You’ve probably heard of full sleeves and half sleeves, but have you considered a quarter sleeve? It’s a great way to get a tattoo around your arm while being discreet about it.
When it comes to sleeves, there are three types every man should know about:
the first being full, which means from the shoulder to the wrist. the second, medium, which extends from the shoulder to the elbow or slightly above. And lastly, that’s what I’d like to talk to you about today, the fourth manga.
These tattoos start at the shoulder and end at the middle of the bicep, or they can start at the wrist and end at the middle of the forearm.
Apart from the smaller size, what makes them really unique is their discreet character. you still enjoy the benefits of ink wrapping around your arm with a full bottom, along with the benefits of being able to easily cover them with clothing.
Of course, as time goes on, you can always add more ink to your arm. it’s a great way to avoid the grueling hours and hours spent sitting in the chair while doing a full or even half sleeve. Not to mention, you can also stretch your budget and slowly finance your dream tattoo over a longer period of time.
To see what I mean, take a moment to explore these 70 Best Quarter Sleeve Tattoo Designs For Men below. You’ll find everything from realistic styles to watercolor ink ideas and more.
Just note that I’ve also included a handful of styles that push the boundaries of a true quarter sleeve for inspiration’s sake. maybe you will find a piece and a size that fits you quite well.
This is an amazing design that uses vibrant colors as well as a photorealistic representation of an eye to produce a stunning tattoo. Immediately noticeable in this piece are the vivid colors used to create a watercolor-like background, mixing different hues in a wide palette to great effect. Next is the expertly applied eye that uses fine line work to create the small details and remarkable gradation of tones to create the highlights that give it such a realistic quality. this piece is a great example of what vivid colors can do for a tattoo in the hands of a master artist.
Traditional Maori and Polynesian tattoos are a goldmine for short sleeve designs, and this is a prime example of the style. This tattoo is impressive for the level of detail in the design – the fine line work within the larger pattern is incredibly consistent, creating the effect of patterns carved into wood. Also notable is how the larger, well-planned pattern is created using negative space, adding a layer of depth and a sense of movement that creates a more dynamic tattoo and draws the eye around the entire piece. All of these components work together to demonstrate the meticulous strategy and expert application that went into completing this eye-catching tattoo.
Here’s a design that uses black and gray ink and some excellent, but limited, use of color to create a stunning dragon tattoo. the artist uses expert shading to capture the surface of the skin, creating a realistic texture that looks as if you could reach out and touch the rough scales on the dragon’s face. the shading on the muzzle fur is also well applied and adds a layer of texture which increases contrast and creates a more complex tattoo. Finally, the use of reds and oranges to create the fire in the dragon’s mouth and eyes is impressive: the different shades and the use of white highlights on the teeth create the impression that real light shines from this extraordinary tattoo. /p>
This piece eschews bright colors in favor of expert black and gray shading to create a dynamic tattoo. At the center of this quarter sleeve is a skull, cleverly rendered through the use of smooth, even shading that spares no detail in the bone texture – note the small pockmarks above the eyes and teeth, as well as the crack between the eyes. the gradation of tones used to produce the level of realism in the roses is also excellent, perfectly creating the variation from saturated black to negative space highlights that allow the details in this piece to pop. Running from the top of the tattoo to the eye of the skull is a ribbon of negative space which is an interesting stylistic choice that helps draw attention around the tattoo.
This tattoo takes a common element in Japanese tattoos (clouds) and uses it to create the entire quarter sleeve. this piece is interesting in the way it strictly uses clouds with very few accompanying features, and while this is rare, it works quite well in this piece thanks to the expert application and balanced composition. the line work that forms the outlines of the clouds is bold and consistent, creating the bones of this unique tattoo, while stippled shading is used to give the clouds depth and texture. the variation in densities of the dotwork, from near-full saturation in the center of the clouds to full negative space at their edges, is expert and allows what might have been a boring design to stand out.
This is a gorgeous design and a great example of a quarter sleeve that takes elements from Japanese tattoos and creates a stunning tattoo. the expert line work used in this piece is bold and consistent, creating an outline that allows the artist to incorporate vibrant colors without the worry of losing definition. the negative space used in the crashing waves and flowing water help create a more dynamic tattoo that is sure to turn heads.
quarter sleeve tattoo frequently asked questions
how long does a quarter sleeve tattoo last?
The length of a tattoo depends on a number of factors, primarily the artist’s skill, speed, experience and the user’s pain threshold. however, for a quarter manga, five to eight hours is a safe bet for a minimum time frame. again, this depends on how long someone can sit in the chair: if you log out after four hours, you may have to wait weeks before the artist is available to complete the design.
