InkCraftElbow Tattoo Ideas for Women Around the Point
20 women's elbow tattoos photographed on skin for InkCraftBy Uladzimir TumanauUpdated
On a slim arm the point of the elbow stands out more, and on many women the forearm angles further outward when the arm is straight. Both change how an elbow tattoo sits. These elbow tattoos for women are shown on skin, with notes on scale, that angle and hems.
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork koi fish tattoo on a woman's elbow
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework angel tattoo on a woman's elbow
- Japanese · colourTry it on — Color Japanese peony tattoo on a woman's elbow
- neo traditional · colourTry it on — Color neo traditional koi fish tattoo on a woman's elbow
- Japanese · colourTry it on — Color Japanese tattoo on a woman's elbow
- neo traditional · colourTry it on — Color neo traditional skull tattoo on a woman's elbow
- neo traditional · colourTry it on — Color neo traditional snake rose tattoo on a woman's elbow
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork eye tattoo on a woman's elbow
- neo traditional · colourTry it on — Color neo traditional tattoo on a woman's elbow
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework bird tattoo on a woman's elbow
- geometric · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white geometric tattoo on a woman's elbow
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental lion tattoo on a woman's elbow
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework skull tattoo on a woman's elbow
- neo traditional · colourTry it on — Color neo traditional butterfly tattoo on a woman's elbow
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork frog tattoo on a woman's elbow
- illustrative · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey illustrative wolf tree tattoo on a woman's elbow
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental tattoo on a woman's elbow
- traditional · colourTry it on — Color traditional lotus tattoo on a woman's elbow
- new school · colourTry it on — Color new school tattoo on a woman's elbow
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork ornament tattoo on a woman's elbow
Every pair is one tattoo: the design as it was drawn, and a photograph of that same design on the body.
These 20 tattoos on women's elbows, in numbers
- Body parts
- 1
- Black and grey
- 11
- Colour
- 9
- Most common style
- neo-traditional
The carrying angle and a slimmer joint
Straighten your arm with the palm forward and the forearm does not continue in line with the upper arm; it angles outward. That carrying angle is typically wider in women than in men, and it matters for anything that crosses the elbow. A line drawn straight from bicep to forearm will look kinked at the joint, so a piece that connects upward or downward needs its axis bent to follow your arm rather than a ruler.
The joint itself is smaller, and on a lean arm the bony point sits close under the skin. A radial design scaled to a slim elbow has less room for rings of detail, so fewer, bolder rings read better than many fine ones. If your elbows hyperextend, a common trait, the skin over the point bunches more when the arm is straight; check the stencil fully straight as well as bent.
Elbow-length sleeves and a joint that ages early
Elbow-length sleeves end almost exactly on the joint, so a piece here is framed by the hem in some outfits and cut by it in others. Short sleeves and sleeveless tops show all of it. It is also seen from behind far more than from the front: people standing beside or behind you see your elbows more often than you do.
The skin over the elbow is among the first on the arm to wrinkle and loosen, well before the forearm. Radial work copes because it already expects the skin to bunch and stretch; lettering and long straight lines do not. The elbow page covers healing and pain.
Common questions
- Does the carrying angle of the elbow change how a design sits?
- It does for anything that crosses the joint. Because the forearm angles outward when the arm is straight, a design drawn on a straight axis looks bent on the body. An artist can draw the axis to follow your arm, which is far easier to judge with the stencil on than on paper.
- Is a slim elbow too small for a detailed design?
- Too small for a lot of detail, not too small for a good design. Keep the rings and elements few, leave space between them, and let the design spread past the point onto the softer skin around it. That gives each part room as the joint bends.
- Will elbow-length sleeves cover an elbow piece?
- They land on it rather than over it, so the hem usually cuts across the design. To cover it at work you need sleeves reaching at least to mid-forearm. It is safest to treat an elbow tattoo as visible whenever your forearms are.
- Which elbow tattoo designs suit a slim arm?
- Ones with a clear centre and a few bold rings. A peony or a mandala in ornamental dotwork opens out from the point; a neo-traditional skull, eye or koi can sit with its centre on the joint and its outline reaching past it. Linework and blackwork keep small pieces legible as the skin bunches. The soft inner elbow is best left to a simple mark, if anything.
See it on your own skin first
InkCraft places a design on a photo of you — scaled, wrapped and shaded to the spot you pick, so you can judge the size against your own body before it is permanent.