Few other tats look as cool and as badass as sleeve tattoos. Going from the wrist to the shoulder (and, sometimes, beyond), those tattoos offer such a wide canvas of skin that you can let your imagination run wild and pretty much go for anything your mind can conceive, from frescos to elaborate and complicated collages. Sky really is the limit when speaking of sleeve tats.
So, if you've ever wanted to own such a bad boy, look no further. In this post, I'll tell you all about sleeve tattoo designs that scream badassity.
Sleeve Tattoo Designs for Men
Let's be honest. While women can wear sleeve tats as well as the majority of guys, it's still a man's tattoo. Favored by gangsters, MMA fighters and rock stars around the world, they are the epitome of manliness. The more macho your environment, the more likely that you'll have people with sleeves around you. Sometimes, it goes with the territory?
That's why we'll mainly focus on designs for men. But first, what makes a good sleeve tattoo design?
Schools of Thought
There's an infinity of ways to go about choosing artwork for your tat, but there's really one big decision to make: do you want a unique design/picture covering up the whole arm or would you rather go for some sort of patchwork representing several parts of your life and personality?
There's no right or wrong answer, but make your choice before even thinking about the theme or the colors. Once that's done, let's get down to business and see what types of sleeve tattoo designs are available to you.
Tribals
This type of sleeve tat used to be all the craze, but that was about a decade ago. They're still a nice choice to consider, seeing that tribals are not limited by size or shapes and that they will give a blended look to your ink that's particularly nice, but really think about it before you decide to go with tribals as their simplicity is also their downfall. Even though all tribal sleeve tattoos are different, they kind of all look the same. So, no tribals for you if what you seek is true uniqueness.
Polynesians
The really great thing about Polynesian tats is that they carry a lot of meaning. If you want to add depth and a touch of mystery to your ink, this might be a style to look into. To mix things up a little, you can also elect to embellish your piece with a couple of writings, numbers or symbols.
Old School
Old school tats, with their nautical stars, their pin-ups and cue balls, have never been more in, especially for sleeve tattoos. This will be one of your best bet if you prefer the collage option rather than the 1 picture per arm approach as the old school genre benefits from a huge database of great designs.
Custom
As with all tattoos, the best way to choose your design is still to forget about genres and styles, and to confide in your tattoo artist. Go find him with your idea of the perfect tat and see what he can come up with as he materializes on paper what you have had in mind for so long.
If you can, also bring with you a couple of designs or pictures of tattoos you particularly like to show him. The best tattoos often result from the perfect association/communication between artist and client.
Conclusion on Sleeve Tattoo Designs
You want to be the coolest cat on the block, the type that attracts all the girls and that gets respect from the others? Then a sleeve tattoo is what you need! From Maori to Japanese, while not forgetting about old school and tribal, all genres lend themselves perfectly to sleeve designs. It's just a matter of making up your mind and getting your butt to the parlor. So, tell me, what exactly are you waiting for?
So, if you've ever wanted to own such a bad boy, look no further. In this post, I'll tell you all about sleeve tattoo designs that scream badassity.
Sleeve Tattoo Designs for Men
Let's be honest. While women can wear sleeve tats as well as the majority of guys, it's still a man's tattoo. Favored by gangsters, MMA fighters and rock stars around the world, they are the epitome of manliness. The more macho your environment, the more likely that you'll have people with sleeves around you. Sometimes, it goes with the territory?
That's why we'll mainly focus on designs for men. But first, what makes a good sleeve tattoo design?
Schools of Thought
There's an infinity of ways to go about choosing artwork for your tat, but there's really one big decision to make: do you want a unique design/picture covering up the whole arm or would you rather go for some sort of patchwork representing several parts of your life and personality?
There's no right or wrong answer, but make your choice before even thinking about the theme or the colors. Once that's done, let's get down to business and see what types of sleeve tattoo designs are available to you.
Tribals
This type of sleeve tat used to be all the craze, but that was about a decade ago. They're still a nice choice to consider, seeing that tribals are not limited by size or shapes and that they will give a blended look to your ink that's particularly nice, but really think about it before you decide to go with tribals as their simplicity is also their downfall. Even though all tribal sleeve tattoos are different, they kind of all look the same. So, no tribals for you if what you seek is true uniqueness.
Polynesians
The really great thing about Polynesian tats is that they carry a lot of meaning. If you want to add depth and a touch of mystery to your ink, this might be a style to look into. To mix things up a little, you can also elect to embellish your piece with a couple of writings, numbers or symbols.
Old School
Old school tats, with their nautical stars, their pin-ups and cue balls, have never been more in, especially for sleeve tattoos. This will be one of your best bet if you prefer the collage option rather than the 1 picture per arm approach as the old school genre benefits from a huge database of great designs.
Custom
As with all tattoos, the best way to choose your design is still to forget about genres and styles, and to confide in your tattoo artist. Go find him with your idea of the perfect tat and see what he can come up with as he materializes on paper what you have had in mind for so long.
If you can, also bring with you a couple of designs or pictures of tattoos you particularly like to show him. The best tattoos often result from the perfect association/communication between artist and client.
Conclusion on Sleeve Tattoo Designs
You want to be the coolest cat on the block, the type that attracts all the girls and that gets respect from the others? Then a sleeve tattoo is what you need! From Maori to Japanese, while not forgetting about old school and tribal, all genres lend themselves perfectly to sleeve designs. It's just a matter of making up your mind and getting your butt to the parlor. So, tell me, what exactly are you waiting for?
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