You will be surprised to know that half sleeve tattoos are more popular than full sleeve tattoos. This is because people either opt-out of full sleeve tattoos because of job-related policies or they simply do not like getting tattooed on their sleeves. Half sleeves tattoos opt either on just one arm or both upper arms. Here we have chosen 50 meaningful half sleeve tattoos for men and women –
Mens Half Sleeve Tattoo Designs
1. One of the most impressive half sleeve tattoo idea would be to try a biomechanical half sleeve tattoo or a 3D half sleeve tattoo like this.
2. Here is another 3D half sleeve tattoo design in the style of a star on this guy. What makes it stand out of other tattoos is the use of one-word tattoos inside it.
3. What would be more patriotic tattoo then a half sleeve national flag tattoo design? I would really appreciate the art of this tattoo artist who tattooed a very realistic flag tattoo.
4. If you are a religious person then you should either try a half sleeve Jesus tattoo or a half sleeves Mary tattoo design. In both designs don’t forget to show the cross.
5. Half sleeve tattoos need not cover up the entire portion. You could opt for a simple half sleeve tattoo design such as that of a snake. Many people also opt for quarter sleeve tattoos.
6. Some half sleeve tattoos are just up to the elbow but if you opt for a tribal design like a Maori tattoo or a Polynesian tattoo then you might like it in a longer style like this.
7. You can also have a temporary half sleeve tattoo design made using watercolor or pastel color. Here the artist inked a beautiful half sleeve Buddha tattoo which is made using pastel color.
8. If you are in the navy then a cool idea would be to try either a compass tattoo as a half sleeve tattoo or an anchor tattoo as a half sleeve tattoo. You can also give try to both designs in one tattoo.
9. Couples can have matching sleeve tattoo designs and a very romantic idea is to get tattooed with a couple of silhouette with beautiful landscape tattoo in the background.
10. If you are not very much interested in a half sleeve tattoo then you might like quarter sleeve tattoos. Here is a cross tattoo design on the quarter sleeve of this guy. I would recommend you reading these fashion tips for men to make yourself more appealing.
half sleeve tattoos with meaning
11. On cool thing about half sleeve tattoos is that you can try large size tattoos or a big scenario. Here this girl got tattooed with foxes and reindeers on her sleeve and also added vibrant colors to the background.
12. If you want to try scary tattoos or tattoos inspired by devil or horror movies then please try them in large size. While chest or back is an ideal option for such tattoos but trusts me you won’t be disappointed by the look that you will get from such tattoos on half sleeves.
13. Most half sleeve tattoos start from the upper portion of the shoulder and then ends up to the elbow. But you can also try a specific half sleeve tattoo that begins from the mid-portion of the bicep just like this dog tattoo.
14. If you already have a tattoo design on your bicep but want to convert it to a half sleeve tattoo then add a natural landscape design to the background. It works in many tattoo designs.
15. My personal preference for dreamcatcher tattoos would be to try them on the back or on the stomach but many people also admire dreamcatcher half sleeve tattoos like this.
16. If you want a matching half sleeve tattoo design on both your upper arms then there would be a no better option than angel wing tattoo designs.
17. Half sleeve tattoos need not cover all of the areas of the upper arm. You can have a flower vine tattoo on your half sleeve like this.
18. One really interesting half sleeve tattoo idea would be to try face close up a tattoo of any animal. Elephants are very popular for this due to their long trunk.
19. If you believe in afterlife and karma then a very impressive half sleeve tattoo idea for you would be to try stairway to heaven tattoo. If you don’t believe in it then try a wooden pier tattoo.
20. If you want to try a unique half sleeve tattoo design then I would recommend you to try combinations of different colors. For example here is a half sleeve tribal tattoo in blue color.
best half sleeve tattoos
21. No other tattoo design would be as satisfying on sleeve as a portrait tattoo of your favourite person or character. Here is a joker half sleeve tattoo that is imagined a unique appearance.
22. If you do not want to go by the above half sleeve joker tattoo then I am sure that you will admire this Joker tattoo which is inspired by the Heath Ledger’s Joker.
23. If you want a cover-up a tattoo design for your upper sleeve then I would suggest you consider a fish tattoo design. A large size fish tattoo (a shark or a whale tattoo) would not only look great on the half sleeve but also would be a good choice for the cover-up.
24. If you are in the navy then you should try half sleeve nautical tattoos. Here is a traditional lighthouse tattoo design on the upper sleeve of this man.
25. There are many different representations of the Yin Yang tattoo designs. If you have a large size representation in mind then you should get it tattooed on your upper sleeve. Here is a Lion tattoo on the upper sleeve in the style of Yin Yang.
26. A biomechanical tattoo design s brilliant as this can only be pulled off by an experienced tattoo artist. This is one in a million tattoo designs so make sure you find the right artist for it.
27. Colorful half sleeve tattoo designs would fade away much quicker than black and grey half sleeve tattoos. But if the colored tattoos are as good as this little mermaid tattoo then try them without any second thought.
28. Another cool option for half sleeve tattoos is music tattoos. You can either pick up a large size musical instrument tattoo or if you like singing then try a large size microphone tattoo design on the sleeve.
29. If your ancestor’s roots back to Native American then are proud to show your heritage by opting for a native American half sleeve tattoo design like this.
30. Here is an owl tattoo design on the half sleeve of this guy. The attractive point of this owl tattoo is its blue eyes that are cleverly inked.
half sleeve tattoos for men ideas
31. Peacock tattoos are rarely opted by men or women but if you like the bird or you like dancing then consider a peacock tattoo design on your half sleeve.
32. You will find many Maori and Aztec paintings and drawings on sites like Tumblr, Pinterest or DeviantArt. Check out those sketches and pick out a design for your half sleeve tattoo.
33. If you do not want a detailed half sleeve tattoo design then one good option for you is to try a quote tattoo. Pick up a long and meaningful quote for this.
34. Mothers can have a large size half sleeve tattoo design of a mother-child (like this Jesus Mary tattoo) on the half sleeve. Fathers can also try the same.
35. I liked the detailing of sky and sea in this amazing half sleeve tattoo design on this girl. You can also try this tattoo design.
36. This skull tattoo design on the upper sleeve of this woman seems to be inspired by the Mad Max movie series. However, I won’t recommend you to use two skulls, instead try a danger sign tattoo design.
37. This snake tattoo design on this man can be made jaw-dropping good. All you have to do is show the snake constricting the arms. The more realistic the snake tattoo will be the more positive reactions you will get.
38. Real superheroes don’t wear a cape. If you have high beliefs in yourself then a cool half sleeve tattoo idea would be to try a biomechanical tattoo where the artist shows a hidden superhero inside you just like this.
39. Sure this stairway tattoo design is amazing and jaw-dropping good but I don’t think it is very meaningful. What do you say?
40. Upper sleeve tattoo designs need to either black and grey or colored. An outline tattoo like this flower outline tattoo might not look good to everyone.
tribal half sleeve tattoos
41. Couples can try medium to large size matching sun and moon tattoos on their upper sleeve. Here is a cool design for couples.
42. Ever thought of getting flash tattoos? How about trying a superhero flash tattoo design on the half sleeve?
43. I don’t know the reason why the Tigers in this tattoo design have jewelry pieces on their head but they sure look impressive.
44. One interesting tattoo design that you can try on your half sleeve is double exposure tattoo. Here is a double exposure tattoo of a skull and a tree.
45. Blackwork tattoo art will look amazing on half sleeves. Here is a neo-tribal half sleeve tattoo design which is made using solid black thick ink.
46. Many girls opt for trash tattoos and one such tattoo design is to try an emo angel tattoo along with a unicorn tattoo.
47. This magnificent unicorn tattoo design on the upper sleeve of this lady is carried out using watercolor and it surely is very attractive.
48. There are many Celtic patterns too available online that you can pick up for your tattoo design. Here is a medium size Celtic tattoo on the upper sleeve of this man.
49. You can pick up your favourite flower and have a large size realistic flower tattoo design on upper sleeve.
50. This incredible wold tattoo design on the half sleeve of this man is really good. There is no need to add the wolf silhouette in it.
Which wolf tattoo design from the above photo gallery you liked the most?
