by Kyle Marino

Sleeve tattoos are awesome, and can say a lot about a person. If you see someone with a full sleeve, you immediately know three things about them. One, they have the testicular fortitude to tolerate long periods of pain (regardless of it’s a girl or guy), have more patience than Ghandi, and have quite a bit of Benjamins saved. I mean, they have to if they can spend thousands on the amount of sessions and ink it takes to complete. Consider it the holy trinity of ink. True story.

Since I started getting tattooed, I’ve seen an array of different kinds of sleeve tattoos. Some included movie scenes (my favorites were the Star Wars or 80’s Horror Movie ones), family portraits, nostalgic mementos and cultural staples. When designing your sleeve tattoo your creativity should flourish, but make sure it’s something significant to you, so you avoid regretting it for the rest of your life. Don’t try to rush the process either, full sleeve tattoos usually take a few sessions. It gives your skin time to heal correctly without rejecting the ink.

So, as always let’s take a look at what others have done with their body’s canvases. Check them out and see if you can find some inspiration for your upcoming sleeve tattoos!

Sinful, Sensational, Seductive, Sleeve Show Offs

Sick black and white sleeve tattoo  - Lindz Roberts Read more →

By: Stephen Crane

Koi fish are like pieces of art unto themselves. They have gorgeous scales, and really it’s no wonder these fish are commonly used for artwork. Their color and their name are no coincidence. Koi are simply carp, a fish that’s commonly domesticated and used for food. In the 1820′s, however, Japan began to breed the carp for their colors. Interest in these brightly colored fish really began to grow in the early 20th century, however, and since then koi fish have become a not uncommon pet to see in ponds around the world. In fact, you can even find the fish in many local pet stores.

But what exactly does a koi tattoo represent, however? Koi tattoos can have many meanings depending on the specific colors. There is, however, a lot of variety involved in the color patterns and what exactly they are supposed to represent. In general, though, joi are symbols of good luck. In some tales, they also symbolize perseverance for reaching the top of a waterfall or swimming upstream against the current of a mighty river.

Still, that’s enough education for now. Let’s show off some of the amazing koi tattoos uploaded by our Painted Color readers!

Colorful Koi Tattoos

“CCallie did this from art addiction in baton rouge. Still need to color flowers and water.” – Jason Ragusa

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By: Stephen Crane

Our bodies are essentially just living canvases, right? Good ink can make any body part look cooler or even more beautiful. That’s why today’s we’ll be showing off what some of our readers have done with the biggest blank canvas: their backs! So let’s give it up for our feature today: beautiful back tattoos! If you want to be considered, go to our Facebook page and upload a photo of your tattoo with a quick caption explaining it, or where you got it from. Without further delay, here’s today’s feature.

Beautiful Back Tattoos

-Tina Marie Taylor

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By: Stephen Crane

We all get tattoos for various reasons. Sometimes we want to remember someone, other times we want to be remembered for something. Of course, those images we hold dearest are of the faces we recognize. This week we’ll be showing off some amazing portrait tattoos. Here are some of the best photos uploaded by readers like you! If you want to be considered, go to our Facebook page and upload a photo of your tattoo with a quick caption explaining it, or where you got it from. Without further delay, here’s today’s feature.

Perfect Portrait Tattoos

“Marilyn Monroe is my idol Done at Generation X in Daytona Beach, FL!” – Melissa Conway

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By: Stephen Crane

Sometimes you just really want to look at something pretty.  What better, then, than flowers? Today’s featured tattoos are devoted to those flora and flower tattoos that look just so great. Here are some of the best photos uploaded by readers like you! If you want to be considered, go to our Facebook page and upload a photo of your tattoo with a quick caption explaining it, or where you got it from. Without further delay, here’s today’s feature.

Fantastic Flower Tattoos

“Vintage roses on my right foot and leg. BOSS.” – Emily Tesina

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