What are tattoo sleeves? – How They Evolve
The accumulation of tattoos often begins with a single design, but then escalates into an array of tattoos. Many people will start off with a tattoo that is hidden from the public and slowly add more. There are other individuals who go all out and get tattoo sleeves right from the start. What are tattoo sleeves? Well, they are exactly what they sound like; a variety of tattoos that covers a person’s arm just like the sleeve of a shirt would.
Some tattoo sleeves are made to look like medieval armor or other types of clothing. There are sleeves that consist of a number of images to make up a tattooed mural on the arm of the wearer. A single tattoo can easily be the start of a sleeve. Getting one tattoo placed on the arm and then slowly adding more and more to the same arm will eventually form a sleeve of tattoos. However, many people prefer to have a tattoo sleeve that all fits together, as opposed to the shear randomness of many designs.
There are full sleeves and partial sleeves of tattoos. Full sleeves span the entire length of the arm; from wrist to shoulder. A partial sleeve can be either from the wrist to the elbow or from the elbow to the shoulder. If the sleeves are to be a matching set, such as with designs that look like a suit of armor, then many people prefer to have both sleeves done by the same person.
However, there are instances where two tattooists with similar styles will each tattoo a sleeve on at the same time. This might make the designs a bit different, but then both arms will be covered at the same time in tattoo sleeves.
Now you know what are tattoo sleeves and how they come about.
What are tattoos used for? – Meanings of Some Tattoos
Tattoos have different meanings to each person. Some are meanings that are attached to the design of the tattoo, while other meanings are personal ones that the tattooed individual has come up with. So, what are tattoos used for?
The simplest answer to this question would be; it depends.
Long ago tattoos were used to mark someone’s property, whether this item was an animal or a person. Tattoos had specific shapes that belonged to a certain family. Livestock that were left to roam could easily be identified with the tattoos placed on their skin. People were marked in the same manner when slavery was common.
Usually there is a reason behind getting a tattoo. It could be that the person receiving the tattoo wants to remember someone who died. People often have tattoos of loved ones who are deceased or even a beloved pet that is no longer living. Sometimes tattoos are a symbol of a specific event that had a dramatic effect on an individual. There are often hidden meanings in a tattoo that are only understood by the person who asked for it to be placed on his/her body.
The event that inspired the tattoo can be a positive or a negative experience. Some people choose to forget a traumatic experience, while others wish to remember it for always by having a certain tattoo as a constant reminder.
For example, many war veterans have tattoos that let other veterans know which war they served in.
Tattoos can be a symbol of pride and to show others how the bearer of the tattoo s feels about certain issues. Deciding what are tattoos used for in your particular lifestyle will help you to determine if they are right for you. Not everyone is cut out for getting a tattoo or they get one for no reason at all and regret this decision later on.