You can do this by stencilling the design onto the arm and having the client move around to see if they’re happy. Traditionally, the focal points of the design face forward, the same way the customer is facing, but it’s a very good idea to test the positioning out when planning the design. For example, an image such as a front facing portrait could look one way while the client’s arm is down, however, when the arm is up or out, the positioning of the design can completely change. Also, how much will be free handed and how much will be stencilled? This is dependant on the artist some will freehand an entire sleeve but that kind of confidence tends to come with years of experience.Īnd, just when you think it can’t get more complicated… you’ll need to think about the design when the arm is in different positions. Ask yourself how much filler will be needed around the images and how you’ll avoid dead space. One of the most significant things to consider is how the sleeve is going to wrap around the arm, so, positioning is key.Īrtists should bear in mind every part of the arm and how it will look in a certain space. With a whole piece however, it’s better to plan ahead, ensuring the design has been thought out properly to fit the arm perfectly. You still need to have an idea of the whole piece, but you don’t need to have planned everything out exactly as things can change”. Say an inner forearm one session, the top outer arm the next and so on. He said “Build as you go, one piece at a time. We asked one artist what he’d recommend for a client who wants a tattoo in pieces. What does the client actually want? Will they want one whole image? Or multiple designs/images to make up a sleeve? This is something to discuss in a good amount of detail as obviously, it’s the bones of the piece. This leads us nicely onto our next point – the design. You certainly don’t want to be caught out by a 20-stone weightlifter whose arm is twice the size of a more slender man or woman. It will affect how long the actual work will take and the detail which goes into the design. The reason this is so important is because the size of the arm will affect a lot when designing a tattoo sleeve template. A picture will suffice, but it won’t be as accurate. Arm SizeĪs with existing tattoos, the best way to get an accurate understanding of the size of the arm you’ll be working on is by asking the client to come into your studio. We do appreciate some studios are quite difficult for clients to get to, so in that case, a picture is much better than nothing. You’ll want to understand whether you’re fitting a design around existing work or whether you’re working on a cover up(s).Īsking for a picture is one way to do this, but if the location allows it, our advice would be to ask the client to come into the studio so you can get a better and clearer understanding. Existing Tattoosįinding out if a client has any existing tattoos is a good starting point. There isn’t an easy one-size-fits-all sleeve tattoo template to follow, so we spoke to some experienced tattoo artists to get some insider tips and help on things to consider when designing your first sleeve. It will get easier with experience, but we still appreciate the difficulty of a sleeve. It’s a lot more complex and requires more planning than a single design, and when you’re starting out as an artist, it can be quite a daunting project. Asking how to design a tattoo sleeve can be a bit like asking how long a piece of string is.
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