keep in mind that this tattoo is super thin and because of that, you might find yourself going back for multiple touch ups over the years.  But other than that, this tattoo is a good way to go. 

Strawberry Man

Hieronymus Bosch’s “The Garden of Earthly Delights” has inspired this forearm tattoo. In addition to nature, look to art for inspiration. You could walk away with something that’s equally offbeat and interesting. This tattoo almost reminds us of the old drawing of fairies that you see in old story books. It has that sort of nostalgic feeling that people like.

A Half Sleeve

Half sleeve tattoos are great because you can construct an entire narrative to complete it. There’s a lot to unpack in this design but it’s safe to say that the meaning is in the eye of the beholder. What we do know is that, this tattoo is packed full of detail. All the shading bring in a ton of depth.

Creepy Peepers

Forearm tattoos for women can be absolutely anything. We stumbled across these creepy eyes and felt the need to share as they are unlike any other designs on this list. This tattoo might actually be a small callback to the anime Naruto. The contrast of the black and red really makes this tattoo stand out when you’re out and about.

Run Like the Wind

This tattoo has been applied with the stick and poke method which means a tattoo gun was not used. Instead, the artist has used a single needle to create a super crisp, light, and airy tattoo that seems to dance on air. This tattoo seems to break apart and come together in a way that gives off great fantasy vibes.

Motherhood

“The natural state of motherhood is unselfishness,” the person who shared this image captioned it. Motherhood tattoos are a great fit for the forearm and this one feels intimate and tender. This bright red tattoo is almost like the blood connection shared between a mother and her child. The connection between the two is often extremely strong and incredibly resilient.

In the Garden

A red bloom with a garden snake wrapped around it certainly looks like something found in a Gothic Romance. This neo-traditional ink can inspire other floral designs that have a story to tell. Like we said earlier, snake designs are often incorporated into a lot of women’s tattoo designs. The fact that one shows up here just reinforces that fact.

A Cicada

If there’s one thing we know, it’s that cicadas are not *it.* But, by all means, march to the beat of your own drum. The image is softened and helped along by the inclusions of floral bits that flank either side of the bug. This tattoo is beautifully designed though, and the white highlights really give it that extra push.

Love Yourself

One of the most popular ideas conveyed in forearm tattoos for women is self-care. In this beautiful yet understated tattoo, we find a woman hugging herself which feels like a great idea. This tattoo is a gentle reminder that sometimes you just need to give yourself a hug, adn that’s okay, we all really need one sometimes. So go ahead.

Silent Movie

The face depicted in this forearm tattoo looks like a still from the silent movie era. The stippling-style shading is remarkable here and we’re a little bit jealous. There’s so much depth added here from just a few spots of extra shading.The vibe of this tattoo definitely gives of some slightly melancholic vibes. But we can definitely dig it.

A Swallow

Swallows are very popular forearm tattoos, especially in traditional tattooing. Swallow tattoos were a favorite among English sailors for hundreds of years. Today, we find this swallow improved in a more realistic style. Everything about this tattoo is stunning! You can see all the different tones in the birds feathers and on the flowers too. He looks ready to fly.

Delicate

Did this tattoo take your breath away? The softest lines paired with soft color bring this dreamy tattoo to life. The baby blue square that acts as a frame was a brilliant design choice that proves that thinking outside of the box is always a great idea. We love how this tattoo breaks is frame and makes it look surreal.

Be Koi

Koi fish are popular among forearm tattoos for women. It’s easy to see why! The warm colors really bring a lot to the arm and to the eye. The way the colors in this tattoo make it look like the scales are shining underwater is such an impressive technique. We  love the way this tattoo turned out. It’s extremely beautiful.

Third Eye

Speaking of the eye, we find a forearm tattoo that’s centered around one with lines that radiate out toward the elbow and wrist. What a bold and brilliant design that delivers a mood. This tattoo definitely seems to be playing off of some celestial themes reminenct of a solar eclipse. This design is packed full of detail and we love it.

For the Disney Lovers

Disney characters are popular forearm tattoos for women. We stumbled across several and one of our favorites was this Mickey Mouse tattoo that’s been done in the style of Beauty and the Beast. This tattoo is definitely packed full of nostalgia and we can’t say that we wouldn’t do the same. This tattoo obviously means a lot to her.

Eucalyptus Meets FLW

“Frank Lloyd Wright’s Dana House library window,” is the inspiration for the decorative element of this exceptional tattoo. It’s paired with some eucalyptus leaves for good measure.  We love how the top part of the tattoo can almost be used as  a way to represent the roots of the eucalyptus plant. We can absolutely see ourselves getting this tattoo someday.

The Cheshire Cat

We told you Disney characters show up on these forearm tattoos for women often. Here’s the Cheshire Cat from Disney’s Alice in Wonderland. Meow! He’s always been a fan favorite and this tattoo features him against a backdrop of his signature colors.This tattoo is super well done with clean lines, and a certain feeling of playfulness that works well.

Boop-Oop-a-Doop

We’ve seen a lot of pop culture forearm tattoos for women so why stop now? How fun is this Betty Boop portrait? It’s done in a simple, black ink just like the cartoon which reads as bold and striking. This tattoo is one of the more simple ones but that doesn’t mean it’s not a great design. Classics always works.

Black Bird

How about a big black crane up your arm? This is one of the most dramatic forearm tattoos for women on the list and it’s easy to understand why this one was such a hit on social media.It’s beautiful. If you want to get dark and moody with your tattoo, something similar could be the perfect option for you. 

One Cool Kid

How fun is this cherub tattoo? We love the addition of sunglasses which make the design read as very current. Fine, clean lines transform an otherwise simple tattoo into an elevated design that looks oh, so crisp. We love how cool this little guy looks, and we’d definitely be down to get something similar. How do you feel about it?

A Piece of Home

This tattoo comes from the great state of Tennessee. As you can see, it’s an outline of the state that’s used as a border to frame the farm scene inside. Done in just black and grey, the artist has managed to squeeze a lot of detail into such a small amount of space.. The use of negative space is amazing!

Best Friends

How about matching forearm tattoos for women? These playful octopus tattoos look fantastic as they have been tattooed with dots to give a ghostly, ethereal look to the sea creature. Your mind fills in the gaps of whats missing and you just fill in what isn’t there.  We could definitely see ourselves getting a tattoo similar to this. Could you?

Cute Bun with a Camera

Isn’t this rabbit tattoo just as pretty as a picture? The character is paired with a camera and some flowers to help build the narrative of this design. Turn to the cute creatures of this world to inspire your forearm tattoos for women and you won’t regret it. This tattoo is a combination of things that make up their personality.

Tickle the Keys

Do you have a favorite instrument? Let it inspire your forearm tattoo. We love the way these keys almost look like steps, each one is slightly higher than the next. It reads as upward movement and optimistic. The addition of the white ink to add highlights on the black keys is a  great way to add depth to the tattoo.

A Love Letter to a Deer

What a magnificent piece! The deer itself looks so handsome with shading that gives the fur a wonderful, lifelike texture. Flowers, berries, and bees round out the design and help to balance the upper portion of the tattoo that shows the deer’s rack. This tattoo has a really beautiful design and the coloring is really subtle and very well done.

It’s Time for Tea

In one of the most sophisticated forearm tattoos for women, we find a vintage teacup translated into ink. Take a close look at all of the teeny-tiny lines used to complete the patterning and texture of the cup and saucer. It never hurts to throw in some flowers. We love how the smoke effect is achieved to make it translucent.

Making the Cut

Some forearm tattoos for women are a cut above the rest. How about these very sharply tattooed scissors. This tattoo look even more realistic than the one we showed earlier. The artist did a very cool shading job on these that makes them look like pop art. We love the artist’s creative use of negative space What a fun design! 

A Branch from the Rowan Tree

Choosing a design that naturally has colors that pop and contrast one another is a wise choice. This absolute stunner is of a rowan tree branch that has lush, green leaves and vividly red berries. A kiss of white from the blossoms helps round things out for a completely gorgeous and balanced design. These berries are absolute a good choice.

Baby Dragon

Wow! We find a little dragon sailing to the moon in this whimsical and delicate design. It’s a modest size and much smaller than many other forearm tattoos for women on this list. You can still make a big impact with a design that’s on the smaller side. This tattoo is perfect for those who prefer those cool fantasy vibes.

Picture Perfect

How about these cute, micro forearm tattoos for women? We love each one of these little cameras. Thin lines and black ink are all it took to bring these micro gadgets to life. We can only guess that this tattoo belongs to someone with a deep love of cameras and photography, and we’re glad they found their perfect tattoo.Bravo!

Delicate Ornamentation

The person who shared this image described the concept as “The Rising Woman.” The abstract ornamentation looks so fine with tiny lines that are razor-thin. If you’re thinking of getting some sort of moon design, you could request something similar from an artist with a unique point of view. This tattoo is extremely minimal, but there’s still beauty in simplicity.

Let’s Gogh!

Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night and Cafe Terrace at Night have been translated into tattoos. What magical little masterpieces that are a nod to the great Post-Impressionist painter. Turning these two pictures into a connected scene was a nice choice. Turn to cherished works of art and your forearm tattoos for women will look timeless and evocative. It’s amazing!

RELATED: 25 Strong Forearm Tattoos That Are a Flex

A Remarkable Branch of a Rowan Tree

Rowan trees were thought to have supernatural powers to ward off witches in old Scottish lore. We’re pretty sure this tattoo of a rowan branch and berries is casting its own spell, and even if this tattoo is warding off old scottish witches, we could see ourselves getting a tattoo like this one. The question is, would you get it?

Vase Meets Chrysanthemum

A mini-trend that’s been quietly showing up on Instagram in recent years can be found in vase tattoos. For whatever reason, adding a vase to floral designs helps anchor the overall tattoo and allows for even more decorative elements. There’s so much that you can do when you add some extra elements like the vase. What would you add here?

There you go! What did you think of these forearm tattoos for women? We hope you feel inspired by these incredible designs and will work with a tattoo artist to create your own original piece. The forearm is such a popular tattoo location because it is one of the least painful parts of your skin to get tattooed and it looks great. So, what are you waiting for? Time to get some ink!