Blackwork
Since 2010
Dana Whitlock
Owner. Custom blackwork, neo-traditional and cover-ups
- Blackwork
- Neo-traditional
- Cover-ups
$200 an hour Booking from mid-November
An honest look at the old one first
Cover-ups and rework
Some old tattoos can be covered in one plan, some need laser fading first, and some are better reworked than hidden. We will tell you which.
Book a free consult
From $340
What it is, plainly.
Cover-ups are their own skill. The new design has to hide the old lines inside its darkest parts, so it is planned around a tracing of what is already there.
Every cover-up starts with an in-person consult in good light. We look, we measure, and we give you a straight answer, even if that answer is "fade it first".
Good for
- An old name, or a design you have outgrown
- A tattoo that has blurred, faded or spread
- Work that healed badly somewhere else
- A piece you like but want sharper, bolder or bigger
How it works
Four steps, no surprises.
-
In-person consult
Daylight, a tape measure and photos. Cover-ups are never quoted from a phone picture alone.
-
The plan
Cover, rework, or fade first. If laser is the right first step, we refer you and plan for after.
-
Drawing over a tracing
Your artist traces the old piece and draws the new one around it, so you can see how it hides.
-
Sessions
Cover-ups often take two sessions: one to block in the dark areas, one to finish after healing.
How a cover-up hides the old lines.
The old piece
The plan
Illustration of the idea, not a client's cover-up.
What it costs
Example prices.
Ranges for this demo, the way a real studio should print them. Your artist gives you a range for your piece at the consult.
- Consult
- Free
- In person, about 20 minutes
- Small cover-up
- $510 to $1,000
- Old piece about palm-size, 3 to 5 hours
- Medium cover-up
- $1,000 to $2,000
- Usually 2 sessions
- Rework of an old piece
- From $340
- Sharpening lines and adding shading, about 2 hours and up
- Deposit
- $200
- Cover-ups always use the larger deposit
Read this before you book
The honest part.
-
Bigger and darker
The new piece is almost always 2 to 3 times the size of the old one, with dark areas where the old ink sits.
-
Light can't hide dark
Pale colors and fine line can't cover black ink. The covering is done by blacks, deep blues and heavy shading.
-
Sometimes fade first
Very dark or fresh tattoos may need 2 to 4 laser fading sessions before a cover-up. We will refer you and plan the design for after.
-
Rework can be better
If the old piece has good bones, sharpening the lines and adding to it can look better than hiding it.
Who does it
Your artists.
Ask for someone by name in the consult form, or choose best fit and the front desk will match you by style and availability.
- Color realism Since 2015
Imani Rhodes
Color realism, color botanicals and pet portraits
- Color realism
- Color botanical
- Black and grey realism
$190 an hour Waitlist for sleeves, small pieces from December
Can you cover a tattoo from another shop?
Yes, most of our cover-ups are. Bring it to a consult and we will tell you honestly what is possible.
Can my cover-up be fine line or pastel?
Usually not. Light work cannot hide darker ink. If you want something delicate there, laser fading first is the honest route.
Will the old tattoo show through?
A well-planned cover-up hides the old lines inside the new design's dark parts. Very dark old ink can ghost through light areas, which is why we plan so carefully.
Bring the idea. We'll draw the line.
Free 20-minute consults, in person or on video. You leave with a plan, a price range and a date, and nothing is tattooed until you approve the stencil.