Covering a name you no longer want to wear is one of the cover-ups I'm asked for most. Sometimes it's an ex-partner's name; other times, a tattoo done in a rush. The lettering is usually fine, which helps when you want to cover up a name tattoo.
Can any name be covered?
Almost always, but not just any design will do. Before suggesting one, I look at five things:
- The thickness of the letters. Fine lettering is easy to cover; thick, filled-in letters are harder to hide.
- How dark the ink is. Deep black is the hardest to conceal.
- Size and shape. A long, horizontal name needs a design that follows that direction.
- Placement. This limits the maximum size of the new design.
- Age. A tattoo from years ago is usually lighter and more faded, which makes things easier.
The golden rule of a cover-up
The new design needs to be bigger than the name and have more density right where the letters are. It's not about painting over them. It's about building an image where the old letters blend into shadows, petals or textures.
That's why a cover-up can almost never be a tiny fine line piece the same size as the name: there would be nothing to hide it with.
Designs that cover a name well
- Flowers with overlapping petals. Peonies and roses have natural layers and shadows where letters disappear. I do a lot of these, and they work very well in a botanical style.
- Branches and leaves. They follow the horizontal direction of a name and spread the density along it.
- Feathers and wings. They have lots of parallel lines that disguise the strokes of the letters.
- Smoke and transparencies. Veil-like shading disguises what's underneath. I explain this in smoke and transparencies.
- Animals with fur. In micro-realism, the texture of fur hides old lines very well.
What doesn't usually work
- Covering black with light colours: black always wins.
- A design with lots of empty space right over the letters.
- Trying to keep the new tattoo as small as the name.
Is laser needed first?
Not always. If the lettering is fine or already a little faded, it can be covered straight away. If it's very dark or thick, a few laser sessions to lighten it open up many more design options and allow for a lighter result. If that's your case, I'll tell you honestly.
How we work on it
- You send me a photo of the tattoo in good natural light, without filters, along with its approximate size.
- I assess the options and tell you what kind of design could work, and whether laser would help first.
- I draw the proposal over the photo of your tattoo, so you can see how the name would blend in.
- On the day of the session, we place the design on your skin and check that the letters are fully covered.
How much it costs to cover a name
It depends on the size and what needs hiding. It usually costs a little more than a new tattoo of the same size, because the design is more complex. I'll give you a quote when I've seen the photos.
You can see real before-and-after examples on the cover-ups page. If you'd like me to take a look, send me your photo.