Black and grey cover ups

Lately I’ve been spending more time studying black and grey cover ups and pushing myself to grow in a different direction as an artist.

If you’ve followed my work for a while, you already know I love bright color, bold tattoos, and large transformations. That’s still a huge part of what I do. But over the years, cover ups have become one of the parts of tattooing I feel the most connected to. Not just because they’re technically challenging, but because of what they mean to people.

Most people don’t come in wanting a cover up just because they’re bored of a tattoo.
Usually there’s a story attached to it.

Sometimes the tattoo came from a phase of life they’ve outgrown.
Sometimes it was a rushed decision.
Sometimes it was simply done poorly.
And sometimes the tattoo itself isn’t even the real problem. It’s the memory attached to it.

That’s why I take cover ups so seriously.

You’re not just trying to hide old ink. You’re trying to help someone feel comfortable in their skin again. That changes the way you approach tattooing completely.

One thing I’ve become really interested in lately is using skin tone and touches of white in black and grey cover ups to create more dimension and softness within the tattoo. A lot of people think cover ups have to be extremely dark and heavy to work, and while dark areas are definitely important, there’s also strategy in contrast, movement, and letting the skin breathe in the right places.

The goal isn’t to pack solid black over every inch of an old tattoo.
The goal is to redirect the eye.

Where you place darkness matters.
Where you place texture matters.
Where you leave open skin matters.

That balance can completely change the way a cover up feels.

Black and grey also opens the door for a different kind of transformation. It can create a softer, more natural look while still covering old work effectively. When done correctly, it gives depth and flow instead of feeling like a giant patch over the skin.

That’s the part I’m excited to keep learning more about.

After tattooing for over 20 years, I still love finding new ways to grow and improve what I can offer my clients. I think that’s important as an artist. Tattooing keeps evolving, and I want to keep evolving with it.

Cover ups require problem solving, patience, and a willingness to work with the skin instead of fighting against it. Every old tattoo is different. Every person is different. There’s never a one size fits all solution.

Some tattoos may still need multiple sessions.
Some may need laser beforehand.
Some may work better in black and grey than color.
And some tattoos that people think are impossible to cover actually have far more potential than they realize.

At the end of the day, my goal has never been just to tattoo people.
It’s to create tattoos that make people feel more like themselves when they walk out the door.

And I’m really excited about where this next chapter of learning is taking me.