Not all tattoos represent an immutable idea.
Mistakes can often be made, an ex-girlfriend’s name, a provocative image that isn’t suitable for the workplace, or simply an outgrown tattoo are all reasons to cover up and hide your old tattoo.
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When looking to get a new cover-up tint, it’s important to note that for a cover-up to really work, it usually needs to be much darker than the one that currently resides under your skin.
A small tattoo of a former lover’s name can easily be hidden under the countenance of a rose or lotus flower that is fully shaded, although the larger and darker the piece, the more difficult it can be to cover.
fading the unwanted tattoo into the background of a larger piece works quite well on dark arm tattoos, what was once an embarrassing reminder becomes the backdrop for a new half sleeve or full sleeve .
The use of fully shaded tattoos is especially effective at hiding old ink and allows the artist to shade in without sacrificing any aesthetic appeal. although sometimes it may take multiple sessions to completely hide old ink under a shaded tree line or blackened our pen.
sometimes it’s best to just ink directly over the old tattoo and use negative space to create a new piece.
1. blackout to cover tattoos
by the looks of things, it was an old barbed wire tattoo or a celtic band of some kind. to cover it up, the artist used a singing needle and painstaking work in solid black. After the healing and aftercare is complete, this tattoo may need some touch ups to ensure no trace of the previous tattoo can be found underneath.
Quality cover-ups require true skill and commitment on the part of both the artist and the subject, who get on the hype trying to find the right solution. this tattoo now looks like a fantastic mix of realism and abstract new wave to show a beautiful raven. traces of the old work disappeared for a couple of swipes of previous shaders that have been folded seamlessly into the new work.
This piece uses negative space in the geometric design to help create variety in the vintage tattoo cover-up. the key here is to be able to package strange forms of black into something new by turning lines of untattooed flesh into a more artistic form.
This is the epitome of making the best of a bad situation. the old piece would have been a heavy, shaded, detailed tattoo that obviously left the artist only one option; get more black though, the good thing is that this has turned into a nice tattoo with a new ink splatter concept instead of a hard to miss black wall with no theme.
2. hand cover tattoos
Tattoos on hands are difficult. many people choose to ink some of the most visible parts of the body without giving proper thought to the potentially life-changing effects. Fortunately, there are talented artists who can apply a variety of images in several different styles to create attractive designs that perfectly hide existing ink.
3. abstract and geometric tattoos to cover up
In this piece, the cover-up is almost incidental. the geometric style of the main work is truly stunning and done with great precision and clarity. At the end of the job, the artist opted to use heavy kohl shading to remove the ugliness of the previous barbed wire tattoo. some more work will likely be put into that section of the part to complete it.
This mandala style tattoo cover up idea is somewhat unusual in that some of the color and shade from the original tattoo is central to the new art. the artist uses a thin black line at the top to create the center of the flower, then moves outwards with symmetrical details to finish it off.
Many people prefer the freedom of expression that more abstract approaches provide, and this sensibility also applies to cloaking work. this style is actually more suited to cover work than other methods thanks to the lack of restrictions this style has, allowing the artist to create a design that perfectly covers the existing tattoo.
4. skull to cover tattoos
One of the most common and classic design elements in tattoos, skulls are great for cover work thanks to the variety of styles and approaches that can be applied. From photorealistic black and gray designs to traditional American flash, skulls just work. They are also a great option for cover-ups thanks to the ability to incorporate other elements, as well as the ability to use bold black ink in these designs.
5. animal tattoos to cover up
It appears that the popularity of thick, black tribal tattoos has waned considerably over time. the good thing is that they can be replaced and transformed by a top artist into new and spectacular works like this elephant. the old tattoo is just a memory as the elephant skin is created with brilliant shading technique and pattern work to create unforgettable skin. the new tattoo would spark conversations of a very different kind than the old one.
I can’t help but think that the owner of this piece is trying to tell us something about the nature of jean. Gone was the simple name tattoo over his heart, replaced by a well-crafted scorpion. the darkness of the black ink is softened a bit with some good shading to give the reptile its edges and clarity throughout the shape.
People form intense bonds with animals. Whether it’s beloved pets or some wild animal that exemplifies specific personality traits, animals make great tattoos. They’re also great at cover-up work thanks to the endless variety of creatures to choose from and the ability to incorporate black and colored ink.
Replacing a poorly drawn alien with an exceptional koi is a definite improvement to covering up the tattoo. this piece goes from oh no to whoa through the artist’s beautiful use of blackwork scales. the almost gloss black is enhanced in detail through the exceptional placement of white ink – the armor-like layers appear to have been individually drawn onto the skin.
This nicely drawn wolf in the woods tattoo is more than a cover for the loss of the original weirdo. the artist has done a nice job of creating a unique gray shading to emphasize the canine’s fur, particularly on the top of the head and around the ears.
6. dotwork cover up tattoos
A growing trend in the tattoo world is the use of varying densities of meticulously applied dots to create different images and designs. While dot work may not be the first approach that comes to mind when you think of covering up tattoos, they can work well depending on the design.
Stippling can be quite effective in breaking up the contours of an existing work and fully saturated black in denser parts is well suited to creating quality covers.
7. traditional and neo-traditional tattoos to cover up
American traditional and neo-traditional designs are perfect for covering up tattoos for a couple of reasons. the bold line work that is characteristic of these styles is able to create contours that dominate existing work, while vibrant, fully saturated colors work perfectly to cover details. there is also an infinite variety of flash to choose from.
8. tattoos to cover the full back
This tattoo used a lot of detail to cover up the previous tattoo. in this piece the geometry of the cover up is used in combination with the asian theme to make a full back piece. you should look closely at the left half of this tattoo to see faint traces of the original work beneath the grey, or peeking out between the petals.
examining covering tattoos, one will realize that one approach artists take is to go big. they extend the new design well beyond the outline of the existing work, and the resulting cover-up is often significantly larger than the previous piece. These full back tattoos are great examples of this tactic leaving no trace of the work buried under the vibrant and unique designs.
9. pop culture covers tattoos
Human beings are shaped by the cultural constructs that surround us, and as such, the television and movies we watched as children have profound meaning for many. From Star Wars and E.T., there are dozens of examples of pop culture references in art, and these tattoos show how well they can be incorporated into cover-up work.
The original worn and faded portrait has been completely replaced by the star wars fan. the artist uses a very deep red and bronze black at times to create a new wave element to the piece, while the detail put into the fighter plane is exquisite.
10. black and gray tattoos to cover up
Black and gray tattoos have a seriousness that color work has a hard time achieving, and can also be used to cover them up. Black is often considered the best color to cover up, and a talented artist can create a black and gray design that will effectively hide any existing work.
The most effective tattoo cover up ideas are those that leave no trace of previous work, but instead leave behind a beautiful new image. this angel is one such example, the shading and details on the piece hide any trace of a previous tattoo.
This inner arm bicep wrap is effective. Gone are the words and slightly faded shading from the previous piece to be replaced by a cleverly executed feather wing. feathers make popular cover-ups use black and gray. As this work demonstrates, the artist uses a variety of tones and patterns to make the new work look good on top of the piece.
Always be careful about getting a significant other’s tattoo on your skin, because action needs to be taken if things go wrong. this man must have had a small wedding ring style tattoo, and then tried to scratch it off. he eventually opted to cover it with a celtic knot which works well to remove the old writing.
11. colors to cover tattoos
Cover up tattoos are not like painting over an existing color. Beneath the skin, the new ink mixes with the existing ink, creating new colors. That said, colored ink can be used effectively in cover-ups, though it does require an extra layer of thought and planning, as well as a deeper understanding of how different colors react together.
This Celtic cover-up does a great job of stripping away three worn and worn tattoos to make a couple of cleverly executed new designs. the use of shading and color makes the pieces pretty. notice how white ink is incorporated into the second tattoo to give it depth and shadow, while at the same time lightening the image to the first with the more colorful top tattoo.
12. mechanical tattoos to cover up
13. innovative ideas to cover tattoos
This brightly designed leg cover shows you don’t need to go all black when fixing up an old, worn tattoo. The brilliantly depicted fish in this tattoo are exquisitely inked in different shades of blue. Great cover-ups don’t need to be a stopgap solution or a last resort, they can be a complete tattoo regeneration.
no one needs to know what’s under this cover. It is a fantastic piece that uses the combination of a clock with the baptismal elements to create a beautiful work of art with religious themes. the lower part of the action is balanced by epic lines and shadows at the top of the tattoo.
go big or go home. This ambitious cover-up tattoo idea navigates from an ancient Celtic cross and unrelated geographic tattoo to a fully realized map as part of a full sleeve. Instead of getting rid of the old line work from the original map, it’s accurately updated to look like a brand new piece. Map work is complemented by the detailed compass and sextant combined with expert shading.
Whatever the previous tattoo, it has been improved tenfold. This artwork is a beautiful mix of pin up portraiture combined with new wave abstract elements to create a stunning half sleeve. the use of contrasting gray inks and highlights of white ink in the girl’s hair give her a real beauty.
Say goodbye to the average tribal job. The artist here has created a gas mask shooter worthy of a Tom Clancy 3D video game. the subtly blurred shading of the hands and weapon creates an image of tremendous depth from a combination of flat black stripes. this is the best cajon!
The original tattoo was an ill-conceived tribal image that looks like some kind of mangled squid (perhaps). now it’s an epic upper arm and shoulder half sleeve depicting a beautifully crafted maritime scene. the artist successfully used the ship’s hull in dark grey, with the help of nice details to replace the original, and then built on that skillfully creating water, land and sky linked by a lighthouse. sometimes the idea of covering up the tattoo is just a starting point for an epic expression.
not a bad new wave half sleeve. the striking green tones overlaid on the tentacles catch the eye and effectively cover up the heavily faded black original piece.
It appears that the original Nordic images of the top tattoo have been constructed and updated to create a stylized ax head. From there, the artist has used different shading techniques to create a more balanced image that effectively contrasts with the detailed roaring bear below.
You’re unlikely to find tattoo artwork as good as this anywhere. You can even argue that this isn’t a cover-up with the original big cat disappearing into the darkness of the new samurai tatt effortlessly. it really looks like it was never there because the complexity and depth of the shading of the black work takes the samurai from a great piece to an epic one, with the creepily drawn skull providing a counterpoint to the warrior detail just below the image major. this art gets a gold star!
in this piece, jesus and the eternal heart effectively cover up a badly drawn old hammerhead shark. These two images are quite interesting and divergent tattoo ideas. Where the new look excels is by putting more emphasis on Jesus’ beard and making it a focal point for the entire tattoo.
This is a funky and wacky new wave tattoo that covers up an old black stain of a cat wearing a fedora. it’s as if the owner checks the levels of irony and the images. The use of excellent inks on this piece gives the crazy idea of the real teeth of a pilot dinosaur. the clarity of the colors, particularly the flat gray complemented by the sharp black lines, make the fuselage an interesting part of the tattoo.
14. cover tattoos in progress
