Creative people love expressing themselves in a variety of different ways. New tattoos are the chosen form of creative expression for millions of Americans. On average, consumers in the United States spend over $1.6 billion on tattoos every year. If you really want to showcase your love of tattoos, then getting a sleeve is a great idea.
A sleeve is defined as a series of smaller tattoos that wrap around a person’s arm or leg. If you are ready to start designing your tattoo sleeve, consider the great tips mentioned below.
Choosing the Place of Your Sleeve Tattoos
The first thing you need to figure out when trying to design a sleeve is where you want this series of tattoos placed. Most people opt for the arm when trying to bring their vision for the perfect sleeve tattoo to life. If you want to use your arm as the palette for this design, you need to choose the right spots on this part of your body. Generally, the inside/outside of your forearm, the outer arm and the inside of the bicep are ideal spots for a sleeve tattoo.
While you don’t necessarily have to use the common areas, they are the most visible. The last thing you want is for bad tattoo placement to obscure the view of an awesome tattoo. If you aren’t sure about where to put your new sleeve tattoos, you need to consult with an experienced tattoo artist. With their assistance, you can choose the right placement for your new body art.
Do You Want Your Sleeve Design To Have a Theme?
A tattoo sleeve can either be one fluid composition or a collection of different tattoos. Before you book an appointment with your favorite tattoo artist, you need to figure out whether you want your sleeve to be themed. Many tattoo enthusiasts suggest choosing a theme to ensure your sleeve tattoo hits it mark.
However, if you want to have more freedom over your body art, a collection of mismatched tattoos might be a good idea. Even if you choose to go with a sleeve design that isn’t themed, you need to either stick to color or black and white designs. Trying to mix and match color and black and white tattoos can create a muddled sleeve composition.
Avoid Putting Too Many Elements Into Your Sleeve Tattoo Design
One of the biggest mistakes beginners make when developing a sleeve tattoo design is incorporating too many elements. If your sleeve design is too busy, you will have a hard time making it appealing. This is why you need to abide by the “less is better” philosophy as it relates to your sleeve design. Visiting your favorite tattoo artist with a few sleeve design ideas is a good idea. With their assistance, you can figure out a way to incorporate your ideas into a cohesive and appealing sleeve tattoo design.
Are you ready to bring your sleeve tattoo design vision to life? If so, Grape Ape Tattoo is here to help.