How much would a half arm sleeve tattoo cost?
filed in Xdela Community on Aug.01, 2010
I’m planning on getting a tattoo of a phoenix, starting from my upper back of the shoulder to my arm, so basically like a half arm sleeve, i guess. I’m currently in San Jose, and I’d like to know how much would this cost? And also, this drawing of this phoenix is of my own, will the tattoo parlor print it out and put it on my body? Will that cost more? I’m willing to go to as many sessions. Let me know, please. Thanks.
August 1st, 2010 on 1:05 am
For larger tats and more extensive work, most shops bill by the hour. A upper-half-sleeve is going to run several hundred, easily over $1000, depending on color, detail and number of individual tats. A phoenix is a single tat, whereas sleeves are usually many diff tats, sometimes done on a single theme. Shops start with a shop fee anywhere from $40-100, then charge anywhere from $80-150 an hour depending on tat detail and color. They aren’t cheap, but make sure you go to a highly recommended place so you get your money’s worth. Sometimes the better places aren’t the more expensive ones, b/c they know that tattoo lovers will come back for further business.
They usually don’t charge for a design of your own, thought the artist may want to rework it to something that is more feasible to do and attractive for where you want it. Tattoo design is not just drawing. If you don’t have any tats yet, I doubt you are going to be able to sit through a half-sleeve, let alone a large tattoo with color and all. Start small.
August 1st, 2010 on 1:05 am
they will do any art for a deposit that will go towards the tattoo. so like $50 that they will keep if you wimp out. it will probably be like 7 hours im guessing, depending on size, at $100-$150/hour.