Case Study · Completed March 2024
The Only Fools and Horses Sleeve: Six Trotters, One Van, Two Sittings
A fully wrapped arm carrying the whole of Nelson Mandela House: Del Boy, Rodney, Uncle Albert and the yellow Trotter van down the outer arm, Grandad, Trigger and Boycie down the inner — in black and grey realism, completed in two 8-hour sittings, one week apart.
An Old Soul With a Lovely Jubbly Obsession
Leon came to me in his early twenties — a proper old soul, absolutely obsessed with Only Fools and Horses. Not casually-watched-a-few-episodes obsessed: the real thing. He wanted the Trotters with him permanently, and he wanted the whole family.
Lucky for him, I'm a big Only Fools fan myself — so this one was a joy from the first message. He told me the characters he couldn't live without; I designed a custom composition that wrapped the whole arm and still finished within the sittings: three portraits per profile, connected with the van, the show's logo and Uncle Albert's “During the war…” at the wrist.
Sitting One: The Outer Arm
One 8-hour sitting, top to bottom: Del Boy in his flat cap at the shoulder, Rodney on the upper arm, the yellow Reliant van rolling through the show's logo lettering on the forearm, and Uncle Albert finishing at the wrist with “During the war…”
This is the single-sitting method doing exactly what it's designed for: three main portraits and a connecting centrepiece, composed for contrast and impact, finished in one day.
Sitting Two: The Inner Arm
A week later, the wrap: Grandad under his trilby at the top of the inner arm, Trigger through the middle, and Boycie — cigar in hand — down at the wrist.
The inner arm is the more sensitive profile, which is exactly why it gets its own fresh 8-hour day rather than being crammed onto the end of a marathon. Two proper sittings, two fresh starts, one seamless wrap.
The Finished Wrap
Six portraits, the van, two pieces of lettering — a complete Only Fools and Horses world wrapped around one arm in sixteen hours of tattooing. Today this exact project books as the Fully Wrapped Arm Sleeve: £1100 across two 8-hour sittings (a £100 saving versus booking them separately), with a £300 deposit securing both dates.
Thinking About Your Own?
- How much does an Only Fools and Horses tattoo sleeve cost?
- At Liam Rebel Tattoos in Sheffield, one full arm profile — three character portraits connected with custom shading — is £600 in a single 8-hour sitting. A fully wrapped arm like this one (outer and inner together) is £1100 as a package across two 8-hour sittings, with a £300 deposit securing both dates.
- How long does an Only Fools and Horses sleeve take?
- This sleeve took two 8-hour sittings, one week apart. The outer arm — Del Boy, Rodney, the Trotter van with the show's logo, and Uncle Albert — was completed in the first sitting; the inner arm — Grandad, Trigger and Boycie — in the second. Each profile is designed from the start to be finished in its one sitting.
- Which Only Fools and Horses characters work best as tattoos?
- Any of them — the key is bold, high-contrast portrait references. This sleeve carries six: Del Boy, Rodney, Uncle Albert, Grandad, Trigger and Boycie, plus the yellow Reliant van and two pieces of lettering ('Only Fools and Horses' and 'During the war…'). Catchphrases work brilliantly as connecting elements between portraits.
- Do I need to design my TV-themed sleeve myself?
- No. You bring the theme and the characters you want — like this client did — and Liam designs the full composition so it flows with your arm and finishes within the sitting. You approve the design before your appointment date.
Your Show. Your Characters. Your Sleeve.
Only Fools, Peaky Blinders, Stranger Things — if it's got characters you love, it can be a sleeve. Tell me the show and who's in it; I'll design the composition.