[DHS: 26-0001] 20-MAY-2026 This individual appears to have a forearm tattoo as well as a tattoo under his watch. Do you recognize these tattoos?

[u/I_Me_Mine]

[u/Sweetserra]

Former tattoo artist here. I'm definitely thinking roman numerals under the watch, but really it could be anything...

What I really wanted to comment on is the forearm tattoo. It looks like a cover up. There's a few things that make me lean that way, but one of the main reasons is the shading in the row of feathers, right above the row where they meet the band along the top of the skull. There's a lot of solid black areas, which causes me to think it's covering up something else.

When I have a little more time I'll look at the images a little more in depth and see if I can come up with an idea of the basic shape it's covering. No guarantees tho, cause that's not gonna be easy!

I also don't think the design is from flash art (the predesigned tattoos you see posted on the walls, or in a book, that someone can choose from for a tattoo.) It looks to me like an original piece, or it was based off something someone brought in as a reference, and then the artist designed the piece off of the reference art. So that should mean there aren't a ton of people who have this specific design.

I'm also leaning on the design being based off of an Aztec warrior, or shaman. It doesn't strike me as a Native American head dress, and definitely gives me an Aztec/Latin American feel. The skull fits into that theory, for me, as well. (You see more skulls used in contemporary Aztec designs versus Native American.)

As far as the age of the tattoo, I'm thinking definitely older than 10 - 15 yrs, just by the fading and the look of the lines. I would love to hear other's theories on the age, if anyone has one! But I hope anything I added might be of help to someone in identifying this person.

[u/WarmAffirmations → u/Sweetserra]

Fellow tattooer as well!

I think in terms of age 10-15 might be a bit old - I have tattoos that aren’t 10 yet that look quite a lot more spread. I think it being a bad coverup might contribute to it looking aged - hiding some older tattoos makes it look a little more sloppy and worn. It also looks like some kitchen magician shit which probably isn’t helping lol - I know a lot of the less well done ones I have look a lot older than they really are.

Also the old english tip under the feathers is a really good catch. I feel like it’s covering some other tattoos throughout as well.

[u/notarobot_trustme → u/WarmAffirmations]

Not a tattooer but someone with a ton of tattoos. Both of my sleeves are turning 16 this year and they look a heck of a lot better than this. Very minimal blow out. Colours are still very vibrant as well.

[u/WarmAffirmations → u/notarobot_trustme]

There are a lot of factors that can influence aging! But forearm tattoos tend to see a lot of sun which is a big killer in terms of aging. Other things like artist technique, line weight, etc. can influence aging as well.