A tattoo is a stylish, attractive, and meaningful accessory. Each tattoo style has distinctive features that differently affect these three characteristics. Some designs may be more stylish, while others can be more meaningful.
However, what if we tell you that one design is a possible leader in all characteristics and its name is patchwork? We will describe what patchwork tattoos are, show you 60+ designs, explain how to get them and how long it will take, and calculate their cost.
What Are Patchwork Tattoos?
Patchwork tattoos originated from patchwork patterns. People created them with pieces of fabric of different colors sewn together. As for patchwork tattoos, they have the following distinguishing features:
- Diversity. Patchwork tattoo consists of various elements.
- No connection between elements. The elements are not combined, and the space between them is free of ink.
- The same style of elements. All elements that are in your patchwork are in the same tattoo style. It can be either American traditional tattoos, minimalist, realistic, or blackwork ones. It all depends on your aesthetic preferences.
How To Get A Patchwork Tattoo?
The easiest way to get a patchwork idea is to make a sleeve tattoo. If you have a design on your arm, complete it with others you like. There are no specific rules on how to choose the elements of a patchwork tattoo. It all depends on you.
If you don’t have arm tattoos, choose a few objects you like the most, show them to the tattoo artist, and get a patchwork design!
Answer From An Expert: How Long Does It Take To Get A Patchwork Tattoo?
Usually, patchwork tattoos are medium or large designs. Even though they don’t require a lot of small details, such an idea can take a lot of time. You will have to wait 6–12 hours to get a patchwork design. However, if you want a large back or chest tattoo, the process can take up to 80 hours.
60+ Trendy Patchwork Designs for Men & Women
It is difficult to single out specific patchwork tattoo designs because each is a set of unique elements. Therefore, we have identified more general groups of ideas on different body parts and in various styles. Check out 50+ patchwork tattoos, get acquainted with their meanings, and choose the one that best suits your style and character!
Men’s
Men prefer to get large patchwork tattoos on their entire arms, chest, or back. Similar designs were got by sailors who plied the oceans and did not give up in the most challenging circumstances. Therefore, such ideas emphasize masculinity and mean that you are a brave person who is not afraid to face challenges.
Women’s
Women’s patchwork tattoos consist of elements that are smaller than those used in men’s designs. Also, girls prefer to get such ideas on their arms and legs, forming a full or half-sleeve tattoo.
It is important to note that such designs take a long time. So, a full sleeve may require from 5 to 10 sessions, depending on the style. The realistic tattoo one takes the most time because it requires detailed shadows.
With Tiger
The tiger is presented in patchwork tattoos in the American traditional style. If you add it to your patchwork tattoo, it will have the following meanings:
🐅 Influence;
🐅 Dignity;
🐅 Intelligence;
🐅 Passion.
Traditional
We have mentioned the traditional style many times before, so let’s get acquainted with its distinguishing features:
➜ Thick outlines around each tattoo element;
⚪ Lack of shadows and volume;
🎨 Use of red, green, blue, and yellow colors.
Large tattoos in the traditional style follow the principles of the patchwork design because they are composed of scattered elements, the spaces between which are not filled with ink.
Minimalistic
Minimalism tattoo is a separate style that has the following distinctive features:
| Smooth and clear contours;
◉ Monochrome design (one or two colors are used);
⚪ No ink filling.
Also, minimalistic patchwork designs look more neat and concise. Therefore, girls prefer such tattoos.
Sleeve
The main feature of a regular sleeve tattoo is that the entire surface should be filled with ink. However, patchwork designs do not follow this rule. Such ideas are also on the arm and form a sleeve but with empty spaces between the elements.
Also, it is worth noting that there are three main types of sleeve tattoos:
– 1 Full sleeve (shoulder to wrist);
– Half sleeve (from shoulder to elbow or from elbow to wrist);
– Quarter sleeve.
On The Forearm
The forearm is one of the most popular places to get patchwork tattoos. The following are the reasons:
- Designs on this body part are less painful than on others due to the thick layer of muscles;
- The tattoo can be extended to the shoulder to get a full sleeve;
- You can hide the design from sun rays under your clothes. It will protect it from fading and save color depth.
On The Leg
People most often get patchwork leg tattoos in the form of full sleeves. They are located from the hips to the ankles. Such designs have the following advantages:
– Covering scars, stretch marks, and cellulite.
– Emphasizing the developed muscles of the legs.
– Creating a tattoo that will be visible from afar.
On The Arm
People get patchwork arm tattoos from the shoulder to the elbow. Most often they form a half or quarter sleeve. Such designs are in demand among tattoo artists and their regular customers. The reasons are the following:
💪 The arm’s relief and the use of shadows allow you to get voluminous patchwork designs;
💪 The process of getting a tattoo is almost painless because there is a large layer of muscles on the arm;
💪 The skin on the arm ages slowly and has no wrinkles. So your design will look new for a long time;
💪 The arm is easy to protect from UV (Ultraviolet) which makes tattoos fade.
On The Chest
In the case of patchwork tattoos, the chest is one of the best body places to get designs. The following reasons account for this:
✅ You can get ideas on the chest and combine them with other elements on the shoulder, neck, or abdomen.
✅ The flat surface of this body part allows the tattoo artist to comfortably perform small details.
✅ You can expand your design on the chest and get a full upper body patchwork tattoo.
On The Stomach
Patchwork stomach tattoos are usually combined with chest ideas to get a full upper-body design. Such a composition will look very impressive and help you emphasize the advantages of your body and hide its flaws.
However, getting a tattoo on the stomach can be painful because of many nerve endings.
On The Shoulder
A patchwork shoulder tattoo can serve as a link to combine chest and arm designs. However, you can also get a separate idea. In this case, you should familiarize yourself with the benefits of such a tattoo:
– The thick skin layer ensures a painless tattooing process;
– The roundness of the shoulder joint allows us to get voluminous patchwork designs.
Let’s Count It: Patchwork Tattoos Cost
Patchwork tattoos are most often sleeves or large designs. Therefore, when calculating the cost, we will consider such ideas in different styles. Let’s count!
| Tattoo size/Tattoo style | Blackwork | American traditional | Realism |
| Medium (up to 10 cm / 4”) | $840 | $1,290.00 | $3,290.00 |
| Large (>30cm / 12″) | $1,200 | $1,850.50 | $4,850.00 |
Summary
A patchwork tattoo is a versatile design that consists of many elements which you can choose due to your preferences. Thanks to this, the patchwork design will always be unique. Moreover, each element has its meaning, which is worth knowing to create an attractive design that will emphasize your character.
To simplify the above-listed processes, we collected 60+ patchwork tattoo ideas with meanings, clarified what features this style has, indicated how long it takes to get a design, and calculated its approximate cost.
FAQ
🧐 Are Patchwork Tattoos Trendy?
Patchwork tattoo is a popular design that is taking over the world trends. It is in demand even among celebrities. Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, Halsey, and others have such tattoos.
❓ How To Turn Patchwork Tattoos Into Sleeves?
A patchwork tattoo is the easiest to turn into a sleeve because it consists of different elements. However, it is worth noting that the most attractive patchwork tattoos are in the same style, for example, blackwork or traditional.
💰 How Much Does a Patchwork Tattoo Sleeve Cost?
Patchwork tattoos are usually medium or large, so their price can be higher than average. You should expect to pay $840-$4,850.
