Guruji Ink Studio

Cover up

TIME AND MONEY
Top: Healed sleeves by Nathan Mould; Bottom: Filigree ornaments by Ruslan Batyrbaev.
HARD TO FIND
Before and After: Esther Garcia’s white ink yields different results on a new skin type.
TRIAL AND ERROR
HIT OR MISS
Top: Nathan Mould’s geometric sleeve has temporary purple accents from the stencil; Bottom: Tony Booth uses white with black shading to create a 3D effect.
WILL IT LAST?
Photos © respective artists.
Posted by MORGAN ENGLISH
September 1, 2016 Art
Body Art Experimental
Special Feature Tattoos
One side effect from the rise in tattooing is a rise in regret, as well. That’s a big reason white-on-black ink cover ups are sparking curiosities around the world.
White-on-black isn’t new, but it’s definitely growing as more people seek creative cover ups. Lasering is expensive, scarification is still niche, and solid blackwork can feel too heavy for some folks. White appears to offer new design options for anyone covering full sleeves of mistakes. But there is much to consider before jumping in.
Most of these cover ups involve large sections of the body. This means devoting a lot of hours to cover the original tattoos in black ink, then returning up to five additional times for a pass of whitework on top. Since the skin needs to heal in between each session, this can take years to finish a single piece. It’s a huge investment of time and money, especially if your artist isn’t local.