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An artist told me my blackwork cover up was too dense and I actually listened
Last year I went to a shop in Portland for a cover up on a bad name tattoo from my 20s. I wanted them to just pack heavy black over the whole thing, but the artist stopped me and said it would look like a blobby mess in five years. They suggested using negative space and some gray wash to break it up, and I was pretty skeptical at first. I ended up letting them do a koi fish with open water around it, and now I actually get compliments instead of people asking what it used to be. Has anyone else had an artist talk them out of their original plan and it worked out better?
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laura_chen412mo ago
Honestly, that artist was looking out for you. Packing solid black over a whole tattoo usually just turns into a dark smudge. I've seen people who did that and now they just have a vague black rectangle on their arm. The negative space trick keeps things readable. You lucked out with that koi idea.
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logan5252mo ago
Did you see that article on how laser removal works way better on black ink?
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taraross2mo ago
Saw a tattoo artist on YouTube say blackout work needs some breathing room to stay crisp.
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