When considering a forearm tattoo, you have two choices. The top of the forearm—where every wandering eye can catch a glance—or the underside of the forearm which gets a lot less sun and is a little easier to conceal should you feel the need. While topside tats were once overwhelmingly straight-out-of-boot-camp (not that there’s anything wrong with that), they now enjoy a broader acceptance but still aren’t nearly as common as their lowly counterparts.
Many will argue that the forearm is the best place for a tattoo. Why is this you ask? Because it’s right there, front and center, conveniently ready for viewing whenever the mood should strike. After all, tattoos should be for your own pleasure, not the pleasure of others.
While most of the forearm tattoos below could be considered unisex in nature, we’ve dubbed this list for men due to the lack of floral and other feminine designs. Here are 40 plus forearm tattoos every man will appreciate.
This mesmerizing sun.
It’s hard to look at this eye-catching design without cracking a small smile of appreciation. We’ve seen our fair share of sun tattoos but nothing quite compares to this wonderful work of art. (Photo: Parvick)
These cool designs.
This sketch style band.
This geometric design.
This surreal solider.
This piece was done as a tribute to the subjects grandfather who presumably served in the armed forces during World War II. (Photo: Matteo Nangeroni)
This vintage hot rod.
This optical illusion.
This man with a hat.
Here we have an amazing example of one of David Cote’s signature surrealism works. (Photo: David Cote)
This honeycomb half sleeve.
Flawless honeycomb cells make up this uniform half sleeve design. The repetitive hexagon pattern looks similar to the scales of a snake. (Photo: Alvaro Flores)
This dime.
Here we have a US dime circa 1975. (Photo: Rob)
This horse emerging from a diamond-shaped portal.
If you enjoyed this work, be sure to check out Resul’s portfolio for more designs in this style. (Photo: Resul Odabas)
This telemetry-inspired forearm tattoo.
These stunning blackwork lions.
A mother lion and her cub in stunning profile. The swirling dotwork patterns of Russian-based tattooist Parvick are in a class of their own. (Photo: Parvick)
This amazing all-seeing eye.
This dotwork eye has a unique illustrated appearance to it. (Photo: Otheser)
This sketch-style anchor.
One of the most stylish blackwork anchors you’ll ever see. Inez’s slick sketch-style method is as unique as it is beautiful. (Photo: Inez Janiak)
