Cover-Up
The old tiger on this thigh still had dark lines through the eyes, nose and mouth. A small or pale replacement wouldn't have covered them, so I drew the new head larger and built its stripes and shadows around the darkest parts. This let me use the old marks as part of the new tattoo.
The finished tiger is mainly black and grey. I kept blue only in the eyes, so the face still has one clear colour detail. The wider cheeks, stripes and dark areas around the mouth cover the old lines. I also left lighter spaces between some stripes. This keeps the new tattoo from looking like one solid black patch.
The work took two sessions, eight hours in all. The gallery includes a photo of the old tattoo and the result straight after the session. The end-of-session photograph shows fresh work, not a healed result.
What this example can and cannot show
This before-and-after shows one specific old tiger tattoo. The same size, subject or colour plan may not cover a different tattoo.
For another piece, read how I assess a Cover-Up and send clear daylight photos of the old tattoo before booking. I need to see the darkest areas, the skin and the clear space around the existing work before I can say what is realistic.
