Large Scale and Sleeve Tattoos
Large scale pieces like back pieces, full sleeves, be they arm or leg sleeves are big commitments on the part of both artist and client. Tattoo sleeves can also be subdivided into full sleeves, half sleeves, or quarter sleeves. Half sleeves can be the upper or lower arm or leg, and quarter sleeves are typically the inner or outer part of the upper or lower arm or leg. Thigh tattoos, Ribs tattoos, Side Tattoos or full front tattoos are also large scale tattoos, and the process is similar. They take a lot of time and planning, and with the exception of quarter sleeves, they usually can’t be done in one session.
If you’re wondering how much a large sale tattoo project like a half sleeve would cost, the price of a sleeve is dependent on how long the project will take. This has a lot to do with the style and the complexity of the art to be tattooed. Some tattoo artists base their tatto quotes on an hourly estimate range, while others estimate based on half day or full day session rates multiplied by the number of sessions they think it will take. All artists quote differently, so there is no magical set number for a tattoo sleeve. The best way to get a price, is to set up a consult with the artist you are considering for your piece.
I work on large tattoos and sleeves in half day sessions. It takes anywhere from six, to twelve sessions to complete most sleeve projects, and the price per session depends on the design, complexity, and what needs to be done. The price for sleeve sessions is usually between $400 and $500 a session. We do a consult to figure out the price, and then we break it down into how many sessions and payments it will take to complete.
The number of sessions it will take to do your tattoo project depends on the complexity of what you want done, and both your pain tolerance and your finances. Most tattoo sleeves I’ve taken on take eight to twelve sessions to complete. You can also read that as 8 months to a year, since there needs to be at least 3 weeks in-between each session. The simplest, like the rose sleeve, took three sessions to complete. One sleeve took two years to complete, not because there were no time slots available, but because of scheduling conflicts the client had in getting a new job.
There are two major types of sleeves, traditional patchwork style, which have various smaller designs and filler, or more solid, flowing designs that have to be designed from the bottom up to flow well across the entire body part. It all depends on the aesthetic you’re going for.
I prefer to plan full sleeves that flow in their entirety before tattooing any part of them… that is the best way to control the overall aesthetic of the sleeve.
The process for getting a large scale tattoo or tattoo sleeve with me:
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E-mail the Shop with your concept notes and concept references.
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Set a day to come for an in person consult
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Go over the design and ideas
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We take notes and photos
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Go over pricing estimates and art deposit costs
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Do paperwork and pay deposit
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Set appointment day for your Check-in Appointment and first tattoo session.
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At check-in appointment
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Go over any changes
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Size stencils for your first session
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Come for your first session, and set the next two appointments at the end of the session
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Following Sessions are set 3 to 4 weeks apart.
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Important to Note:
I do not send designs through email or text.
Adjustments and changes are welcome; within reason. If you decide that you want to go in a completely different direction, that’s fine, we’ll just grab another deposit.
It takes about a year to complete a sleeve, but I have done them in as little as six months when finances and schedules align.
Sleeve Costs
Simple sleeves cost anywhere between $2000 and $3500.00.
More complicated sleeves can be $5000+
Deposits for sleeves are between 20% and 25% of the total estimated cost.
For a $2000 sleeve, the deposit is $400.00
For a $2500 sleeve, the deposit is $500.00
For a $3000 sleeve, the deposit is $500.00
Sessions are then between $300.00 to $500.00 each, depending on the work that needs to be done, scheduling and your finances.
Patchwork Sleeves
The idea behind patchwork sleeves is that you get smaller tattoos little by little. You start with similarly sized small to medium tattoos and fill your arm as time and money allows. Once you have all the larger tattoo space taken up, you start to do filler tattoos and filler, which in traditional patchwork sleeves is little stars or dots. “Patchwork” is a new term coined by the newer generation of tattoo artists, which explains the pay-as-you-get style sleeve. It’s the exact same way traditional tattoo sleeves have been built for decades.
A couple tips for building a patchwork tattoo sleeve:
- Decide on a color theme before you start getting tattooed, this keeps your sleeve looking consistent. For example, “red, black and grey”, “blue, orange and electric green”, or “pink, purple, teal”. You can pick any colors, but its good to have three main ones.
- Pick an overall theme, or two or three, then mix it up. Generally, three themes, like, your favorite comic book series, book series or tv shows, or your hobbies make excellent jumping off points. The reason I say limit it to three main themes as the max is because things get to be a little crazy when you go too far, and it’s harder to make the sleeve look coherent.
- Wait for things like stars and fillers till all the medium and large tattoos are complete. The reason is, when the filler dots or stars are done by different artists, they can age at differing rates, or have a difference in style, which ruins the overall look and feel of the sleeve. so leave the tiny stuff till last.
The minimum deposit for a patchwork sleeve is $300.00 This pays for the artist to generate ideas for your tattoo sleeve. Typically, there will be multiple concepts for each idea, and you can pick and choose the best ones to be finalized for your sleeve.
Patchwork sleeves do not require a Check-in Appointment. At the time of your first session you can simply pick the design or designs you want to start with, and give notes on the ones that aren’t quite ready yet.
Patchwork Style sleeves are a little less complicated when it comes to planning, but they take the same amount of drawing effort.
The cost for a patchwork sleeve session is by the piece or pieces that you’re getting done that day. So, you can pick and choose from the designs that were generated for you, and choose whichever ones you want to start with. Each design would be between $150.00 and $350.00 for small to medium designs.
