Large Back Cover-Up

The existing tattoo covered a large area of the left shoulder blade, with recognisable portraits, a clock and heavy outlines. A convincing cover-up could not be achieved by adding another small image over it; the whole back needed to be planned as one composition.

I used a science-fiction portrait, deep space and a contrasting beam of warm colour to redirect the eye. Dense shadows sit over the strongest parts of the old tattoo, while cyan, orange and open skin give the new piece hierarchy and movement. This page shows the original tattoo, the design study, work in progress and the finished result.

Every cover-up starts from different ink and different skin. Photographs are useful for an initial discussion, but size, colour, placement and what can realistically be covered still need an individual assessment.