Getting Sleeved: Full Sleeve Tattoos How To

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!

What Is A Sleeve Tattoo? So if you are wondering what I am talking about it is a large arm tattoo. Sleeve just comes from the shirt sleeves that typically cover our arms and a sleeve tattoo is a full tattoo design that frequently covers up the whole arm in the tattoo design. You can get a variety of different lengths which will mean different amounts of the arms will be covered. For example a half sleeve tattoo is typically from the should down to the elbow or forearm area. A full sleeve then is all the way down to the wrist with the tattoo design.

The Two Paths Of A Sleeve Tattoo There are really many different ways to go about getting a sleeve tattoo. However, most of the ways fall into two common categories or steps for getting the work done. The first way is through individual tattoos and the second way is through one complete project. Which one you choose to have done will really be up to you and what you like. Also you will have to take into consideration any existing tattoos you already have in the area.

The Individual Tattoos Path: This is the path where an individual gets a bunch of individual tattoos over time. These are all tattoos on their arm but most often in a variety of places. For example one might get a big dragon on their shoulder in one sitting and then a few months or year later get some flames going up their forearm. Eventually the individual decides why not connect all for the individual tattoos into one design and they go about connecting them for a unified full sleeve tattoo.

One Project Method: Another way in which people will go about getting a sleeve tattoo design is to design the whole tattoo at one time. This is not done by connecting up individual designs but instead starts with a blank slate and the design is unified and created at one time. This can make for a wonderful looking sleeve tattoo that is very unified and well put together.

Sleeve Tattoo Inspiration Ideas and Designs: Once you have chosen the method for getting your tattoo done then it is time to think about what design and tattoo you want for your full sleeve. This can be a hard and sometimes frustrating process. However, if you learn to enjoy the journey along the way the process will flow much more smoothly. Take your time in getting a full sleeve tattoo since this is a big commitment and something that you will live with for the rest of your life. Therefore you don’t want to rush into anything. Instead take some time and think about what tattoo designs inspire you and what themes speak to you. Look at a lot of other pictures, flash and tattoo designs other people have done for their full sleeves. You don’t want to just flat out copy but rather gather ideas and resources from other people’s inspiration and then see if their is a unifying theme that you can use in your tattoo. Speak with a professional tattoo artist about doing a custom design and let him know the things you like and don’t like and see what he or she can come up with.

What Is Popular? Of course your tattoo design will be something that you live with for the rest of your life and you do not want to decide or choose a design just because it is popular. However below there are some ideas of common full sleeve tattoos. Look through and see if any spark an interest for you.

Flame Tattoo Sleeve – Flames are a great tattoo design that looks wonderful on the arm and as part of a overall sleeve tattoo. Very frequently these flames will start off down at the wrist and then burn their way up the arm. Towards the end of the flames other elements can be incorporated into the design.

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.

If after reading all of the above you are still excited to get a full or half sleeve tattoo then by all means go for it. They can make a wonderfully bold statement and a wonderful piece of body art. Just make sure you spend some time before getting started researching the design and the artist you want to work with. These are the two most crucial elements to getting a wonderful sleeve tattoo.

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