How to Create a Custom Tattoo Sleeve

Many of us who have tattoos found that we want more and more pieces after we get our first piece. Your first tattoos were placed on different body parts, just like mine. I started with my calf and then moved on to my back. Then, I went on to my forearm. Although I initially thought the forearm tattoo would stand alone, I soon began to imagine what other pieces might be needed. It was inevitable: I was going to create tattoo sleeves.

Six years ago, I got my first tattoo on my right arm. The beautiful work of the three tattoo artists has made me so happy. I cannot wait to return to them and get pieces from other tattoo artists. Part of me wishes I had taken more time to plan my sleeves and have wondered if it was the right thing.

You may feel relieved that there is no “right” way. The experts have some helpful tips to help you make your 15th (or first) appointment. To get advice from top tattoo artists on how to curate your perfect tattoo collection, I interviewed them.

Where can I start

You may not realize at the time that your arm tattoo will be a sleeve. There are no wrong areas to start your first piece. People who are certain they will add a sleeve to their tattoos may not realize it. However, the starting-spot trends for sleeves have changed.

“I have always believed you should work down from the top. “That’s how I got tattooed,” states Erin Odea, a tattoo artist and owner at Crossed Keys Society, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She noticed that many of her clients started with their forearms in recent years. This could be due to visible tattoos being more accepted by employers. It’s just as good, but it’s a bit more daring.

Which is it, the upper arm or the forearm? Sometimes, it’s neither. “I like to get an idea of what someone’s plans are for their elbow early,” says Becca GenneBacon. She is a tattoo artist on Kings Avenue in New York City. I suggest they start with something symmetrical or circular, such as a ship’s wheel.

If you are planning to ink a patchwork sleeve, which is a sleeve that has multiple tattoos and not one large image with a background, those designs could determine where your arm gets inked. I like to determine which three or four images are the most important. Gene-Bacon says I prefer to begin with these rather than trying to fill up one spot on the arm. “The space between the larger pieces can dictate the images that will bring them together.