Tattoo style
Cover-ups
Turning a tattoo you have stopped wanting into one you choose on purpose, with an honest look first at what can genuinely be covered and what cannot.
A cover-up is a design problem before it is a tattoo. The old piece sets real limits: its darkness, size and placement decide what can sit on top, and the honest answer is not always a straight cover. Sometimes the right move is a rework that uses what is there, sometimes it is laser fading first, and occasionally the existing tattoo is too heavy to hide without a compromise you would not accept. We tell you which of those you are looking at before anything is booked.
When a cover-up is the right call, it is built to work with the old shapes rather than fight them, which usually means a bolder or larger design than the original. Black and grey realism and Japanese both cover well because they carry strong contrast and flow. Every cover-up is drawn for your specific tattoo, never a stock design dropped over the top.
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Suited to
- Old work you have stopped wanting
- Faded or blown-out linework
- Names and lettering
- Pieces another studio started and did not finish
Before you book
Can any tattoo be covered?
Not every one, at least not in a single pass. Dark, dense or very large work sometimes needs fading first, or a design bold enough to sit over it. We will give you a straight assessment before you commit.
Will the old tattoo show through?
A well-planned cover-up should not in normal light, though very dark originals can be faintly visible up close under strong light. We design around that so the new piece reads as the tattoo, not a patch.
Do I need laser removal before a cover-up?
Sometimes, not always. A few fading sessions can open up options for a lighter or more detailed cover, but plenty of pieces can be covered without it. We will tell you honestly which applies to yours.
Does a cover-up have to be bigger than the original?
Usually a little, yes. Working over existing ink needs room to break up the old shapes, so a cover is often bolder or larger. We keep that to what the design genuinely needs.
Consultations are free. Bring a reference, a story, or nothing at all.
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