Cover-Up Resurrection: From Regret to Masterpiece
Cover-Up Resurrection: From Regret to Masterpiece
by J. Swan, Broken Art Tattoo – Los Angeles
There’s something intimate, something raw, about stepping into that exact moment when someone decides they no longer want to wear the ghost of a bad tattoo. I’ve spent years doing this work — pulling the old, worn regret into the light, then building something new from those lines, those scars of ink. And yes: I took that skill all the way to the set of America’s Worst Tattoos.
My Time on the Show
When I walked into the studio for America’s Worst Tattoos, I already knew: this wasn’t just a TV-moment, it was real life for someone. The bad job they’d lived with. The embarrassment, the hiding, the desire for something better. The show gave a platform to those stories — and gave me an opportunity to showcase what I do best: see into the old tattoo, follow its rhythm, and turn it into something badass.
Here’s an episode (10:51 min in) that shows the kind of transformations I was doing:
You’ll see the before-wound of regret and the after relief. That’s what I live for.
How I Approach Cover-Ups
Most artists treat the old tattoo like its not even there. Resulting in the old tattoo peering through the new one… But I don’t. I look into it.
I trace the old lines wherever possible — not because I’m copying them, but because they tell a story. They tell me where the ink ran thin, where the client’s regret is etched in skin.
I examine the old shading and texture: faded grey, sloppy gradients, scar tissue. I ask: can I utilize that value for a new dark component, a new shadow, a new flow?
Then I map the new piece: how does it flow on the client’s body? How does it hide the old and elevate the new? I design so the old tattoo becomes part of the composition — a hidden strength.
For example: I had a client with a faded tribal band that wrapped awkwardly around the bicep. It was dated and poorly executed. I traced the heavier line of the tribal band, used it as the motion for waves and water that had a clipper shop sailing into the sunset. All done in black and grey. The old band became the hidden “crest” of the wave — a structural anchor. The shading from the old ink contributed value under the water’s dark tones. What had been a mistake turned into a feature.
Here was the original email he sent me:
Old tribal armband that screams frat boys gone wild
What’s an artist to do? Let the results speak for themselves:
Why This Works
Respect for what’s there: The client isn’t just erasing their past—they’re reclaiming it. I show them the value of where they’ve been.
Efficiency: Using existing ink and scar patterns means less work is wasted. I build on top of what’s there rather than constantly fighting it.
Artistic depth: The old tattoo gives me texture, variation, story. That’s gold. Most new pieces start from a white canvas. But in cover-ups, the canvas is already scarred — and I love that.
My Studio Vibe at Broken Art Tattoo
Since 2005, Broken Art Tattoo has been about transforming skin into stories. In The Heart of Atwater Village, Los Angeles, we’ve created a space where clients come not just for a tattoo, but for reclamation. The dude who got sloppy in his 20s, the woman who wants to hide the ex’s name, the collector whose old work doesn’t reflect who they are anymore — I see them. I listen. Then I ink.
When you walk through our doors you’ll hear the hum of the machines, see the art on the walls, feel the hustle of L.A. culture. But you’ll also feel the quiet of someone who’s about to wear something that means something new. That’s the moment I live for.
Ready for Your Cover-Up?
If you’re sitting there looking at your reflection, thinking “I wish that tattoo never happened” — don’t. Let’s turn it into something that does happen. Send me a photo of your old piece, tell me the story you want now. I’ll see the old lines. I’ll see the shading. I’ll see the art buried in regret. Then we’ll design something that sets you free.
Book your consultation at Broken Art Tattoo. Let’s reclaim your skin and write a new chapter. Text me today 323-612-7886
Tribal Redemption: From Blackout to Tibetan Dragon
It all begins with an idea.
What started as a solid black half-sleeve and chest panel of old tribal work became one of the wildest cover-up transformations I’ve ever done. This kind of project takes time, patience, and precision — and it’s all about trusting the process.
To conquer a full-black tribal piece, you’ve got to start with bold, confident linework. I map new structure right over the old — Tibetan skull outlines, dragon flow, background motion. Then I add strategic shading to break up the solid black. This is where the old tattoo starts losing power and the new form begins to emerge.
Here’s where the magic starts happening. I use a white-out pass over the old black ink, layering titanium white directly into the dark fields. That step creates an opaque barrier and opens the door for future color. It’s not instant gratification — the skin needs about a month to heal before we can go back in. But this move is the secret weapon that lets me transform blackout tribal into color realism.
Once the skin’s ready, I dive back in for the final pass — complete color saturation. The Tibetan skull explodes to life, the dragon coils across the chest, and the original tribal is gone — absorbed, transformed, reborn. It’s an insane cover-up that proves no tattoo is too dark or too far gone when you’ve got the right vision and patience.
This is what I love about cover-ups: it’s not about hiding the past — it’s about rebuilding from it. Every line, every shade of black, every scar becomes part of the story.