Tattoos created by talented and skilled artists are rightly regarded as works of art.

However, what makes a tattoo really outstanding is the surface it is created upon, in this case it is inked onto your skin; you can actually turn your own body into a work of art.

You can have tattoos inked onto almost every part of your body, as a matter of fact, the location of your tattoo depends entirely upon you. One form of tattoo which has gained a lot of popularity lately is the tattoo sleeve.

So, what is a tattoo sleeve? A tattoo sleeve is a tattoo design that covers a large portion of your body and is created in such a way that the tattoo shows very little of your own skin. The entire area is covered with intricate patterns, objects, and designs.

As the name suggests, the tattoo sleeve is most often applied onto the arms. Commonly there are three main types of sleeve tattoos: Full Sleeve (shoulder to wrist); Half Sleeve (elbow to wrist, sometimes known as quarter sleeve as well); and Quarter Sleeve (shoulder to bicep).

However, a sleeve tattoo can be applied to other areas of your body; its name means that it is a wrap-around design and can also be applied to your leg as well. The important thing to remember about a sleeve tattoo is that it must wrap entirely around your arm or leg rather than being a single or group of images located on an otherwise bare piece of skin.

A professionally created tattoo sleeve design can be the most beautiful piece of artwork that can be inked onto your skin. However, the search for the best design for sleeve tattoos can be quite difficult and time consuming as you need to select your sleeve design with care. It is important that you plan out a tattoo sleeve and that you avoid rushing; a tattoo sleeve that has brilliant design and competently applied colours can be a work of art, one that is not well planned or executed can be a disaster.

If you are considering a tattoo sleeve, you will also need to bear in mind the cost of such a large tattoo, be prepared to pay the price. These types of tattoo do not come cheap and of course the larger and more intricate the design the more you should expect to pay for it. In fact, a full sleeve tattoo can be priced anywhere from a few hundred to one or two thousand dollars.

And you must remember that due to the nature of these types of tattoo, you will have to arrange more than one sitting, multiple sessions will be needed to see the completed design. A full sleeve tattoo can take between 20 and 30 hours to get done and for a tattoo of this size and complexity your tattoo artist will usually break up your sessions into 1 hour appointments.

Making the commitment to get a sleeve tattoo is a big decision. It will take a lot of money and plenty of time in the tattoo chair before it is complete, especially if you would like a full sleeve tattoo. But you must never rush into getting one, instead, make sure the design you want is carefully worked out and planned and choose a skilled and talented tattoo artist as they will be able to help you with all the preparation of your tattoo sleeve.