What are tattoo sleeves and what are they like?

Tattoo sleeves are the choice of unambiguously brave and bright people who are not afraid to demonstrate their individuality. The application of such a complex tattoo to the skin has a certain specificity.

Both a man and a woman can score a tattoo sleeve. In the classic version, full work takes up most of the upper limb, from the shoulder to the wrist. Men choose the "sleeve", wanting to make their appearance more brutal and even slightly impudent, as well as to emphasize the strength of their body and character. They usually give preference to styles such as biomechanics, tribal or old school. Sketches that combine different patterns and images can be applied simply for the sake of beauty, or they can carry a special meaning for the owner of the tattoo.

Wishing to show their individuality, the "sleeve" is often chosen by women. Most of all they like the styles of realism, old school or chicano. Quite often, preference is given to floral motives, as well as numerous neat and colorful elements. In both cases, a single plot is selected for the "sleeve", the details of which are combined with each other.

Tattoo sleeves are suitable not only for bold and bright individualists, but also for those who wish to mask scars, postoperative scars or any other skin imperfections. Blackwork images work best for this task. Thoughtful patterns also manage to correct an unsuccessful tattoo, as well as redo a sketch that you no longer like.The arms have a small number of nerve endings, and the muscles and fatty layer absorb shocks, so the "sleeve" can be recommended for people who are afraid of pain, but want to decorate their body with a large tattoo. The most painful sensations appear when covering the elbow.

Experts identify several types of such tattoos. The arm can be stabbed in its entirety, obtaining a full or complete "sleeve", three-quarters or even one-quarter. Quite often, the "half-sleeve" is stuffed. When creating a full sleeve tattoo, the area of ​​the arm is clogged from the wrist to the shoulder, and the entire diameter of the limb is processed. When creating a "half-sleeve", the area is subject to processing either from the elbow to the wrist, or from the elbow to the shoulder - that is, the area corresponding to half of the arm. A three-quarter tattoo is something intermediate between the first and second options and can start from both the wrist and the shoulder. In the first case, the pattern goes from the wrist to the middle between the shoulder and elbow joints, and in the second, from the shoulder to the middle of the forearm of the hand.

Finally, the quarter tattoo fills half of the forearm or upper arm. Some experts do not even consider such a tattoo as a "sleeve", since the coverage area does not differ in size. It should be emphasized that sometimes the composition "flows" onto the hand, shoulder, chest or shoulder blade.

For a complete "sleeve", an artistic composition with a clearly expressed semantic load is more suitable, although a variety of patterns, for example, Celtic or Polynesian, as well as abstract details, will look no less impressive. "Half-sleeve" also allows you to apply characters and plots, ornaments and patterns. For mini-sleeves, it is customary to choose discreet images without a lot of details.

There are a huge number of beautiful and unusual ideas that can be embodied in a tattoo sleeve, but the best ones are still those that reflect a person's personality.

Butterflies, ladybugs, bees and dragonflies are considered to be the most popular insects chosen as part of sleeve tattoos. The drawing of a butterfly speaks of the desire to change and even "be reborn", or symbolizes the soul and immortality of a person. The little ladybug is usually pricked for luck and warning of danger. Dragonflies, loved by many girls, personify lightness, grace and even frivolity. A bee in the "sleeve" is often added simply because it looks bright and effective due to the combination of yellow and black shades. It is customary to complement this insect with images of flowers.

Animals often become the main focus of dimensional tattoos. Preference is most often given to predatory species: lions, tigers, wolves or bears. Birds, reptiles, sea creatures, as well as fire-breathing dragons, majestic dinosaurs and magical griffins are also popular. Men like to depict animals while hunting, with spread wings, teeth or sharp claws, demonstrating strength and even some kind of aggression. For girls, images of the paw, eyes or muzzle of an animal are more characteristic.

In tattoo sleeves, it is customary to use simple patterns such as stripes or circles, as well as not so light Celtic, Polynesian and other ethnic ornaments. You can add geometric or abstract details, as well as characteristic symbols of different tribes and peoples. It is quite common to use "patterned" tongues of flame or water surface as a background.

Speaking about the theme of space on tattoo sleeves, one cannot fail to mention the application of individual planets or the entire solar system, a scattering of stars, spacecraft, tailed comets and streams of meteorites. It is better to create such tattoos in color for greater showiness.

Individual notes, as well as treble and bass clefs, are suitable as small additions to the overall composition, but the stave with the melody of your favorite composition can become the background for the “sleeve”.

The mystical skull often becomes the center of a complex composition. Men prefer a realistic and concise image, complemented by bones, or even a full-fledged skeleton, but women prefer to make drawings not so unambiguous with the help of bright flower buds or watercolor spots.

The “all-seeing eye”, multicolored or black and white, but three-dimensional, can become the main accent of a composition with a mystical bias. The drawing will look very attractive, which depicts fragments of faces with the eyes of two close people - a mother and a child, or a man and a woman who love each other.

The center of the sketch can be a full-fledged landscape - a fragment of a dense forest or sea shore with incoming waves. Tattoo sleeves with nature always look aesthetically pleasing - botanical illustrations in retro style, floral patterns, floral ornaments or traditional images of open buds. Such details are usually done in color, and often each chosen flower has its own special meaning.

Very often, at first glance, objects that are not very aesthetic, but endowed with a special meaning, are depicted on the hand. For example, some men like sketches with decks of cards, hex dice, beautiful women and luxurious cars - the so-called images for good luck. Fans of Asian culture draw silhouettes of samurai and ninjas, and lovers of mythology - the Vikings and heroes of Ancient Russia. The top of the images chosen for the tattoo sleeves also includes the symbols of Indians, knights and pirates. Quite often, typical fan attributes are found in a tattoo: for example, fans of the "Lord of the Rings" can decorate their hand with elven chain mail and a ring of omnipotence, and connoisseurs of "Star Wars" - a helmet of Darth Vader and the symbol of the Galactic Republic.

The inscriptions always look appropriate in the composition: religious sayings, quotes from pundits or just the names of loved ones. Believers always like the placement of sacred words and images on their bodies, no matter whether they are the faces of Orthodox saints, symbols of paganism, or an ordinary cross. An image of a wing, a honeycomb, a pocket watch or a portrait of a philosopher of Ancient Greece, that is, in general, any symbol or drawing corresponding to the general idea and meaningful to the owner of the "sleeve", can be suitable.

There are a huge number of styles in which a sleeve tattoo can be performed. Many men like biomechanics - a popular and relatively new direction, the essence of which is the fusion of man and machine, the emergence of a humanoid robot. Black sketches made in this style are decorated with a large number of different pistons, gears and nuts.

The old school style is characterized by a marine theme - images of sailing ships, compasses, anchors, mermaids and other "sea" objects.

The base of the thrash polka style tattoo is made in black. On top of it, spots or drops of a bright scarlet hue are stuffed, denoting blood. For added realism, gradients are often added to the sketch.

Black and white "sleeves" in the direction of the tribal look very advantageous due to the combination of thin pointed lines and images of animals: sharks, tigers, dragons, octopuses and others.

Polynesian tattoo sleeves are always painted black and combine not only ethnic patterns, but also designations of animals and sacred symbols.

The realism style implies the placement of either human faces or the muzzles of totem animals, while the Chicano style unites the stereotypical components of any action movie.

The blackwork direction is distinguished by the coloring of most of the limb in black. Such tattoos are most often chosen to overlap unsuccessful designs and are generally preferred by men. The Celtic style is especially loved by connoisseurs of Slavic and Scandinavian mythology. In such "sleeves" religious subjects, crosses, runes and patterns are organically combined. In addition, the drawing is often "enriched" with images of birds, animals or powerful deities.

Colorful compositions in oriental style, for example, Japanese, contain a lot of small details. Sketches often feature samurai, dragons, and koi carp, which are believed to endow its owner with courage, determination and luck in financial matters. Multi-colored works in this direction have a traditional plot and attract with the simplicity of their contours. Ornament is close to blackwork, as it uses exclusively black tone, but stands out by the presence of a sufficient number of geometric objects. Quite often, a mandala or an even circle becomes the basis of a sketch. The tattoo is also made in graphic, engraving, khokhloma and new school styles.

It can be either one drawing that fills the entire area, or several images with a single plot and style. Finally, a tattoo may contain many unrelated patterns, united by one direction or background. With regard to color, it is equally possible to apply both black and white and color variations. In most cases, the plots in the upper part of the hand are close in meaning to the lower part, that is, "celestial objects" are located on top, and "earthly" ones - respectively, from below.

When choosing a tattoo sleeve, you must remember that in any case it will occupy a large area of ​​the body and attract the attention of others. This means that the process should be carried out with maximum awareness, and the sketch should be thoughtful.

The transfer of the tattoo sketch can start from the neck or shoulder and then follow to the hand or wrist. It is also possible to gradually apply individual drawings, which at the end will need to be assembled into a single whole using a background. It is important to immediately understand that the "sleeve" in time is done for a rather long time - the process will take a large number of hours. Moreover, it will have to be pricked in several sessions - from 5 to 10, with obligatory breaks. Complex work can only be entrusted to a specialist with many years of experience and a good portfolio, which will definitely increase its value. It is worth mentioning that, indeed, it is important to evaluate the presented works of the selected master according to several criteria. It should be taken into account whether the proportions are correctly observed, how the colors are combined, how clear the pattern is, and whether there are shadows and penumbraes, if necessary.

Drawing on the hand cannot be called too painful, but, of course, the discomfort will increase every hour. At least two days before going to the tattoo artist, it is important to give up alcohol and exclude blood thinning foods.