When it comes to tattoos, it all depends on their placement and designs. However, with regard to the sleeve tattoo, there are a lot of options and ideas. For instance, tribal tattoos, Japanese tattoos, flower tattoos, 3D tattoos, angel tattoos, and other designs. There are two types of sleeve tattoos. These are the half sleeve tattoos and the full sleeve tattoos. Half sleeve tattoos cover the half portion of the arm.
The tattoo will start from the shoulder and ends in the elbow. Whereas, full sleeve tattoos cover the entire portion of the arm. It will start from the shoulder and ends in the wrist. Sleeve tattoos are huge. This means that it will take several hours to finish a particular tattoo design. Likewise, it will depend upon the intricacy of the design as well as its shape.
Sleeve Tattoo Ideas for Inspiration
A biomechanical tattoo may appear that the arm is made of mechanical parts.
A one of a kind masterpiece.
Half sleeve tattoos for guys are the best types of tattoos. They include a lot of artwork making men look stylish.
Gone are the days when ladies wore dainty tattoos. These days, girls rock huge designs just as well as the boys.
Back then, sailors etched their bodies with nautical tattoos as an emblem of honor.
Top Sleeve Tattoos Ideas for Inspiration
Top sleeve tattoo designs are a popular choice for those who want to cover up their bodies with tattoo ink. These tattoos are excellent for both men and women. Most women also want to cover up their whole arm with unique tattoo designs such as flowers or any designs done in watercolor ink. Additionally, men prefer to have some extraordinary designs such as dragons, Japanese tattoos, tribal tattoos, and other cool designs. Here we gather the best sleeve tattoo designs for men and women. Inspiration is not far off with this comprehensive image compilation of sleeve tattoos for men and women.
Sleeve Tattoos Flowers
Colorful sleeve tattoo with flowers and skulls!
Sleeve arm tattoos are very prominent among women because, aside from looking sexy, they are very womanly too!
A remarkable full sleeve tattoo that is definitely an excellent work of art. A lady’s portrait, skulls, and chrysanthemums are a great combination.
Roses are very symbolic. They are considered as one of the most beautiful flowers.
Flowers have been used to represent beauty.
Roses and bird sleeve arm tattoo design with the saying “Always on my mind. Forever in my heart.”
Colorful flowers are a fantastic design for your arm sleeve tattoo.
Roses and skull in dark arm sleeve tattoo.
Portrait tattoos are common to both men and women.
It is a misconception that males do not get flower designs as sleeve tattoos.
A garden tattoo filled with flowers, butterfly and more.
Greek Themed Sleeve Arm Tattoos
One of the rarest sleeve arm tattoo designs is the pirate ship tattoo and it is favored by many people.
If you are a fan of Greek mythology then Greek god tattoos are for you. Which one should it be Zeus, Hades, Atlas, Poseidon, or Athena?
Greeks have been a great inspiration for art, sculpture, paintings, and recently in tattoo designs.
A warrior tattoo design depicts a degree of inner strength.
The warrior tattoo is an emblem of an individual’s heritage.
Eye Sleeve Arm Tattoo
People who have the third eye are basically capable of seeing the future or whatever is beyond the obvious.
A clock tattoo can also be used as a symbol of eternal love.
If you want to have a unique and interesting tattoo designed on your arm then you can try something as unique as an eye tattoo design.
Skull Sleeve Tattoos
Pirate tattoos come in a range of different symbols. For instance, eye patches, treasure, anchors and others.
A unique combination of two tattoos. A hunter tattoo and a skull tattoo.
The skull is a bit scary and grim yet likewise the center of all knowledge.
Heart Sleeve Arm Tattoos
A winged heart tattoo conveys love. These types of tattoos are used for showing your love, care, and affection for your loved ones.
Anatomical heart tattoos might not be appealing to people who want romantic heart tattoo designs.
Some tattoo enthusiasts have taken things to the extreme by getting anatomical heart sleeve tattoos.
Unique Arm Sleeve Tattoo Theme Ideas
Demonic tattoos are horrific and convey evilness.
An hourglass depicts life. It is regarded as ‘the sands of time’.
This tattoo is a depiction of a nightmare.
Day of the Dead tattoo represents the Mexican celebration of All Souls Day and Halloween.
This is an impressive architecture tattoo design of the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building. Moon tattoos symbolize the divine powers and purity of various cultures.
Dotwork tattoos are one of the most complicated styles.
Even though slavery is a tragic event in history, but that is what the art is for. To depict the different sides of reality.
An elegant realistic Indian girl portrait tattoo, wearing a unique headdress with feathers
Nothing can strike horror into your hearts like facing the Grim Reaper himself.
Buddha and Lotus tattoo represent purity.
Clock tattoos look so incredible on arms, shoulders, legs, and neck.
You can convey your love of harmony with a Tree of Life tattoo.
Tree tattoo designs are the symbol of life.
Buddhist tattoos are very significant for the wearers. It represents interesting and relevant ideas associated with Buddhism.
Spiderman sleeve arm tattoo designs are very popular, just like every superhero around.
This sleeve tattoo shows pirates raiding a ship. Ben Kaye of Orewa, New Zealand created this wonderful concept.
A realistic tattoo of a hot air balloon flown by a Victorian gentleman. Jordan Croke of Derby, England created this artistic tattoo.
Animal Sleeve Tattoos
A beautifully created dragon sleeve arm tattoo that covered the half portion of the arm.
Tiger tattoos are not only favored by men, but also by women. Aside from making a fashion statement, it also expresses a message beyond words and action.
When it comes to sleeve tattoos, snake tattoos are truly unique since it has its own class and looks.
An African themed sleeve tattoo that includes an elephant and a zebra.
For a cool sleeve arm tattoo, a lady warrior and a dragon are a great match. Dragons are best known for its bad temper and incredible looks.
The lion represents strength and power.
Known as an emblem of freedom, an eagle is a ferocious option for a new tattoo.
Eagles are powerful birds.
Dark Forest Ravens in black tattoo sleeve.
Birds tattoo tend to represent liberty and hope but that is only a generalization.
Eagle tattoos can be huge or small, blended with other objects, or a stand out on its own.
Dragon tattoos are loved by most people. These designs have a strong influence on Japanese and Chinese culture.
Octopus tattoo designs are one of the most popular aquatic animals for both men and women.
The tiger is one of the most adored cat species in the world. Tiger tattoos are well-known for their speed, power, beauty, and passion.
The elephant provides protection to your family while the lotus flower symbolizes new beginnings.
Japanese Sleeve Tattoos
Japanese tattoos are awesome and perfect for people who love Japanese cultures.
Japanese themed tattoos are a combination of Japanese patterns and animals.
Japanese half sleeve tattoos use bold and colorful symbols and images.
This is a black and gray Japanese sleeve tattoo of a Koi fish. For years, Japanese people have considered Koi fish tattoo designs as an emblem for overcoming adversity.
You can quickly recognize Japanese tattoos since they are so enormous and unique. Sometimes they are worn on the entire arm or the entire body but this is actually not necessary.
Dragon tattoos are greatly associated with the wind but mostly water.
Known for their conspicuous appeal, most of these Japanese tattoo designs are widespread and colorful.
Japanese sleeve arm tattoo designs are splendid.
Dragons have been part of Japanese tradition for centuries. These types of tattoos are rare and look scary.
Koi or carp fish has several masculine characteristics such as strength and bravery.
The Japanese tattoo design can be recognized as a symbol of protection from any harm.
Japanese dragon tattoos are not only stunning, yet they are also ancient symbols rich in meaning.
Back then tattoo sleeves were only meant for tattoo artists and unlawful organizations such as the Yakuza. However, times have changed and sleeve tattoos are now a popular and fashionable option for both men and women.
This is an excellent contrast, a black outfit and a colorful koi fish tattoo.
Tribal Sleeve Arm Tattoo Designs
You can show off this tribal half sleeve upper arm tattoo design in any casual social events by wearing a tight fit t-shirt. This type of tattoo looks great on all age group.
A well-done sleeve arm tattoo for men will make you look more masculine and charming. These designs have a high demand.
Tribal tattoos for men are quite ancient since they have already existed since prehistoric times. These designs are well-appreciated by people.
Tribal tattoos are very popular nowadays. In fact, a number of distinguished WWE superstars and celebrities are wearing these designs on their bodies.
Most tribal sleeve tattoo designs are black in color.
The Islander style has to be my favorite because of its high level of detail.
Tribal tattoo designs have very eloquent, rich, ardent, and ravenous designs.
Tribal sleeve tattoos offer a remarkable rugged depiction of masculinity in the modern age.
The arm is an excellent spot to ink your tribal tattoo design, like this one!
Tribal tattoos are very captivating and very artistic.
Angel Sleeve Tattoos
Angels are the servant of God. An angel symbolizes our faithful devotion to God.
Tattoo sleeves require an enormous investment in terms of time and money. These kinds of tattoos are becoming increasingly prominent nowadays.
Angel tattoo is one of the most popular tattoo ideas for expressing your love of God. Angels are depicted as a symbol of protection.
Angel tattoos look marvelous and show the world your heavenly side. Angel tattoos are very eye-catching.
Having an angel arm tattoo is just like being with your guardian angel all the time.
A sleeve tattoo of St Michael and a Bernini angel statue. This is done by tattoo artist Benji Roketlauncha of Sydney, Australia.
3D Sleeve Tattoo Designs
This is a marvelous tattoo which shows a star being curved from a man’s skin to reveal some words.
A beautifully designed 3D tattoo design illustrating the underlying muscles of the entire hand.
Most men prefer having a realistic tattoo sleeve which can be quite impressive.
A tattoo sleeve of a lady wearing a masquerade ball mask. A realistic tattoo created by Benji Roketlauncha of Sydney, Australia.
A Viking sleeve tattoo created by Mumia of Copenhagen, Denmark.
An old London tattoo sleeve with two people walking down the street. On the background is St Paul’s Cathedral.
A magical tattoo sleeve with a lady’s portrait and a girl balancing.
A naughty little raccoon is fiercely looking at you on this sleeved tattoo.
Emersson Pabon of Caracas, Venezuela created this intricately designed pagoda.
A full sleeve tattoo of bioorganic vines. Stepan Negur of Moscow, Russia created this realistic design.
If you are a Star Wars fan then this Darth Vader tattoo by Pony Lawson is perfect for you.
Bizarre Sleeve Arm Tattoos
An Aztec double sleeve arm tattoos. This wonderful masterpiece is done by Gary Mossman of Hampshire, England.
A full sleeve tattoo that consists of a wolf’s head, a dancing lady, and a clawed hand. Jak Connolly of Manchester, England made this creative tattoo.
A freaky half-sleeve tattoo of alien abduction. Little Andy of Birmingham, England created this masterpiece.
Sleeve Tattoo Ideas for Men and Women
Artists have created a wide variety of designs for sleeve tattoos. These are the results of their creativity. It gives them the chance to explore their talent when it comes to tattoo designing. Every tattoo design is composed of an entirely unique set of smaller designs. Here are some popular sleeve tattoo ideas:
Tribal Sleeve Tattoos – One of the most prominent options in sleeve tattoos is the Maori tattoo designs. These include some typical tribal elements like the spirals. Tribal tattoos are extremely complicated to make because of the intricate detailing needed. This rigorous process, however, results in tribal tattoos being one of the most stunning and eye-catching sleeve arm tattoo designs.
Pin Up Sleeve Tattoo Designs – Most men and women favor pin-up tattoo designs because of these feature faces of people, hence, highly personalizable. Portraits of your wife or your children are as gorgeous as the classic pin-up girls tattoo designs. You can up the ante by incorporating their names. This will show how much you love them. You can also incorporate their names into the design. In order to make it more meaningful, include some text. It can be some lyrics of your favorite song or a famous quotation.
Realistic Sleeve Tattoos – Realistic 3D tattoos can feature realistic elements like animals, flowers, plants, and more. Vibrant colors are being used in the elements to make them look genuine. These tattoos can definitely grab attention and fascinate onlookers.
Sleeve Tattoo Cost and Prices
You’ve been dreaming of having that perfect artwork on your arm. You have already picked the colors for your tattoo design. Also, you know exactly where you want to put it. Then this question suddenly pops up in your mind, “How much does a sleeve tattoo cost?” This is a tough question to answer.
Surprisingly enough, the cost of sleeve tattoos varies regardless if they have the same size. This is due to the intricacy of the design. Aside from regional inflation, you should also consider the amount of time it takes to get your tattoo done. For instance, a full sleeve tattoo might take more than 15 hours. Most often, a reputable tattoo artist will charge $100-$150 an hour. This means that you’ll be paying approximately $1500 minimum for a full sleeve tattoo.
What Sleeve Tattoo should you get?
Due to its versatility and diversity, the sleeve tattoo is an excellent piece of art for people who want to show off their individuality and uniqueness to the world. However, before getting a sleeve tattoo there are certain things that you have to bear in mind. It requires your total commitment such as money, time, and comfortability. Another important factor is your willingness to wear this tattoo forever. This is because, once it’s done, it will be difficult to remove due to its enormous size and prominence. The eternal nature of the sleeve tattoo can be both beneficial and unfavorable to the wearer.
It is understandable why sleeve arm tattoos have maintained its prominence throughout the years. The wide variety of designs to choose from as well as the fact that it can be concealed anytime are just some of its benefits. Listen to tattoo artists when choosing a design that suits you the best, especially in Japan where tattoos can only be done by licensed doctors.
What sleeve arm tattoo design do you like the most? Share it in the comments below!
Hey readers! I’m Jeffrey and your tattoo artist of the day;) I have been drawing and painting my whole life, and after graduating high school I decided it was time for a bigger challenge and I started drawing on people. I’m so fortunate I got to express my creativity through my body art and even more so to share my passion with my now wife Emilie. She started working with me in my tattoo shop as a piercer and I started writing about and photographing, my creations on this blog. I love to hear from you and hope you enjoy our work together!