If you’re getting a forearm tattoo, you probably have questions about how much pain it will cause. The answer to that depends on the size of the design, the amount of detail, and what color you choose. The more detailed and intricate a tattoo is, the more painful it will be. Thicker lines and darker shading will hurt more than light shading or thin lines. There is no single way to minimize the pain associated with a forearm tattoo, but you can minimize the discomfort by minimizing the size of the design.