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30 Amazing Examples Of Ink Masters Giving Old And Boring Tattoos A Cool Makeover
Whether you want to forget that drunken Vegas mistake or your ex's name, there is a way to erase the past. At least from your skin.
Turns out, there are a lot of gifted artists who are able to transform unfortunate designs into beautiful works of art. Yes, there are limitations, and yes, sometimes the end result might not be what you had in mind initially, but as we at Bored Panda have already shown, a tattoo cover-up is a great alternative to laser removal and can help you regain confidence in your looks.
But in case we haven't completely sold you on it (or we have but you just want to see more stunning examples), here's a reminder. Or rather, a whole bunch of them!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Riley Quinn 4 years ago
I'm impressed with how far cover-up techniques/skills have come. Instead of choosing a heavier/darker tattoo, artists can allow the underlying tattoo "bleed through" in their lighter designs.
WebbyWebWeb 4 years ago
I fear this one, too, will look like a b*****k in a few years. Sad face.
Damon Hill 4 years ago
As with most cover-ups, the first mistake was letting someone pull the trigger who is not an artist. To truly create a great tattoo, the person must be an artist. Any fool can trace and it doesn't take much talent to use a gun. Many people make the mistake of not shopping around or ensuring the tattooist can actually draw.
One of the artists whose works appear on this list is Min. They're from Taiwan and realized they wanted to do tattoos for a living when they were about 19 years old. "I found that I had chosen the wrong direction in my studies," Min told Bored Panda. "This forced me to really think about where I should where I should be taking my life in the future."
"Because I've been a fan of drawing since I was a child, I eventually stumbled upon the tattoo world and I was simply fascinated by it. Pretty soon, I made up my mind to enter it myself."
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#2
#3
Zoe's Mom 4 years ago
I like that there is a small remembrance of the original tattoo in form of the heart on it's sleeve. I hope it's a positive reminder even though it was covered up.
Ezigma 4 years ago
Is like that because it looks the person who did the original was heavy handed and tattooed it too deep.
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Eglė Bukauskaitė 3 years ago
if that's a baby name (usually those go with a heart beat, my condolences
Riley Quinn 4 years ago
Since you no longer had a "Desire" for Stella (who got the pun?), I think the coverup is out of this world (sorry, I'm feeling punny today).
Min took things seriously around 5 years later when they were 24 years and had just finished their military duty. Now, the artist has developed a really unique style, playfully exploring geometry. "It's quite rare to see someone working in a similar fashion in Taiwan. There are many pros who can come up with geometrical designs but in my opinion, geometry can't be dull, so I try to make it vivid on the skin."
"This is actually what I have been learning the most during my career."
#4
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 4 years ago
That is really quite beautiful and whimsical. The line work is so delicate, however, I'm curious if it will start to fade over time.
#5
Dara Murray 4 years ago
Dad puns... smh Points given for using all three though. Lol
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LeighAnne Brown-Pedersen 4 years ago
Symbolism… from Snow White to snow being devoured by the lion and now just a memory.
Riley Quinn 4 years ago
Not fond of either, however the original is very original, and the coverup is very well done.
#6
Vicky Z 4 years ago
Yes i prefer the first one too! Not weird! Some people like the minimalistic style
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Katherine Boag 4 years ago
I kinda like the simplicity of the 'before' pic, not better, just different. Undoubtedly the 'after' took much more skill tho.
Riley Quinn 4 years ago
If you're getting hearts and flowers, have it done like this gorgeous coverup.
Cover-ups are a world of their own and whenever Min is working on one, they keep 'dancing' between the original design and the desired composition but as long as the artist follows their heart, sooner or later everything comes together.
"There are many limitations when you're doing a cover-up and it requires thinking outside the box but that's what makes it so exciting and rewarding," Min explained.
#7
Jo Choto 4 years ago
I don't really get these kind of mathematical looking diagram type tattoos, but it's still an improvement.
Erynne 4 years ago
Let's see this one in 10 years when it looks exactly how it did before the "cover up"
Celeste Grant 4 years ago
So then the person can have it touched up again. I think the notion that you have your tattoo done and it's perfect forever is misguided. A lot of tattoos benefit from work to refresh them throughout their lifetime
Load More Replies... Riley Quinn 4 years ago
Very well executed! Original still visible, yet cleaned up and beautifully decorated.
#8
Kirsten Kerkhof 4 years ago
IMO it's a pity they didn't retrace the scrolling vines underneath.
Evelína Zlá 4 years ago
I think... I actually like the original one more. It looks like a badass fox with. The second one is beautifully done...
Riley Quinn 4 years ago
The improved detailed fox is fantastic. Just have someone touch up the scroll work.
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 4 years ago
First looks like fox, second like a Shiba. Nice, but ... a bit different. (Foxes also have oval pupils, not round ones)
Mike Power 4 years ago
It's a brand new tattoo. It'll blend well once it heals.
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#9
Jack Tripper 4 years ago
It almost looks like the original artist didn't go deep enough for the ink to stay. If you don't hit the dermis, the epidermis will just shed the ink
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To understand what makes this process so delicate, consider this: when a person gets their first tattoo, the needle deposits the ink into the dermis layer (below the epidermis), at least one millimeter from the surface of the skin. The ink of the cover-up tattoo goes into the same location, so it's actually mixing with the old ink. The result is the combination of the two.
For example, if the person had something tattooed in red and an artist applies blue for the cover-up, it's going to come out purple. Darker colors dominate lighter ones, so black is usually the preferred choice in cover-up work.
It's a territory that many tattoo artists don't even enter!
#10
Kosh1k 4 years ago
Original was pretty bad but honestly I don't find the coverup any better on this one...
Riley Quinn 4 years ago
This is pretty amazing. None of the heavy outlines show in the more delicate/detailed cover.
Silvia John 4 years ago
But I don't understand the new motif either. Why should a fairy lean against a burning candle?
#11
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 4 years ago
Nicely done but I'm not really a fan of the tats that look like someone just put a rectangular sticker on the body.
Riley Quinn 4 years ago
Wow. The detail in this tattoo. Did the artist need a jeweler's loupe?
Tai Dallen 4 years ago
The unfortunate part is it may not even be the artists fault. I've seen people get tattoo's just as bad because it is the design they brought it and are adamant to have done.
Load More Replies... #12
Michelle M 4 years ago (edited)
First one has seen some s**t. Second one is about to dole out some s**t.
#13
#14
Casey 4 years ago
And in a few years, there will be a cover-up of a cover-up on top of a cover-up.
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Chantal Brosius 4 years ago
Nicely done, but im not sure about the background. Wrong continent i think...
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 4 years ago
I understand that the cover-up artist didn't have much to work with, but it looks like Timon, Simba, and Pumpa were all drawn in Sharpie. Also, I don't remember there being cacti in Africa. Perhaps it's just not my style of tattoo.
Lorali Srygley 4 years ago
It means no worries! For the rest of your daaaaaaaaaays! ITS A PROBLEM FREEEEEEEEEEE PHILOSOPHY!!!! HAKUNA MATATA
#15
#16
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 4 years ago
I love how the artist turned the "wings" on the original tribal tattoo into swimming koi fish.
DUN DUN 4 years ago
Damn! Both of them are beautiful! (Imagine what the 1st would've looked like when new)
Alaska 4 years ago (edited)
Why is there a gray scale filter on most of them making these people look like ghosts?
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 4 years ago
I think it is done purposely to make the details of the tattoos "jump out" more.
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Hannah Edwards 4 years ago
Is the photo on the left what happens to the watercolour style tattoos?
Head Mills 4 years ago
Yes it is. Even some of these cover ups are going to fade quickly because colour (especially warm colours) fades fast.
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Petro Roos 4 years ago
Also, tattoos close to hands (palms) and neck/face fade super fast, due to natural oils. Ones behind ears even more so, cause you was your hair, and then they "soak" in the wet hair - as far as I understand, from which my tattoo artists have told me
Riley Quinn 4 years ago
Not sure what the cover tattoo is, but it's a heckava lot better than the amateur tattoo.
M&D Depensuper 2 years ago
These are soots , they are from spirited away and my neighbor tottoro, they are anime movies from studio ghibli , I really recommend watching them
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#18
Riley Quinn 4 years ago
This is a sensitive area to get inked, esp. since this must have taken a while. Gorgeous.
#19
Yoga Kitty 4 years ago
Yep, me too. The swallow with the key was cute, now it's... I don't know.
Load More Replies... #20
Riley Quinn 4 years ago
A flying-fish-ram-girl. Okay. Whatever. It's way better than the original.
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 4 years ago
They messed-up the feathers. If you want to "improve" the wing with giving more detail to the feathers, it'd be best if you look at a real bird's wing first.
#21
#22
#23
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 4 years ago
I like this one. Love the scruffy look on the "transformed" Simba. (or is it Kovu?)
Silvia John 4 years ago
I don´t like the result. Too dark and the fur looks "hard". A metallic shine would have been much better.
#24
Kayla J 4 years ago
"If you shed tears when you miss the sun, you also miss the stars"
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Riley Quinn 4 years ago
Much, much better than that silly script. Reminds me of how Kandinsky incorporated geometric shapes over his artwork.
#25
rumade 4 years ago
It looks like a bird from a Celtic monk manuscript (like the book of Kells) rather than a thunderbird
Load More Replies... Kirsten Kerkhof 4 years ago
I love it. Just worried that in 10-15 years time it will look as the 'before' picture ...
BetweenTheCracks 4 years ago
I feel exactly this way about most of these. Of course fresh tats look better than old ones, but guess what? They fade too...
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Maripat Webber 4 years ago
It’s an eagle, the symbol of John the Evangelist, from the Book of Kells.
#26
#27
Yoga Kitty 4 years ago
I liked the first one better. It may be fading but still looked cute, this whale now is a bit random.
#28
Nudge 4 years ago
might've been a negative connection--ex has a matching one, etc
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Riley Quinn 4 years ago
I would've continued with a cosmic theme, but the coverup is gorgeous.
#29
Riley Quinn 4 years ago
Very big improvement. It seems the lesson here is, don't have script tattooed. It rarely works out.
#30
LittleMissLotus 4 years ago
What's happening with the background behind the roses in the second one? Imo it looks kinda weird but maybe it's just me
Stephanie IV 4 years ago
Looks a bit like welts. Worrying. But nice, too.
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Riley Quinn 4 years ago
That's a strong tattoo. Not fond of the wispy stuff, but a big improvement.
#31
#33
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 4 years ago
That's not really what I would want on my butt/lower back... Especially with the black tar or whatever that is underneath Sailor Moon... (and is that a signature???)
#34
Piet Puk 4 years ago
No, the shark ate Amanda. But the shark clearly feels some regret over it.
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#35
Chelle Jones 4 years ago
Why all these geometric shapes? Would look great without those lines and circles. JMO
#39
Yoga Kitty 4 years ago
Again, I like the before better. I don't like this style with all the thin lines and circles and dots and planets and stuff in all these "after" pictures. I think it's messy. Just my opinion...
#41
#42
achilles get down from there 4 years ago
I have to wonder how those gorgeous colours will last?
#43
#44
chuck.dont.surf 4 years ago
This is a line from "Blackbird" by the Beatles
Load More Replies... Head Mills 4 years ago
That's not great. Once it spreads and fades a bit, it will be a big mess. Not enough contrast.
#45
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 4 years ago
this, I like. And you can find the unicorn in the splashes if you look for it.
#47
Draco's Dragonfly 4 years ago
Not sure about this one. Sure, the before was faded, but it had so much detail in the flowers and captured the fragile and versatile nature of flowers much more than the new tattoo does.
jasper 4 years ago
I mean, I get what you're saying, but I also kinda like the illustrative nature of the 2nd one.
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#49
#50
#51
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 4 years ago
Nice tattoo, but if all she wanted was a coverup, that's a bit overkill. I'm sure there's a lot to be done with a simple cross
#53
Becky Moore 4 years ago
The first photo looks like a drawing. Plus they've spelt independent correctly on that one. Maybe they could just chop off the limb they have it on instead? :P
#54
Head Mills 4 years ago
That's an artists impression of what it will look like, not the actual tattoo. This is just Photoshop
#58
Yoga Kitty 4 years ago
Poor koala, eaten by a whale! Why are there so many whale tattoos in this list? I wonder what kind of connection do all these people have with whales?
Load More Replies... #59
Firstname Lastname 4 years ago
Jesus looks like one of those Bowflex before and after pics in this one 😂
Rijkærd 4 years ago
That six pack can scare away any sin...he's got dreadlocks too?? Man that dude was on flick
Load More Replies... Nathan Pogorzala 4 years ago
Jesus would never win a bodybuilding competition with those asymmetrical abdominals and neglected bi/triceps.
Becky Moore 4 years ago
I know he's on a cross but he's giving Stretch Armstrong a run for his money with them arms :P
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What do you think ?
Francis 4 years ago
don't wanna be a partypooper, but a lot of these tattoos are just updates and not real cover-ups. but most of them are beautiful and all are nicely done
Cactus McCoy 4 years ago
I really like the ability to update, cover or refresh these tattoos while keeping as much of the original and respecting the original design.
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westwing 4 years ago
So my take-away is that, dang, there are a crap load of really lousy tattoo artists out there…..
Head Mills 4 years ago
A lot them are not licensed and are friends of friends using Internet bought kits I bet!
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JuniorCJ82 4 years ago
I don't get the shapes aspect of some of them. There's a beautiful picture of an animal or plant and then there's some randomly placed Vetruvian Man style geometric shapes just... sitting there. I fully accept that it may just be me or a small group of people like me, so there's that.
Anne 4 years ago
Differences between a 100 dollar tattoo and a 500 dollar one on most of them..
Jayne Kyra 4 years ago
Do tattoos really cost that much in the USA? My most expensive one took 3 hours and cost 200 euro (with tip). My average is 70-100 euro for one piece and they look great according to other people.
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Channon Doughty 4 years ago
Most of these aren't cover ups. They're retouching or fixing. Most cover ups require a lot of darkening.
Terka Červeňáková 3 years ago
And the only real cover up in there (the whale over lettering) was done poorly. The lettering can be seen through the whale, which Is something you don't want to get with a cover-up...
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Celtic Pirate Queen 4 years ago
WOW - some of the "before" tats are just embarrassing. Do your research before getting inked! Make sure whomever you choose is licensed & look at their previous work. You CAN be licensed but still not be all that good at it.
Unnamed Hooman 4 years ago
I REALLY don’t mean to sound critical, because I don’t really like the ones with the stray lines. I mean they aren’t MY tattoos so I have no say in it, and people have free will, it just looks out of place
Francis 4 years ago
don't wanna be a partypooper, but a lot of these tattoos are just updates and not real cover-ups. but most of them are beautiful and all are nicely done
Cactus McCoy 4 years ago
I really like the ability to update, cover or refresh these tattoos while keeping as much of the original and respecting the original design.
Load More Replies... westwing 4 years ago
So my take-away is that, dang, there are a crap load of really lousy tattoo artists out there…..
Head Mills 4 years ago
A lot them are not licensed and are friends of friends using Internet bought kits I bet!
Load More Replies... JuniorCJ82 4 years ago
I don't get the shapes aspect of some of them. There's a beautiful picture of an animal or plant and then there's some randomly placed Vetruvian Man style geometric shapes just... sitting there. I fully accept that it may just be me or a small group of people like me, so there's that.
Anne 4 years ago
Differences between a 100 dollar tattoo and a 500 dollar one on most of them..
Jayne Kyra 4 years ago
Do tattoos really cost that much in the USA? My most expensive one took 3 hours and cost 200 euro (with tip). My average is 70-100 euro for one piece and they look great according to other people.
Load More Replies... Channon Doughty 4 years ago
Most of these aren't cover ups. They're retouching or fixing. Most cover ups require a lot of darkening.
Terka Červeňáková 3 years ago
And the only real cover up in there (the whale over lettering) was done poorly. The lettering can be seen through the whale, which Is something you don't want to get with a cover-up...
Load More Replies... Celtic Pirate Queen 4 years ago
WOW - some of the "before" tats are just embarrassing. Do your research before getting inked! Make sure whomever you choose is licensed & look at their previous work. You CAN be licensed but still not be all that good at it.
Unnamed Hooman 4 years ago
I REALLY don’t mean to sound critical, because I don’t really like the ones with the stray lines. I mean they aren’t MY tattoos so I have no say in it, and people have free will, it just looks out of place
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