Sleeve tattoo

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Ozzy Osbourne with his sleeve tattoo evident.
Ozzy Osbourne with his sleeve tattoo evident.

A sleeve tattoo (or tattoo sleeve) is a very large tattoo, or a collection of smaller tattoos, that cover, or almost covers, a person's entire arm, usually from shoulder to wrist. The term "sleeve" is a reference to the tattoo's size similarity in coverage to a long shirt sleeve on an article of clothing. In this manner, the term is also used as a verb; for example, "getting sleeved" means to have one's entire arm tattooed. The term "sleeve" is also sometimes used in reference to a large leg tattoo that covers a person's leg in a similar manner.

"Half-sleeves" or "quarter-sleeves" are tattoos that cover only part of an arm, usually above the elbow. The term "sleeve" implies complete tattoo coverage of a particular area, so a "half sleeve" is a tattoo that covers the entire upper arm. A "quarter sleeve" usually covers the entire part of an arm that is above a short-sleeved shirt line.

Sleeve tattoos are a collaboration between a tattoo artist and customer to demonstrate a personal and unified artistic theme. Other times, a sleeve is created when a person has many smaller tattoos on his/her arm and later has them "connected" with background tattooing to form a sleeve. Pre-planned sleeves generally require many long hours of tattooing and can take weeks, months or years to complete.

Some organizations (such as the United States Marine Corps) have proposed rules banning sleeves among their members. Nevertheless, tattoo sleeves have become so popular that several clothing companies have produced apparel that simulates the look of tattoo sleeves using transparent mesh fabric that has designs printed on them; these products have been criticized by some in the tattoo community who feel that they undeservedly emulate an aesthetic without the commitment and thus cheapen the artistic dedication of those who have real tattoo sleeves.

Some famous people with sleeve tattoos include:

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