Blackwork Anchor Cross Forearm Tattoo

A blackwork anchor shaped like a pointed cross, with a looped ring and twisted rope around its vertical stem, placed on the inner forearm.

Style: Blackwork
Placement: Arm, Forearm
Motif: Christian
Good for: First tattoo
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An AI-generated concept, reviewed by our team before publishing. How we review designs

About this design

What the design shows

A tall anchor forms the body of a cross. Its upright shank ends in a pointed cross-shaped top, and a short horizontal bar creates the familiar cross arms. Behind the top sits a small circular anchor ring. A thick twisted rope wraps around the stem in two visible coils, then disappears behind the lower section. The anchor arms curve out from the base into two wide flukes with sharp inward points, creating a broad dark silhouette below the cross. Fine hatch marks shade the inner curves of the flukes and the pointed ends of the cross. The composition is black and grey only, with white spaces left in the rope twists and center stem. In the preview it sits upright on the inner forearm, about palm length, ring toward the elbow and flukes pointing toward the wrist.

In this design

anchor cross
circular anchor ring
twisted rope coils
curved anchor arms
pointed flukes
shaded vertical shank

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Placement

Placement and size

The reference places it vertically on the inner forearm, with the ring uppermost and the anchor flukes near the wrist. Its long centered form also fits the calf, upper arm, shoulder blade, or outer thigh. Keep it palm length so the rope coils and pointed flukes stay distinct. On a smaller stencil, reduce the rope turns before narrowing the anchor arms. Keep the cross bar level across the limb.

Patchwork

Building it into a patchwork

The design has medium blackwork weight: the broad flukes occupy the lower half while the slim cross gives it a vertical spine. It can connect a forearm cluster between a small star above and a wave or rope accent below. Leave skin around the fluke tips so they do not merge with neighboring dark pieces. A small compass or swallow can sit to one side, but avoid placing another cross directly beside it.

Small pieces that pair with it

A tiny compass star above the anchor ring
A short wave curl under one fluke
Three black dots beside the rope coil

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On skin

More arm tattoos on skin

Other reviewed designs previewed on the same body area, to compare size and placement.

For your artist

Notes for your tattoo artist

01Keep the rope visibly in front of the shank.
02Match the two fluke tips across the centerline.
03Retain white gaps inside every rope twist.
04Center the cross bar before transfer

Made and reviewed

How this design was made

Design: Generated with AI image tools under our direction, then reviewed by the Patchwork Tattoos team: a readable outline, the same design in the clean and on-skin views, and a reviewed Builder piece.
Page notes: Written from the clean design and the on-skin preview of this exact design, then checked against both pictures.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-03
Your tattoo: A concept for planning. Your artist will redraw it for your skin, placement and size, so the finished tattoo will differ from the image.
License: Free to download and use as the reference for your own tattoo and to share with your artist. Selling the file or republishing it in a collection is not allowed.

How we review designs Read the design license

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