Study other tribal tattoos to get ideas of the possibilities. If you see someone with a tribal tattoo you particularly like, ask to take a photograph or make a sketch of it. Look at websites and books that feature images of tribal tattoo designs.
Ask a friend to make an outline of the part of your body where you want your tribal tattoo on a piece of paper. This will give you the size of your tribal design.
Make a light pencil sketch inside the outline. Focus on where the points on the design will be located. Leave space between the design elements to keep the lines of your tattoo sharp and keep them from bleeding together.
Refine your design with heavier pencil outlines. Trace over the final pencil lines with a fine-point black pen and erase the pencil after the ink has dried.
Fill in your tribal design with black ink or paint.