What the heck is a sleeve tattoo and why would I care you ask yourself? Well, sleeve tattoo are hot and a lot of people are curious about them. For example not only what are they but how much do they cost, where can I get one? or How much time will it take to get a tattoo done. This article contains a ton of useful information to get your started with sleeve tattoos.
Well, you are probably wondering by now what is a sleeve tattoo anyway? It is basically any tattoo design that is done on a persons arm and it typically covers up completely the area. There are different types of sleeve tattoos for example a full sleeve tattoo, half sleeve tattoo and even a quarter sleeve tattoo. The difference between them is the overall length. Typically a full sleeve will cover the entire arm from the should down to the wrist. From there a half sleeve is from the elbow or upper lower arm and goes up to the shoulder. Then there is a quarter sleeve tattoo which primarily is done around the shoulder.
While there are many ways to go about getting a sleeve tattoo most people typically fall into one of two categories. First they might have started by getting individual tattoos on their arms and then later connect all of these together with some larger tattoo design. The second way is to get one large tattoo that covers the whole area. The style or type you chose will depend on the existing tattoos you already have in the area and what your goals are.
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.
The Complete Project Method: The complete project method is pretty much what the title says. This is done when a person decides before getting any other tattoos that they want a full arm or a full sleeve tattoo design. They want to get the whole thing done in one shot. They will typically then decide on the design that they want done and work with a tattoo artist to get a custom tattoo design drawn for them. The tattoo will take several sessions at the tattoo shop to get the whole thing done but the design was done as one piece. This lends itself to large designs and typically bigger art work as opposed to a lot of small tattoos connected together like int he other way.
Designs, Inspiration and Custom Work Once you have made the decision to get a full sleeve tattoo there is a good deal of work ahead of you before you start getting the ink done. You want to really take your time with this process and don’t get frustrated. You see finding the perfect design can be difficult and most often you will not find any pre-made flash that will fit exactly what you want. It is therefore advisable to instead take your time and really contemplate the tattoo design that you want to get. Think about things you like and what you want the tattoo to represent. Then look at pictures and ideas from other people’s tattoos. Find things you like and things you dislike about other people sleeve tattoos. Keep a journal or jot your ideas down some where. If you spend some time looking online you can easily find a ton of tattoo designs and pictures of other people’s tattoo to get an ideas of what you want.
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.
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.
Sleeve Tattoo Ideas: Tribals - Tribal tattoos typically make for a great sleeve tattoo. There bold lines and strong black ink make for a tattoo that really stands out. They can easily incorporate a lot of different ideas and even other tattoo designs. The world of tribal tattoos is very open and you don’t have to get stuck with the standard stuff you see out there. Many ancient aboriginal cultures such as the Maori elevated tattoo design to the finiest of arts. Many of these ancient cultures can offer a wide variety of very unique and interesting designs.
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.
Sleeve Tattoo Ideas: Floral Patterns - Flower tattoos can also make a great looking full sleeve tattoo. More typically used by women, but in no way only for women, flower or floral tattoos can offer a wonderful look and feel about them. They are often very delicate and can look almost tribal depending on the design. Flowers are also great design subjects because they offer a variety of symbolism behind them.
Cost and Time - Before you make the final decision on your full sleeve tattoo you should consider the amount of time and money it is going to take to complete the project. You don’t want to get half way done and run out of money so plan ahead. Typically a tattoo sleeve can take between 15 to 30 hours of time depending on the intricacy of the design and the ability of the tattoo artist. They typically run anywhere between $1,000 and $2,000. The price of course will really depend on the shop and the tattoo artist that you choose. So spend some time shopping around and even solicit a few recommendations from friends.
Once you know the amount of time, cost and commitment it will take on your part and you still really want to get a full sleeve tattoo then go for it. Spend some time planning the design carefully before getting started and make sure you choose a tattoo artist that you can communicate with and someone you feel listens to you.

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