A full sleeve will likely take at least 12 hours (or around two days' worth of work) but can require as many as 80 hours. How do you plan or design a sleeve tattoo? First, you'll need to decide whether you want one large design, or a collection of smaller pieces.
It's kind of the equivalent of asking: “how long is a rope?” Different styles of tattooing can take dramatically different amounts of time, and every artist tattoos at different speeds, so sleeves can take anywhere from 3 to as many as 10–or even 15–sessions!
Getting a tattoo sleeve does hurt. What makes tattoo sleeves painful is not so much the location, but the amount of time you spend under the needle. Full and half arm sleeves take multiple sessions, each several hours long, so it's good to be aware of the process before taking the step.
It really depends on the level of intricacy and detail of your sleeve. Most sleeves take multiple sessions. I'd imagine if you have a super high threshold for pain as well as patience (and your artist clears his entire day) then perhaps you can knock out a full sleeve in a 1 day period.
A full sleeve tattoo can cost anywhere from $1000 to $6000, depending on the hourly rate of the artist and how much time the art takes to complete.
There is no way that we can give you a definitive answer to this question because it will depend on several key factors. In general, those tattoos which are larger and more complex will tend to take longer. Most of the professionals will give you an estimate of 10-15 hours total work time for a sleeve tattoo.
Apparently, the smaller your tattoo, the more likely you are to regret it. We found that 63 percent of people with a tattoo smaller than the palm of their hand regret it. However, only 2 percent of people with full-sleeves or longer, regret their tattoo.
Odea concurs, saying there are very few sleeves that can be done in even a very long single day. "Even the most seasoned tattoo collectors have a limit to how many hours they can get tattooed, so I would say to take your time," she says, adding that sleeves can take days and sometimes even years to complete.
If you know you eventually want a sleeve, or if you're going full-sleeve right out the gate, then Gualteros recommends starting at the shoulder. From there, you'll work your way down the arm. “If someone came to me and let me do whatever I wanted, I'd start from the top with something that fits the body,” he says.
Avoid water.
Swimming, bathing, Jacuzzis, hot tubs, the ocean. For the first two weeks after getting tattooed, avoid being submerged in water all together. And if you're reading this during the summer while your friends scamper and frolic past you on their way to the beach, take a moment of silence for yourself.
The average tattoo session for big tattoos lasts up to five hours, however, there are exceptions. If you can endure pain, your artist can make a day session. It means that they will work with you for around seven-eight hours or even more.
Pressure can cause irritation and disrupt the healing process. Instead, try sleeping on your back or on the side opposite the tattoo!
The main thing is to try to keep pressure off of the new tattoo, so if you are a side sleeper with a new arm tattoo, sleep on the opposite arm. If it's a back tattoo, try to sleep on your front. Taking the pressure off will relieve the pain you can feel with a new piece, and it will also help you to avoid damaging it.
The design is typically incorporated around the whole arm, although some people may prefer to tattoo only the outer and more visible part of the arm to mitigate pain (the inner arm is more sensitive) and to keep costs down (more on budget below). This is certainly the most “impactful” type of sleeve tattoo.
Only in cases of extreme weight loss or weight gain will you see a noticeable difference in a tattoo design, says celebrity tattoo artist Dillon Forte: "Weight change has virtually no effect on the tattoo unless the weight gain or loss is like 100 pounds.
But if you're wondering what type of pain to expect, Caranfa says the experience is comparable to the feeling of a cat scratch or a sunburn. "Long periods of irritation and tenderness are what make you feel any discomfort," Caranfa says.
The most painful spots to get tattooed are those with the least fat, most nerve endings, and thinnest skin. Bony areas such as ribs or hips or chest usually hurt a lot. Tattoos on ribs are very popular especially among women, for example quotes, song lyrics or jewellery along the lower ribs.
Here's a quick overview of how long it would take for different sizes of tattoos to get done: Small tattoos usually take under an hour to make. Palm-sized tattoo would take from one to three hours to make. Hand sized tattoo can take up to 5 hours to make.
The time it will take to complete the tattoo will depend on the design and if there is lots of intricate detail or color to be added. A quarter sleeve will take a minimum of five to eight hours which will be completed over a number of sessions.
A sleeve can take 3 separate 6–8 hour sessions or more depending on quality, design, and precision. So, no.