Masters of Camouflage

People always say that tattoos are permanent, and for the most part they are, but with modern technology and some really talented artists that tattoo from your college trip to Vegas doesn’t have to be with you forever. We’re talking about cover ups. Gone are the days of being forced to live with your ex’s name inked to your arm forever and gone are the days of only being able to cover it up with the not-so-metaphorical bowling ball. With shows like Tattoo Nightmares and America’s Worst Tattoos the growing trend of tattooists specializing in cover ups is becoming more frequent then ever. Now that old faded name can be a beautiful koi fish or an intricate rose rather than a big black blob. Check out our tips below to help make sure that you get the best possible experience out of getting your cover up tattoo.

1. Research your artist. Before you go in to get a cover up, make sure you are going to a good artist with plenty of experience in the industry. No one wants to have to get a cover up of a cover up down the road.

2. If the tattoo you want covered up is fairly dark or on the newer side, think about undergoing a session or two of tattoo removal to lighten the piece up a bit so it’s easier to cover.

3. Don’t go the cheap route. Cover up tattoos are some of the most difficult tattoos to do because not only do they have to be aesthetically pleasing, they also need to work to camouflage an older tattoo. Good tattoos aren’t cheap and cheap tattoos aren’t good, so make sure you are prepared to pay what the artist asks for. It’s worth it and if the artist is reputable, they are not ripping you off.

4. Be open minded. When having a consultation for getting a cover up make sure you are open to different interpretations on your new tattoo ideas. Not all cover ups will work correctly with set color schemes or images. Go in with a broad idea or theme rather than something you have set in stone so the artist can give you the best possible cover up.

5. At the same time, however, don’t settle for something you don’t want. If an artist tells you an old name tattoo can only be covered up with a koi fish and you don’t like koi fish, try setting up a consultation with another artist to get a second opinion. Again, you don’t want to get a cover up of something you are going to equally dislike later.

Check out skilled cover-up artists like Big Gus, Tim Pangburn and Joe Matisa right here.