Sleeve Tattoo Designs
Ink Your Arms In Style With Sexy Sleeve Tattoo Designs
Sleeve tattoo designs can intimidate a newcomer to the world of body ink, simply because they cover a much greater area than a more traditional armband tattoo. The name implies it, but to be clear, a sleeve tattoo covers the entire upper arm (or sometimes thigh) with almost no skin showing through.
Because of the sheer amount of ink involved, sleeve tattoos tend toward the intricate and complex. Often, several different elements overlap, commingle, and interplay, forming a whole sleeve out of many semi-independent parts. Arm sleeves are by far the most common, but leg sleeves are showing up more and more among younger ladies.
Popular Sleeve Tattoo Designs
Japanese culture aficionados frequently go for the pseudo-Yakuza style full-sleeve tattoos The most common motifs are sakura (cherry blossoms), koi (fish), oni (demon) masks, tora (tigers) and of course kanji (script). Of course, going for more than a sleeve tattoo design with these images can result in getting banned from some places in Japan, so be careful!
Celtic sleeve tats often feature Celtic knots (no surprise), but clever designers can work surprising images into the knots -- like macramé in ink. Knot animals, knot weapons, and knot scenery have all been crafted by aspiring designers, and a sleeve tattoo is the perfect place for such work.
Tribal tattoos are becoming so popular that many people have asked for full-sleeve tattoo designs in the tribal style, covering their shoulder and biceps with overt black spikes. For a more feminine look, try for more slender lines and changing the color to a dark blue or green.
Speaking of feminine sleeve tats, plant life -- particularly interwoven vines with flowers (hibiscus seems surprisingly popular) and wildlife (butterflies mostly) -- has become a startlingly popular theme in recent years. One reason is that the blossoms and wings are key in making space in your design for bright, vibrant colors.
Considerations
Sleeve tattoos are not something to jump into lightly. When you ask for a sleeve tattoo, you are committing yourself to several visits to the tattoo parlor over several days. Don't rush your artist, or you'll end up with varying ink quality and depth of color on different parts of your tattoo. That said, sleeve tattoo designs are among the most versatile and least commonplace designs that can still be easily hidden when the need arises.
Got a kickass sleeve tattoo design you'd like us to know about?
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