Cover-up tattoos · Seguin
A new tattoo over the old one.
Done with an old tattoo? Jeremiah designs a new piece around it so the old one disappears into it. His cover-up work took first place at the Ink Masters Tattoo Show in New Braunfels.
Send a photo of your tattoo
How a cover-up works
A cover-up is a new tattoo designed to sit over an old one. It is not like painting over a wall. Tattoo ink is translucent, so new ink cannot simply block out old ink. A good cover-up hides the old lines inside the darker areas, texture and movement of the new design, so your eye lands on the new piece and never finds the old one.
The design starts with your old tattoo
Every cover-up is drawn around what is already there: where the darkest lines sit, how big the old piece is and how much it has faded. That is why the first thing we ask for is a clear photo of the tattoo you want gone. The new design is built to put its heaviest shading right where the old ink is.
Bigger and bolder, on purpose
Most cover-ups end up larger than the tattoo they replace, and they lean on deep blacks, rich color and plenty of texture. Designs with a lot of natural shadow, like animals, florals and realism, are good at hiding old ink. Very light, open designs with lots of bare skin are not. We’ll talk through which direction works for your tattoo before anything is drawn.
Cover-ups that won first place
Jeremiah’s cover-up work won first place at the Ink Masters Tattoo Show, a tattoo convention in New Braunfels. It sits on a wall of awards at the studio, next to first places in black and grey realism and color portrait. See the full list on Jeremiah’s page.
Healing a cover-up
A cover-up heals like any new tattoo. Bigger pieces are often done over more than one session, and you leave each one with aftercare instructions. Give it time: the true color and contrast show once the skin has fully healed.
Questions
Common cover-up questions
Can any tattoo be covered up?
Most can, but not every one. Very dark, dense or large tattoos are the hardest to hide. Send a clear photo of yours and we’ll tell you honestly what a cover-up can do with it.
Will the new tattoo be bigger than the old one?
Usually, yes. A cover-up hides old ink inside the shading, color and texture of the new design, and that takes room around the old lines. Expect the new piece to be larger, and often darker, than the one it covers.
Do I need laser removal first?
Not always. A few laser sessions to lighten an old tattoo can open up more design options, especially for a very dark piece. If yours might need it, that comes up in the first conversation, before anything is drawn.
What should I send?
A clear, well-lit photo of the tattoo you want covered, one close up and one from a little farther back, plus its rough size and your idea for the new piece.
Ready to cover it?
Send a clear photo of the tattoo you want covered and your idea for the new piece. We’ll reply with what’s possible.