A full leg sleeve tattoo is a commitment of your time, money, and patience. The process will test your courage and your pain threshold. It typically takes three or more sessions to complete your full-leg masterpiece, and you’ll have to bear the burden of waiting for completion.
The leg sleeve involves designs that can stretch from your toes right up to your hips. You can choose an independent piece for one of your legs, or one encompassing both limbs. If you want a half-sleeve, then covering your calf is a great idea, with designs stretching down to cover your ankles and feet. We’ve all seen sleeves that have no continuity, looking like someone made themselves a sketchpad for a tattoo artist. The best sleeves have continuity in the design, with patterns or other visual components connecting the feature pieces in a common theme. Whether it’s a three-quarter, half, or quarter sleeve, placement, and sizing matter.
How do you intend to display your leg sleeve? The thighs are a popular site for leg sleeves, but if you never slip into a bikini, then a lower-leg sleeve would probably be a better choice. The placement is a critical consideration, and once the tattoo is on – there’s no turning back.
Placing the centerpieces of your sleeve on your thigh, or the back of your calf draw the most attention. The back of the legs and the front of the calves suit smaller continuity designs that pull everything together. Think about how the lines of the design flow with your musculature and the curves of your body. A well-placed stencil will give you the guidance you need to make your decision.
Your choice of a tattoo artist is as important as your design. You’ll need an artist with the experience of working on sleeves, and they are a specialty that only elite artists can handle.
