Sleeve Tattoos for Men
Most cultures around the world have tattoos as an expression. Some cultures use tattoos as adulthood rites, for artistic or beauty purposes, as warrior marks, tribal identification and so on. However it is clear that in all the cultures around the world, tattoos have represented both marginality and belonging.
Having become more prominent than ever, there isn’t a part of the body that is off limits. The ink art has been done on most major and minor skin parts of the body. However, most men prefer having a sleeve tattoo as a man which can be quite impressive when a befitting design and a good color is used in its creation. Generally it appropriate and even advisable to opt for a sleeve tattoo for men as a man compared to having it done on other body parts. Outlined below are reasons why.
Sleeve Tattoos Are Very Attractive
There is nothing like a great looking sleeve tattoo on a masculine arm to draw attention from all corners. Most well done sleeve tattoos for guys make them look more masculine and exude that charming effect especially on the women. Show off your sleeve tattoo in casual social gatherings by wearing a fitting t-shirt and you will attract all sorts of people, from the admirers and artistic souls to the openly envious ones. Work out regularly to keep the arm muscles firm and the sleeve tattoo will look appealing every day.
Easy To Conceal The Tattoo
Not everyone in society will appreciate a good tattoo and sometimes you might be forced to attend functions where showing off your tattoo might not be appropriate. For the neck, head, face or finger tattoos this can pose a challenge when it comes to concealment, but the sleeve tattoo will enable you to conceal your tattoo if you have to attend gatherings where the crowd is not very tattoo-friendly. The sleeve tattoo in this case becomes an advantage and underneath the shirt, you still get to maintain that symbol that means something to you.
Very Expressive
The sleeve tattoos for men are very expressive. Any man spotting a sleeve tattoo is viewed as open-minded and less likely to be alarmed by any controversial topics that might be discussed. With that impression, the people around them will be more open because they view the man as expressive and bold since they were bold enough to get a sleeve tattoo and show it off to the world in the first place. The sleeve tattoo can be a unique expression of what one stands for or their personal story depending of course on the design.
The Safety Factor
A sleeve tattoo is the best if you want to go through the hours of pinpricking without the risk of inconveniencing sensitive parts of your body. The arm isn’t surrounded by any vital body organs that might be put to risk. As much as today’s methods of tattooing have improved with technology, still having a sleeve tattoo done is considered safer compared to having one done on the eyelids or navel area.
Japanese Inspired Sleeve Tattoo
Realistically drawn and shaded in black and grey, this Japanese inspired sleeve tattoo features the imagery of a samurai warrior - complete with face, armor and sword - across the shoulder and upper arm about to do battle with a large dragon on the forearm.
Colorful Sleeve Tattoo
This Japanese piece centers around two large and terrifying masks. The white mask is located on the inner forearm and almost blends with surrounding colors. The red mask features prominently on the upper arm. Both are surrounded by red and yellow flowers infused in waves in a black background.
Black Full Sleeve Tattoo
One of the largest tattoo sleeve designs that covers an entire pectoral and extends across the shoulder, down the arm and stops on the back of the hand. The tribal design features geometrical shapes split into different sections, with three focal areas on the chest, shoulder and elbow.
Artistic Japanese Carp
Very artistic Japanese carp swimming up towards the shoulder shaded in black and grey, with elements of yellow bringing the large fish to life. A vivid blue flower sits just above the inner elbow and a bright red flower just below.
Tattoo Sleeve Ideas for Men
All available space is used in this full color arm and forearm sleeve tattoo that includes various different American-style designs, objects and shapes, such as stars, snakes, hearts, flowers, etc. as well as a few inspirational phrases like “Born 2 Ride”.
Black Tribal Sleeve Tattoo for Guys
This is a black tribal sleeve tattoo design that runs from the top of the shoulder to just below the elbow. The design is almost entirely symmetrical, with the dividing line down the middle of the arm and has various geometrical shapes throughout.
Dragon Tattoo Sleeve Ideas
One of the most imposing dragon tattoo sleeve ideas, this realistic dragon’s head and claw occupy the whole shoulder and include a burst of red to complete its menacing look. On the forearm is a serene Japanese tree blowing in the wind to signify the dragon is flying and about to strike.
Three Greek statues
Three Greek statues dominate this tattoo. A philosopher sits pondering on the forearm, just below a stunning horse, while the largest figure occupies the shoulder wearing a battle helmet. It is expertly finished in black and grey to look almost metallic.
Another Sleeve Dragon Tattoo
This red and black dragon maintains the traditions of Japanese sleeve tattoos by using different shapes and waves to highlight the seductive movement and fierceness of the dragon. The body covers the entire length of the arm while the heads sits half way.
The Bird Sleeve
Artistic sleeve tattoo ideas for men like this one takes several unique designs, including a ship, a skull, a bird, a damsel, to name a few, and brings them together to create a somber effect covering the whole arm. The end result is stunning.
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Tribal Tattoo Sleeves
This black tribal tattoo is one of the most popular half sleeve tattoos for men thanks to its seemingly simple design and use of free space. On closer inspection, however, the intricacy with which the shapes interact and complement each other works perfectly.
Japanese Carp Tattoo Sleeve
Waves are an important part of the Japanese culture and feature prominently in their art work. This tattoo uses large wave shapes over and around a large carp swimming upwards. The tattoo extends slightly above shoulder level towards the neck.
Religious Tattoo Sleeve
This tattoo has a South American religious feel to it with imagery of an attractive woman about to be devoured by a skeleton figure from above her head. The rest of the tattoo has soft, intricate and sometimes symmetrical shapes.
More Tattoo Ideas
Art-inspired half sleeve tattoos designed for men of this kind don’t get any better. In what looks like an ink drawing of a cityscape at night that has been left in the rain, this tattoo even features ink spots and ink dripping down the arm past the elbow.
Black tribal tattoo sleeve ideas like this one take the main design shown on the shoulder and replicate it in and around the biceps and below the elbow. Traditional triangle and square shapes fit flawlessly together, while the border completes the design.
Dragon arm sleeve tattoos come in a variety of colors and designs. In this one, a green dragon has a rather boisterous, playful demeanor and is enclosed with the usual addition of Japanese waves and flowers, with a black background.
Following the shape of the pectoral with a large, round and expanding design, this tribal sleeve tattoos idea is to flow from the chest and move up over the shoulder and down the arm. Many parts of the tribal shapes are filled in black.
Small and large tattoos, and sleeves like this one aim to show what’s happening underneath the skin. In this one, it looks like the person’s entire arm is made of robotics and mechanical moving parts and chains. No part of the skin is shown.
After scratching away the top layer of skin, a passage of writing has been found underneath. From the shoulder down to the forearm, and the addition of extra scratches where the skin didn’t break, it actually looks like areas of the skin have been removed.
A creepy looking skull and flower finished in black and grey shading covers the entire shoulder. It seems to melt at the lower jaw and develops into a geometric cube pattern below. Meanwhile, the inner forearm features a large, possibly female, eye.
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Lightly shaded in grey, Japanese flower tattoo sleeves like this one include the usual elements of traditional Japanese art such as waves, nature and small areas of blank space. It also runs from shoulder to wrist and wraps around the entire arm.
Many tattoos have significant meaning and half sleeve tattoo designs like this one invoke the spirit of Spartans. On top of a red background, a Spartan at war is shown wearing full body armor and looking fearless, with impressive upper body and arm muscle size.
This realistic tattoo makes it look like a layer of skin in the shape of a star has been removed from the shoulder revealing a list of powerful, thought provoking terms to promote positive social relationships. It even has cracks around where the skin was removed.
According to Chinese traditions, where there is a yin, there is a yang. And when there is a dragon, there is a phoenix. This tattoo shows the phoenix rising above the dragon with eerie cloud effects dividing the creatures and shown throughout.
A variety of shapes and symbols can come together at various times to complete a sleeve. This one boasts an 8-ball in the center of the shoulder and a spider’s web around the elbow joint. Other shapes include a diamond, a crown, and lightning bolts.
A stunning over the shoulder half sleeve featuring an eagle winged skull with floral and foliage designs, featuring large roses on the bicep of the arm extending to the back, above the elbow. There is a skull extending from the last section of the bicep to the top of the shoulder. This is a black ink piece and no color was used.
Featuring here is a full sleeve design, giving the impression of a bionic being, having normal human features everywhere except for an area extending from the shoulder to the edge of the forearm showing metal and the inner workings of the being. This a piece featuring great display of color.
Featuring here is a full sleeve design incorporating a half chest piece. The design is a tribal design of Mayan descent. This piece extends from the neck to the front of the forearm, becoming a larger piece with the joining of another Mayan style design on the left chest. This piece is a black ink design.
The design features a full sleeve design, displaying a wizard with a crystal ball on the front of the bicep and a knight on the side and back of the bicep, from the top to the center of the arm and somewhat around the arm there is a very prominent picture of a Morningstar. The forearm features a castle and a broken sword. This is a medieval style design, this piece is done in black ink.
Featuring here is a half sleeve tattoo, this tattoo stretches from the top of the shoulder to the beginning of the elbow. The design starts with a repeat pattern of tree silhouettes on the shoulder flowing into a flight of two large crows at the top of the arm directly underneath these crows there is an angel holding a sword up to the elbow. This design is a black ink piece.
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This stunning piece is almost like a half sleeve design but extends into half of the forearm. This tattoo features an angel and what might be a Greek god, over the elbow towards the forearm it shows a crow sitting on an antique clock. This design is a black ink piece. One of the best sleeve tattoos for men.
This piece is like a half sleeve design but extends into half of the forearm. On the shoulder it features a swirl of feathers, at the top of the arm a crown makes part of another feathery swirl taking the design down to half of the forearm. This a black ink piece.
Featuring here is a half sleeve extending from the top of the shoulder to the end of the top arm above the elbow. The design is that of a phoenix rising up from the ashes. This is majorly a black ink piece but does feature areas of color.
This design is a full sleeve design extending from the top of the shoulder to the end of the forearm. It is designed to look like a wooden carving and features a Celtic type feel depicting a man thrusting a sword into a beast surrounding him. This is a completely black ink piece.
Featuring here is a full sleeve design incorporating half a chest piece. On the chest there is a black background with autumn leaves on top of it this design continues over the shoulder and majority of the upper arm, from just above the elbow, down to the end of the forearm there is a combination of the existing design into a more eastern type feel. This design features majority black ink but have a splendid and solid display of color as well.
The featured design is a half sleeve tattoo. From the shoulder musical notes, money and a roulette wheel is visible, on the lower arm there is the eye of a female and a rose watching a clock. This is a black ink design.
Featuring here is a full sleeve design incorporating half a chest piece. The design looks like the internal working of a cyborg, the design stretches from the right chest to the end of the forearm. This is a black ink piece featuring areas of red ink.
This is a full sleeve design extending from the upper arm to the end of the forearm, featuring a white dove and a renaissance style human between clouds. This is a black ink piece.
This is a full sleeve extending from the top of the shoulder to the front of the forearm. The design depicts the armor of a knight, featuring plate mail on top of chainmail.
This is a full sleeve extending from the top of the shoulder to the beginning of the knuckles on the hand. The design feature an image of the queen of England and amongst others big ben. This is a black Ink piece.
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This is a full sleeve extending from the shoulder to the end of the forearm. The design is of a tribal kind and have some Mayan aspects. This is a black ink design.
This design is a full sleeve, with a black background and floral designs on top of it is of eastern descent. This design is majorly black ink areas of red and yellow are visible.
This design is a full sleeve designs extending from the upper arm to the forearm. The design is in a renaissance style and depict an angel an elderly man and a clock. This is a black ink design.
This design is a full sleeve covering the back and the chest in front. From the top of the shoulder the is a picture of a beautiful angel with her wings spreading acros the back and chest and on the forearm there is a picture of the grim reaper. This is a black ink design.
This design is a full sleeve expanding to the neck and a small area of the chest. The design shows an angel above a rider on the upper arm on the forearm there is a white dove and an hourglass. This is a black ink design.
This is a full sleeve extending from the top of the shoulder to the end of the forearm. The design is that of a undead samurai showing ancient Japanese weapons and armor. This is a black ink design.
This is a full sleeve extending to the front right chest. The design is a form of tribal design found on mauri’s, but could also have a combination of Chinese patterns. This is a black ink design.
This design is a full sleeve extending from the top of the shoulder down to the end of the forearm. The design features candles and an angel on the upper arm and an old man with a clock on the forearm. This is a black ink design.
This is a half sleeve extending from the top of the shoulder to below the elbow. The design is of the tribal kind. This is a black ink design.