No Coverups?

Tattoos are a permanent decision, but what happens when you don't love your tattoo anymore? The only options on the market currently are laser tattoo removal and getting a coverup. Laser is a gamble, it can be costly, time consuming, can cause scarring, and may not result in a full removal, so coverups are the superior option for most, right?

When I apprenticed in my first shop, coverups were by default included in our list of services. I was drawn in by the challenge of making a brand new tattoo appear, erasing the regret of an unloved piece. I noticed a tendency to blast large, heavily saturated pieces over existing work and wanted to create pieces that weren't overwhelming. My first coverups I attempted went viral for being delicate, intricate, and not overwhelming. But things began to change for me as I took on more of these projects.

Here's the problem: Budget, indecision, and expectations.

A coverup requires more intentional planning and execution than a tattoo over a blank canvas: selecting an image that resonates, covers fully, and looks seamless. The original tattoo may have blown out lines, scarring, or spreading ink. I noticed that inquiries became a time consuming back and forth because often times my clients did not know what they wanted but didn't want my ideas. I began to prioritize new pieces as they were more straightforward and less frustrating for me.

As a tattoo artist, all of our time outside of doing your tattoo is uncompensated: answering messages, creating drawings, sending out ideas, and taking 3 weeks to book a 2 hour tattoo just wasn't feasible for me financially as my client base grew. The additional difficulty of working through placement didn't feel worthwhile for me because often times, clients expect a coverup to cost the same as a tattoo over a blank canvas, erasing the additional work required on the artist' end for flawless execution.

The last, and most visibly complex aspect of a coverup are the expectations. If scarring is present, the piece is large, or the original tattoo is very saturated, there is a possibility that your piece may require multiple sessions, which requires a more flexible budget, and the patience of waiting for work to fully heal before we work on it again. Although coverups are possible, they won't erase an original tattoo and certain designs such as fine line and minimal shading won't work for every design. I deeply enjoy creating new pieces and want to be recognized for work that allows me full creativity, a coverup tends to limit my scope and I quickly noticed that although my clients loved their pieces, I was beginning to rapidly get boxed in as a "coverup artist" where new clients would only come to me for work on coverups.

I prefer to see work in person to assess options for reworking a piece. At the moment, I only offer coverups to returning clients because we have the advantage of doing a lot of this work when they've already come in for another piece, and we've built our client relationship already. If you have a concept, flexible budget, and realistic expectations, email me to book a (compensated) consultation for coverup work and we can explore our options together, however I cannot guarantee that I will take on your piece.