100+ Creative Forearm Tattoo For Men and Women – Designs & Meanings (2020)

The forearm is one of the most popular spots to get a tattoo. It is a part that is generally favored by men. Most of the time, it is quite visible. Thus, a person who has a tattoo on their forearm is pretty bold. The forearm tattoo has a rich history.

In the nation of Borneo, women tattooed their forearms with symbols that indicated their specific skills or trade. If her symbol was that of a weaver, she became more attractive to men who were seeking wives.

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In Rome, slaves were tattooed on their forearms with the symbols of their masters. Kayan women also had forearm tattoos. These were for decoration and they resembled a lace glove. Polynesian people also tattooed their forearms.

The tattoos indicated their tribe, family, community and rank.

From the year 1691, sailors in the West began to wear tattoos on their forearms. Characters in their tattoos were often anchors, sharks and such images. The forearm tattoos increased in popularity over the years and are still popular today.

Meaning

The meaning of a forearm tattoo depends on the image in the tattoo and the society in which one lives. For example, in the year 1700, Japanese men got tattoos that covered their forearms and much of the rest of their body.

This is because according to the laws, only the royal family could wear colorful clothing. As such, the rest of the people took to getting colorful tattoos and they considered them clothing.

Thus, a man wearing only a loincloth but who has tattoos covering their forearms and the rest of their body was considered well dressed. Famous British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill had a tattoo of an anchor on his forearm.

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The tattoo meant that he was Britain’s anchor through the World Wars. In his capacity as Prime Minister, he kept the country firm so it could not be swept away by Hitler and his Nazi forces.

Thus, the meaning of a forearm tattoo is often personal and depends on the image and the times in which a person lives. There are many types of forearm tattoos. Read on to discover them.

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Typical Designs

• Geometric forearm tattoos

Geometric shapes have intrigued people for many years. Mathematicians and physicists adore them. You can have some of these shapes tattooed around your forearm. This is a tattoo type that is unisex. This means that it can be worn by men and women too.

You can have triangles, zigzag lines, concentric lines and even diamonds tattooed in bands around your forearm.

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These shapes can be separated by thick lines. Thus, when the piece is done, it looks like you are wearing a sleeve on your forearm. This type of tattoo is best done in solid, black color.

The advantage of having a geometric forearm tattoo is that you have the freedom to have any shapes drawn on you.

They may make mathematical sense or it may just be shapes that you like. You can even combine shapes to come up with your own artistic expression of a forearm tattoo.

• A portrait tattoo

The arm is a very visible part of the body. As such, it is perfect for a portrait. You can have a portrait of a loved one, your role model or a character from the movies who you adore. Moreover, this type of forearm tattoo can be done in color or black and grey.

The portrait is guaranteed to draw admiration from the people you meet. This is a unisex type of tattoo. Girls and guys can have portraits drawn on their forearms. In addition to people, you can have portraits of your favorite animals or cartoon characters too.

To look amazing, the portrait is drawn in a style called realism. This is where shadow and contrast are added to the tattoo. As a result, it looks so real that one is tempted to touch it and feel the face drawn on the arm. A portrait tattoo is a great type to draw on your forearm.

• An anchor tattoo

Anchors are used to keep ships from floating away in the ocean. They allow it to maintain its location at a specific spot. As such, anchor tattoos are a popular choice of forearm tattoos. They are mostly worn by guys. Thus, they are a masculine type of tattoo.

The anchor can span the entire length of the forearm. It can also occupy the upper part near the elbow. You can have the anchor drawn on the inner part of the forearm or the outer part.

This type of tattoo is often done in black or black and grey coloring styles. However, you can also have it done in color. The anchor can be drawn as a simple symbol or have detail in it. Moreover, you can include a rope tied to the anchor or leave it on its own.

This type of tattoo indicates that the person wearing it is sure about where they want to be in life. They are safely attached to their ambitions or objectives in life. Women seeking husbands are attracted to men wearing this type of tattoo. This is because it indicates stability.

• A map tattoo

This is a unique type of forearm tattoo. Moreover, it has a great capacity for creativity. The map forearm tattoo is a great choice for a person who enjoys traveling. Moreover, it can have some form of mystery to it too for example; it can have a large X on it.

This indicates that it is a treasure map. You can have a map of any location that you want drawn on your forearm. It can be your home location, country to continent. Some people have the map of the world tattooed on their forearms.

This means that they are globetrotters and they visit many countries all over the globe. It is a unisex type of tattoo.

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Moreover, it can be done in black and grey or in color. In addition to that, it can have vivid details or feature only the outlines of the countries or locations drawn in the map. Some people include a compass on this map.

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This is to show that they have something that guides them on their travels all over the map. These are some of the best forearm tattoos that one can get today.