Inked Mag Staff
May 18th, 2017
Ink Redux: Reviving Drop Dead Ugly Tattoos
These Artists Breathed New Life Into These Tattoos Regrettable tattoos will never cease to exist. Whether it’s a tattoo done in the spur of the moment by a sketchy artist…
These Artists Breathed New Life Into These Tattoos
Regrettable tattoos will never cease to exist. Whether it’s a tattoo done in the spur of the moment by a sketchy artist or something you let your friend scratch on you, people sometimes simply just get bad tattoos. Luckily, there are options springing up these days to alleviate your bad experience, such as cover up tattoos and laser removal, for example. But what if you actually like the idea behind your tattoo, but it was just poorly executed? There’s no need for a cover up or removal. You only need to find an artist who will re-do your tattoo. Consider the following artists if you’re ever in search of someone to breathe life into your lifeless tattoo.
From Pale to Peppy
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJVZhOYgVsG
Sharon of Needlecraft Tattoo in Worthing, UK, saved this dying lily flower by adding bright colors and details to it and adding budding flowers. The artist also added leaves and extended the branch, which flows beautifully down the client’s back.
Make The Heart Beat Again
https://www.instagram.com/p/BE_v7lmGXeI
This heart gets to beat again thanks to Xavier Rodriguez. With superb dotwork and fine lines, the Bayamon, Puerto Rico-based artist took this eye soar to a work of art, unlike any other heart tattoo you’ll ever lay eyes on.
A Little Goes a Long Way
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCBDiKckTxV
This re-do was the fine work of Charlie Cook of Black Unicorn Tattoo. Charlie says that she felt that doing an entire cover up would be overkill, therefore, she and the client opted for a re-do. Charlie added some leaves and dots around the stem, and passed over the stem with black. She also gave the flower some much-needed details, and finished off the piece by adding white here and there.
Bright and in Flight
https://www.instagram.com/p/BFYlJwmL_kE
Jay added some color to these swallows. Although he says that there was nothing much he could do with the dark shading on the birds’ bellies, he made up for it by adding details and definition to the birds and the chain that links them.
Minimal Doesn’t Have To Be Simple
https://www.instagram.com/p/BB2nwrATWJ1
Gero took these simple intertwined triangles and created a minimalistic yet intricate tattoo that we’re sure had the client a bit prouder to wear it than what they had prior.
Tattoo Fit For Royalty
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUJJjbiBiB1
With some well-executed color saturation, Dawid Walczak of Straight Line Tattoo Studio, was able to make this lion piece roar.
Walk With the Stars Once Again
https://www.instagram.com/p/BTWOV6tB9n6
Star tattoos are among the list of tattoos folks typically regret. What was in style back then, isn’t any longer. However, Anna Corbett of Alternative Art in Northampton, UK, gave this old fashioned design a contemporary spin by adding watercolor to the mix. With spurts of pinks, oranges and purples, this tattoo is now one beautiful foot tattoo.
Picture Perfect Portrait
https://www.instagram.com/p/BS8OrFPjUpE
Packing some ink and details rejuvenated these portraits. Tony Evans, the artist who saved this tattoo, says that sometimes things can be fixed.
Tattoo Artists Are the Real Heroes
https://www.instagram.com/p/BPVZsGSlZ6C
Another fellow comic book fan who was done wrong, but, luckily, Brian Freda of Electric Cat Scratch Tattoos, came to the rescue.
This Kitty Needed a Facelift, Desperately
https://www.instagram.com/p/BO-9FG9gQ4R
The original tattoo seemed almost unfixable, but Ge Zhang was able to revive this leopard’s spots.
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