Swallow tattoo: a facing pair, a swallow with a heart, a small flock

Nine swallow tattoo designs on white paper: two swallows flying toward each other, a swallow carrying a small heart in its beak, and a loose flock of five small swallows. The swallow is the old sailor's tattoo, worn for a journey and a safe return, often as a pair on the chest or the hands. Type a different bird or a twist, such as an anchor, and the same styles carry it.

• a pair of swallows for two people
• a journey or homecoming tattoo
• a flock for the collarbone
• a design sheet to show the artist

Frequently asked questions

What do the nine designs show?

Three swallow subjects drawn three ways: a facing pair, a swallow with a heart and a small flock, in traditional, fine line and blackwork.

Can I ask for a different bird or a twist?

Yes. The direction field takes any subject or twist, such as an anchor; a typed direction is a request, so the result may differ from the samples.

What is the difference between the three styles?

Traditional has bold black outlines, heavy shading and red, yellow and green fills; fine line is a single hairline with no shading; blackwork is solid black with fine white lines cut through it.

Are these photographs of tattoos on skin?

No. Each design is a line drawing on a plain white background, with no skin, arm or body in it.

About toile

This page is a showcase and a starting point: nine samples already rendered, three readings of the pack crossed with three styles, each shown at the size and ratio it was made for. Take any of them further on the wall with a few words, or ask for all nine again under your own direction; a sign-in keeps what you make, and it is free while Toile is new. The recipe behind each sample — the subject, the style, the palette, the framing — travels with the image rather than staying private to the render: it is in the alt text of every sample and in the page's own structured data, so a search engine reads the same handles a person would.