ah, the bracelet. While the once-popular tattoo style has fallen out of the spotlight in the past, lately it has returned to the arms of gentlemen all over the world.
Long ago, traditional tribal armband tattoos weren’t the only way to distinguish a man’s role or rank among a group of people. the truth is that their purpose was often associated with a variety of different meanings, not to mention materials as well.
In historical times, such as the Bronze Age, bangles were actually made of bronze and jet, a minor gemstone formed from petrified wood under tremendous pressure. of course back then the metal band took a slightly different name of “arm ring”.
however, even with the passage of time, you will still find bangles in use by sri lanka’s kandyan percussionists celebrating a millennia-old tradition. And if you look back in Sri Lankan history, you’ll find stories of brides wearing bangles to keep bad luck at bay.
In medieval times, during jousting, knights wore scarves or kerchiefs around their arms to show emotional affiliation or conviction for their lady. If you’ve ever wondered where the phrase “wear your heart on your sleeve” comes from, there’s your answer.
Traditions aside, bangles can be found on the arms of men from all walks of life, including the military (a brassard), the press, sports teams, and more. Interestingly, the modern meaning of distinguishing which group, team, rank, or role someone belongs to has literally the same connection to the past.
That said, there are many different reasons to get an armband tattoo. Sure, historical times rarely justified tattoos and instead opted for cloth and metal, however, if something is important to you, why not get it permanently tattooed? after all, that’s the point of tattoos to begin with.
Take a moment to explore these 70 best armband tattoo designs for men below. I’m sure you’ll find plenty of sleeve ideas, from classic to cool to modern and more.
1. dotwork armband tattoos
This is an expertly executed piece of tattoo art that would have taken twice as long as its size would have you think. Using these two divergent ideas, blackwork and dot work, come together to create a beautiful geometric theme. every part of this tattoo screams quality.
The stippling shading on this 3 tier armband tattoo is fantastic. the top image alone is interesting, it uses angles exceptionally well to create depth and flair within the tight space. the other two bands are showing off in the best way. here, laborious dotwork is stylishly employed to create very different shapes on the subject’s forearm.
This type of band tattoo is found on the forearm and is made up, at least to some extent, of the dotwork technique. This technique is an interesting and unique way to form a tattoo on the skin by means of a collection of small dots.
Many of these tattoos have more than one band and only some of them are made up of dots. others are simply a lone band made using the technique. dot work is often only applied to part of the band or bands. That said, this is in no way a rule or limitation, and ultimately the dotwork method can be done in more than one way.
The specific location of this tattoo on the forearm is also important. on the forearm, one band (or multiple bands) is in a fairly straightforward position. In other words, it is not only easy to hide or show, what the particular man wants to do at a given moment, it is much more. mainly, for example, it’s also incremental in the sense that it’s often quite aesthetically pleasing. The dotted forearm band tattoo is interesting and attractive.
2. tribal black band forearm tattoos
Designed in a variety of styles, tribal black band tattoos on the forearm are constantly creative and impressive. These fantastic works of art display different signs and symbols in unison with solid black bands. sometimes these symbols are between the bands, other times inside.
No matter how they are formatted, however, tribal black band tattoos are definitely something that can hold a lot of value. the meanings of its symbols are not always obvious, but there is no doubt that they always have great meaning.
3. oriental inspired forearm band tattoos
This is a high flying armband tattoo. it is a masterpiece because it uses difficult techniques to achieve the mosaic effect. the line work is precise, sharp and well drawn. the dot work is painstaking, and the seemingly effortless creation of clearly defined geometric patterns is a testament to the artist’s high level of skill.
Using zero space effectively is a skill that separates competent artists from the best tattoo artists. The quality of this deceptively simple black tattoo lies in the artist’s use of non-tattooed areas to create seamless patterns and shapes on the inside of the bracelet.
4. geometric band tattoos on the forearm
Coming in different thickness ranges, these tattoo bands are often mesmerizing to the viewer. similarly, they are surely rough ink pieces to place on the arm. These tattoos come in many different designs and patterns and often represent much more than one might think.
they may appear to some as mere collection bands of neat and rough looking shapes. in reality, however, they are truly significant and often mesmerizing pieces of body art.
5. innovative band tattoos on the forearm
Some forearm band tattoos are not only interesting and unique but also innovative. this may be true in the sense that they achieve new feats of tattooing artistically or even aesthetically. Tattoo innovation can also be seen in the way an artist executes a piece when it comes to the creativity or distinctive character that is given to that piece.
6. christian forearm band tattoos
Although many tattoos refer to god or any other type of religious or spiritual belief, some are much more direct about it than others. this is certainly true for forearm band tattoos, as it is for many other types of ink.
Christian band tattoos on the forearm often incorporate different aspects and well-known signs of the Christian faith, such as a cross or another common symbol found in the midst of Christian faith and tradition. These tattoos mean a lot to many people as they can serve as a reminder of spiritual direction or religious convictions.
7. negative space forearm band tattoo
Some forearm band tattoos show significant signs, shapes, symbols and other characters of meaning, but in a different way than those mentioned above here. that’s because instead of using the tattoo ink to form such symbols, shapes, etc., they essentially do the opposite.
These tattoos make great use of the negative space outlined by the ink rather than the ink itself. It is a creative and powerful way to highlight a desired artwork in a band tattoo through a different approach.
8. black ink armband forearm tattoos
A simple set of geometric designs can make for effective armband tattoos. this piece of art is just six narrow but solid bands tattooed around the inner forearm. it’s a crisp, crisp grouping of bands done neatly and spaced efficiently.
Tribal armband tattoos were very popular at the turn of the century when ink became a more accepted part of mainstream culture. this piece is reminiscent of that style: thick black spikes etched in a tight circle around the forearm, just below the elbow.
innovative technical ideas for band tattoos
This unique set of matching hatches is a cool bracelet design. the days are marked in a variety of different style groupings to form a nice piece, the simple dot work creates a border at slightly different points of both artworks.
The key to this minimalist bracelet is the use of different lines, as well as hollow and colored dots, to effectively highlight the main, thicker bracelet running through the image. it immediately evokes a latitude/longitude vibe when you look at it.
This decorative armband tattoo uses a stencil format to create a thick, clean black tattoo. it is similar in design to the edges of picture frames, pots, and even household pottery.
This Aztec-inspired ink brick is great. the main element of this piece is the shading, done with a dot work approach rather than the traditional black grey. the line work in this art captures the artist’s focus on attention to detail.
Well-executed minimalist armband tattoos are a lot of fun, and this body art is a terrific example. combine a simple single line band around the arm with a group of flat black birds to create a stunning image.
Effective geometric shapes created with singular lines of black make this patterned bracelet one of a kind. is a simple but useful technique for creating a series of interesting shapes.
This is a broader style of armband tattoos for men. it closely resembles a gladiator’s bracer or armguard. The tattoo uses a nice mix of black lines to create clear, well-defined shapes within the image, backed up by effortless gray and negative space shading.
The piece in this image uses a nice gradient of color steps from deep red to black. the parts look almost like dipped litmus paper. the way the artist applied the color makes the brighter red parts of the tattoo reflect a permanently open wound.
This tribal piece is a work of true technical skill. a single needle was used here, giving it the sharpness of lines and pattern within the band needed to show off the artist’s skill, while zero space is also effective in shaping the design.
This tattoo uses an interesting pattern, but the most impressive part of the piece is how clean and fresh the line looks. if you compare it to the previous tattoo below, the contrast in quality is like night and day.
natural band tattoo ideas
There are many elements to this spectacular armband tattoo. uses classic black work throughout, but also combines a clever variety of different needlepoint patterns to create different styles of shadow and line work on the skin. the way the sky is inked has an almost fish-scale quality to shadow work.
great use of soft color on the fox to make the mountain band a nice piece of art. the soft tone helps the fox blend in with the rest of the image and suggest a mountain stream, especially with the way it’s been shaded to create a waterfall effect on the fur. the line work in all stages of this artwork is precise.
armband tattoo frequently asked questions
what does a solid armband tattoo mean?
Solid armband tattoos traditionally pay tribute to a lost loved one, much in the same way that athletes wear black armbands to commemorate the death of a significant or personally significant figure in the club.
The tattooed black bracelet allows the person to remember their loss by recognizing the body art that represents their memory.
what are other reasons to get a black armband tattoo?
Remembrance isn’t the only reason people choose to get black armband tattoos. in tribal cultures, such as the collective tribal tattoos of Polynesia or the older cultures of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, they represent strength and courage or are part of a larger geometric pattern that is important for symbolic themes such as balance traditional between life and death.
At other times, a black armband tattoo may be more effective at covering up previous old or poorly drawn tattoos, such as poorly drawn barbed wire or Celtic armbands. They are also very popular with tattoo collectors who love the circular designs and geometric use of alternating black ink and negative space.
How much does an armband tattoo cost?
prices for small armband tattoos can range from $150 for the simplest designs (think minimalist line work done with a single needle) to over $1000 for more intricate and complex work such as armbands with points or bracelet designs with biomechanical themes.
The average price is between $150 and $200 per hour. Highly-skilled and in-demand artists can charge up to $500 per hour, while apprentices and less-skilled artists are as low as $75.00 per hour.
Remember that a 15% tip is average, but 20% is highly recommended for quality work, and always be sure to clarify the price with your artist before sitting down to get tattooed.
