Tribal Tattoo Cover Up

A tribal tattoo cover up uses the black that is already there

Solid black tribal is some of the hardest ink to hide. There is often no faded gap to work in, and a light flower laid on a black band will not read. A cover that works treats the old black as part of the new shadow: a larger blackwork piece, a Japanese composition, or heavy black and grey that is darker where the tribal is darkest.

The new tattoo has to be wider than the tribal. Thick bands and sharp points show through anything that stops at their edge. Wind bars, waves, and solid black panels are the usual way to swallow those shapes. If you want fine color or a small detailed piece on top of very dense black, laser fading first is a real conversation to have with the artist — not a failure of the idea.

Upload the whole tribal, including the points that run toward the shoulder, wrist, or hip. A crop of the middle makes the plan look smaller than the ink that still has to disappear.