Sleeves can take anywhere from 10 hours to 40 hours, depending on the level of detail, the length, chest plate or no chest plate, etc. So its a pretty huge achievement for both artist and client to complete one of these projects.
Arms can be full sleeve, 3/4 or half-sleeve for men and be within tradition and also create a strong powerful Japanese Tattoo look. Everyone will have their own opinion and work requirements may dictate otherwise but generally traditional Japanese tattoo would favor that for females it should always be a 3/4 sleeve, this gives it a distinguished feminine look, not too hard and not too serious. A ½ sleeve on a woman may look too strong for some women and a full sleeve may be too much unless there is other serious body work present to accentuate the full sleeves.
For males the chest plate covers most of the pectoral area, 2-4 centimeters from the middle of the best to just above the nipple and following along the collarbone up top. A strong chest plate really makes a sleeve look great! For a woman just a little more shoulder in the front going to the chest but not all the way on to the chest muscle, this creates a nice feminine look while staying true to traditional and finishing off the sleeve properly.
This week, Kian Forreal completed the finishing touches on three sleeves, check out the finished pieces below!
Craigs Tiger/Snake full sleeve with chest plate
Craig’s 4 Koi Full Sleeve
Jay’s Snake/Dragon Full Sleeve with chest plate
For more detailed info on Japanese Body Suit tattoos, and sleeve design work, you can also visit Kian’s personal website www.kianforreal.com