Getting Sleeved: Full Sleeve Tattoos How To
April 26, 2008
Have you wondered what a full sleeve or half sleeve tattoo is? Maybe you have heard about them or even want one but you are not sure exactly what they are, how to go about getting one, nor ow much they are going to cost. Well, get ready to learn all of the above and a lot more. Full sleeve, half sleeve and even quarter sleeve tattoos are very hot and in right now. They have become a very popular spot for tattoos in both men and women. There are many women today that sport full sleeve tattoos and love them greatly!
So let’s get started and down to the basic level to explain all of this. First of all you are probably wondering what the heck a sleeve tattoo is anyway. A sleeve tattoo is a any tattoo design that full covers an area of the arm. For example a full sleeve tattoo is like wearing a long sleeve shirt. It is a tattoo or group of tattoos that full cover the skin from the shoulder down to the wrist. A half sleeve covers the area from the shoulder down to the top of the forearm and a quarter sleeve covers the area of the upper arm.
The two most common way that people end up getting sleeve tattoos are either by individual designs or as one large design. The individual design route usually works for people that have already gotten a few smaller tattoos on their arms and later they decide to connect them all together into one large design. The second way is to start out with a blank slate and completely do the design at one time.
Connecting Tattoos: One way to end up with a sleeve tattoo is to take already existing tattoos that are on the arm and somehow find a unifying theme to connect them together. For example one might have a horseshoe tattoo for good luck on their bicep and want to connect this and extend the design down their arm. So they might decide on some flames and a pair of lucky dice to go with the horseshoe.
Complete Project: Another method that is pretty easy to understand and exactly as the title states is done by getting one complete tattoo design for the entire sleeve. Instead of connecting individual random tattoos the person starts with a blank slate and designs the entire sleeve at one time. This can make for a beautiful and unified looking tattoo and is often a nice way to go.
Tattoo Inspiration, Designs and Ideas: Choosing the perfect design for your sleeve tattoo can be a long and sometimes painful or frustrating process. It can be had to find a pre-made flash design that is exactly what you are looking for. It is therefore often better for people that want to get a sleeve tattoo to work with a competent tattoo artist and get a custom design done. Take your time with this process and don’t try to rush it or be in a hurry to get the work finished. Once it is done you will have the design for the rest of your life and you want it to be something you are proud of and satisfied with. Therefore take your time and look at existing ideas, designs and photos. From every source you look at try and find the things you like and the things you don’t like. This should help clarify the elements you want in the design. Then you can work with a professional and competent tattoo artist to come up with a custom full sleeve tattoo design.
Popular Sleeve Tattoo Designs: Of course your tattoo needs to be individual and unique to you so these are just some suggestions of ideas that have been done often and make great full sleeve tattoo designs.
Sleeve Tattoo Designs: Flames - Flames are a very popular item or design idea for people getting full sleeve tattoos. These designs work great and look awesome if they start down at the wrist and the flames go up towards the shoulder. One can then add in other tattoos as the flames spread upwards.
Tribal Sleeve Tattoo - Tribal designs work well and really lend themselves to sleeve tattoos. They are often comprised of strong and bold black lines that will stand out very well on the arm and make a big bold statement. They are not overly delicate or too intricate and therefore will look better over time. You do not have to get stuck with the standard almost over done tribal tattoo either. There are tribal tattoo designs from many of the ancient cultures including Hawaiian, Maori, Samoan and Pacific Islander just to name a few. So be creative and find a patten that you really like.
Tattoo Sleeve Ideas: Celtic - Another way to go and one that is very popular is to integrated a Celtic tattoo design into the sleeve. Just think about Anthony Kiedis from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. He has a pair of wonderful Celtic forearm tattoos that could easily be extended into a full sleeve. There are step patterns, spirals, human and animal along with the classic knot work designs. These again make use of bold black lines of ink which can be intricate and bold at the same time.
Floral Patterns - Floral patterns also make great sleeve tattoo designs. The vines, buds, and flowers can easily be intertwined up and throughout the arm. These are great for women and also very popular among men.
Time, Cost and Commitment If you are thinking about getting a full sleeve tattoo then you should be prepared ahead of time. This is typically a big project that will cost a good deal of money and time. Prices and times will vary greatly depending on the design chosen for the tattoo and the shop. However a good guide is they take around 20 hours of work to get done and can cost between 1,000 to 2,000 dollars. The popularity of the shop and artist will change the price a good deal as will the amount of business they currently have. So shop around and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Find a tattoo artist you are comfortable with.
While the time, commitment and choosing the perfect design can all be a challenge if you are really dead set on getting a full or half sleeve tattoo then go for it. Just learn that it will take time and there is no use in rushing things along. Especially take your time to choose a design that you are happy with and you will end up with a wonderful piece of body art.
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