Painting Techniques Applied to Tattooing

[45:36] “Even the term ‘cover-up’ is misleading because you can’t just cover up that old tattoo. What you’re actually creating is a blend of the old pigment with the new pigment”

— Chris Dingwell

The term "cover-up" is actually a bit paradoxical. When you're applying new pigment to skin that's already been tattooed, you're not exactly concealing the old design. This is because most tattoo ink is transparent, leading to a mingling of old and new pigments in the same skin layer.

Imagine it like gently layering acrylic and oil paints on a canvas. When you're working on a painted canvas or need to fix a mistake, do you just pile on new paint to hide the problem? Maybe, but a smarter move is to subtly adjust the colors and shapes in a different direction. Adding thin layers of paint can tweak color tones or adjust shapes to make the area more manageable.

Another way to truly cover up an old tattoo is by first removing it with laser treatment. Laser action weakens and removes some of the old tattoo's pigment, making the covering-up process easier. This reduces the need for excessive blending with the old tattoo to achieve the desired colors, allowing the new ink to fully saturate the skin. Still, it's wise to chat with laser technicians to grasp how the laser interacts with the skin.

Watch the full episode: 

Tattooing Through a Painter's Eye | Chris Dingwell | EP 271