How to Get a Sleeve Tattoo

 Everyone is going to have a sleeve. That’s the mindset I usually start your tattoo with. Whether you’re planning to from the start or whether I’m forward thinking is really just how it starts. Tattoos thankfully have remained popular which means you’re likely to get more, and there’s only so much real estate to work with. Your arms are the most visible spot, both to yourself and others so it’s the most common spot to get tattooed. So how do you get a sleeve?

Step 1: GET A TATTOO

Obviously this may be moot to some but if you’re planning a sleeve and haven’t picked a theme or any ideas just get started! Often a blank canvas is the most daunting because you’re seeing it as a whole rather than many parts. Just get a tattoo that you like. Many sleeves don’t have themes and are simply built up of things that person wants or likes. As long as you like it that’s what’s important. There’s no rule about having a theme or everything “matching” unless you want it to.

Step 1: PICK A THEME

Looking at a finished sleeve that has a cohesive theme through it can be very aesthetic. Whether that theme is simply the style of the tattoo (Japanese, neotraditional, black and grey realism etc) is immaterial - it’s the fact that it’s uniform that is key. 

I will never forget a few years ago a client asking for a sleeve as his first tattoo. Told me it would be his first, last and only as a memorial piece for his dog. He knew what style he wanted, researched the themes and meanings, and meticulously gave me all the info to put it together. Now technically, you don’t have to be that fastidious is you don’t want to be. If you know that red flowers mean X or you don’t care and happen to think roses are pretty then it doesn’t matter to anyone but you. 

Picking a style or theme is a good way to get started if you’re working with a fully blank canvas. 

Step 1: WORK WITH WHAT YOU’VE GOT



What if you already have tattoos and nothing matches? Well this in no way means you can’t get a sleeve. Simply keep going. You picked those tattoos for a reason and you don’t have to have that sleeve overnight. Simply keep finding tattoos you like and decide if you like them next to the ones you already have. If you don’t like what you’ve got then start with covering those. You’ll need space for the cover up so you’re not limited, and it may help you get a direction for the rest of the sleeve. Not all designs work for cover ups so this could also limit or change your direction. 

Step 1: GET IT TOGETHER

Still not sure where to start? Get your ideas together and throw them at me. Sometimes if you’re not a visual person getting everything cohesive or figuring out where you want to piece it is hard. That’s my job. I can tell you where things will fit best or if you should drop them from the idea entirely. Get all your reference together and reach out. Or if you want a piece but already are running out of room message me and we’ll work out where the puzzle piece fits together. 



Step 2: Keep going

This is honestly the hardest part of a sleeve. Treat it like a bill or payment if you can’t then start buying gift cards and treating it like a layaway until you’re ready. For a sleeve to happen takes time. You need to heal between sessions and even if you’re regularly adding to it you may only be able to commit so much financially. Set yourself a reasonable budget that you can regularly commit so that your sleeve continues to progress. 

One of the most frustrating things is starting a project and then not seeing it again for years. By this point you’ve gotten some sun, some tattoos have aged out and nothing matches. I’ve had someone try and finish a back piece after 10 years. My artwork has changed significantly in that time but also the tattoo has become a 10 years old tattoo that needed reworking. Realistically the entire thing needed to be gone over and refreshed but she was only looking to finish the blank area. It will never match. Waiting more than 6 months to a year to work on your sleeve simply means it will not match. You will always have areas that look older than others because your skin has aged. 

Step 3: TAKE CARE OF IT

Just like any investment a sleeve is going to cost you money. The average sleeve is going to range anywhere between $700 to thousands. Even if you’re not finished with your sleeve yet taking are of your skin means you’re less likely to see damage and aging. That lovely across the bicep tan line for example. Put sunscreen on every day. Make it a habit after you shower. EVERY. DAY. Seriously. Take care of yours skin and it will age better and so will that tattoo. You’re less likely to need a touchup or fix up in 10 years if it’s been out of the sun and your skin gets some lotion. I have clients in their 70s still working on sleeves and clients in their 50s being told I can’t touch their skin again because it’s become too fragile. 

Ready to get started? Shoot me your ideas and let’s have a consult! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How Does Affirm Work for body mods?

Image
 Everyone is feeling the pinch financially at the moment and with the holidays coming up credit card debt is soaring. We’re all “broke”. The body mods industry is a luxury which means most of us want stuff but frankly it’s just not in the budget right now. Instead of trying to figure out cleaning your credit cards we can actually help with that! Our studio offers Affirm payments. That’s right, you can actually put your tattoo, piercing, or jewelry on a payment plan!  What is Affirm? Affirm is not a credit card. In fact it was designed specifically to be different than credit cards. Unlike a traditional credit line or card you choose how much you want to borrow, how long you want to repay it, and there are no late fees or surprises! They also tell you exactly what you’ll be paying including the interest so you’re not stuck paying more and more over time as that accrues.  How much am I going to Pay in fees and interest? The simple answer is that depends. As Affirm is flexib...
Read more

Why are Tattoos so Expensive?

Image
Over the last 20 years I’ve seen the cost of tattoos change a lot. I remember the days of shop minimums being $20-40. The cost of tattooing itself has also changed. My first apprentice license cost me $50 and lasted 3 years. Now I have to pay the state over $300 every 2 years for mine. Times and costs have changed.  I know shops in town still charging $40 and I’ve also seen plenty of facebook scratchers charging $30 out of their house. So why do we charge so much to get tattooed in a shop? Paperwork The first thing you’re paying for is my license. That piece of state mandated paper requires me to have continued education, a state exam, and to maintain certain cleanliness standards or the state can fine me or even put me in jail. A license is a sign that someone is a professional and that they’re willing to uphold those standards and be held to them. You can check if your artist or piercer is licensed through DPOR board of Barbers and Cosmetology who regulates Virginia professionals...
Read more