How to Prepare for Your New Sleeve Tattoo

If you have narrowed down your options and have decided that a sleeve tattoo would be best for you, there are certain things you should know ahead of time to get prepared for it. This will be an exciting journey ahead but to make it as smooth as possible there is some planning that you should do now to get ready for the tattoo.

Getting a sleeve tattoo is a big commitment that involves a lot of time, planning and money. This is much different than getting small tattoos since it will be a new feature on your body that will be displayed prominently. You’ll need to put some thought into it, and you should know how you would like it to appear before getting started.

Half Sleeve or Full Sleeve Tattoo

The first thing that you need to decide is whether you want to get a full sleeve tattoo or a half sleeve one. A half sleeve tattoo can run either from your shoulder to your elbow or from your elbow to your wrist. A full sleeve tattoo will cover the area from your shoulder to your wrist. One thing to keep in mind when making this decision, however, is that a half sleeve can often be more complicated to design because there is less skin area to work with. Everything must be put together perfectly.

Half sleeves are a good option though when you’re working on a limited budget and are dealing with time constraints. It all depends on your budget, your tattoo goals, and the amount of time you have to deal with the decision-making process and the actual tattooing.

Full sleeve tattoos provide an outstanding visual effect and if you don’t have the budget available to get one now, you may want to decide to save up more money to get one soon. You’ll have to decide whether you would be happy settling for a half sleeve tattoo if you really want to get a full sleeve one.

The best thing that you can do is to schedule an appointment for a consultation with a tattoo artist to go over your design thoughts to get a professional opinion. The artist will let you know whether he would recommend a full sleeve or a half sleeve tattoo.

Cohesive Sleeve Tattoos

A cohesive sleeve tattoo is designed with one single project in mind. You let the tattoo artist know what you want and together you can come up with a single tattoo design that covers either half or all your arm. This takes a lot of planning when you are first designing it but it provides a cohesive image that you may prefer.

Eclectic Sleeve Tattoos

An eclectic sleeve tattoo starts with a basic idea and then works from that point on. Different tattoos are patch-worked together over a space of time and commonly follow a single theme. There isn’t as much planning required as there is with cohesive sleeve tattoos since smaller tattoos are added one by one. When the tattoo is finished, however, it will look cohesive because the tattoo has followed a certain theme.

When you want your eclectic sleeve tattoo to look as cohesive as possible you may want to consider working with only one artist during the process. Different tattoo artists have various styles and the overall presentation when it is finished may not look as cohesive as it would if you had one single artist doing the entire project.

Asian Style Tattoos

Both American traditional and Asian style tattoos have become popular choices for sleeves because each one includes shading and bold lines. This ensures that the tattoo will last for years. It’s always best to decide between the two styles since they are completely different designs. If you choose to get Asian style tattoos for your sleeve, for example, adding American traditional tattoos would not make the sleeve look cohesive.

Look for a tattoo artist that is experienced with the type of design you are looking for. There are many artists that specialize in Asian style tattoos that could give you an amazing Japanese tattoo sleeve. Check the portfolio of the artist to make sure that you will get the type of artistic style you are looking for. Every artist has its own personal style and choosing the best artist will all come down to your own personal preference.

This is not the time to settle for something that you feel would be second best. It’s okay to do that if you’re getting a small, minimalistic tattoo in a hidden area but for a large sleeve tattoo you’ll need to choose your tattoo artist very carefully. Don’t be afraid to take some time to review the artists and their artwork before going ahead and using one.

Japanese Tattoo North York

Japanese tattoos are not just for sleeve art. If you are looking for a Japanese tattoo North York it’s always good to start with a consultation with an artist. You can bring in some ideas regarding the type of Japanese tattoo that you would like. You should be aware, however, that the tattoo artist will not copy any work but will use it as inspiration for the final drawing.

If you have decided that a sleeve is right for you, it’s wise to get your appointment scheduled in blocks instead of doing it all in one day. Getting an entire sleeve done in one sitting would be quite painful and even veteran tattoo recipients might find it to be too much. Once again, it’s important to get in touch with a Japanese tattoo North York artist to find out how he would prefer to schedule such a project. This is also the time to determine the cost of getting your sleeve completed.

When you’re looking for the best tattoo sleeve artists in Toronto, please visit our website now at www.hontattoo.com. You can look through the gallery there and learn more about our artists by calling us or by filling out the contact form on the site.