Blast Over Tattoo
What to do if your tattoo doesn’t stand the test of time and after a few years you just don’t find it beautiful anymore? You could have it laser removed. However, this is expensive and, above all, really painful (much more so than the tattoo itself). Another option would be a nice new cover-up tattoo that completely covers the original motif.
However, there are also tattoo fans who would like to admit their old sins of youth. Covering them completely is out of the question for them. Instead, you get a blast-over tattoo, also called a second-layer tattoo. True to the motto “Make new out of old!”, This special variant of the cover-up integrates the old motif into a new, much nicer tattoo.
What is a “blast over” tattoo?
If your tattoo sleeve has started blurring together over the years, or if you have some regrettable ink on your body (who doesn’t?), a blast over tattoo is the best decision to restore your bodily masterpiece. Think of it like a fresh, sharp black print cast over a watercolor. It provides contrast, and synthesizes the diverse shapes and colors of your other tattoos into a fascinating pattern.
Blast over tattoos represent your power to adapt. With a blast over tattoo, you’re designing your future with your past still in the background. Your history may be permanently etched on your skin, but it doesn’t control you.
A “blast over” is a form of “cover up” which does not entirely conceal the previous tattoo as a classic cover up would.
As tattoos fade over time (it could happen to you quickly), having a blast over gives you the opportunity to have a completely new tattoo on top of the existing one, without fully covering it.
It doesn’t mean that your existing tattoo is bland, it just needs to be lighter in color. Alternatively you can also have a realistic pastel cuff that you want to add a totally different layer to.
Blast over tattoos rejuvenate your old, faded ink into something spectacular.
Blast Over Tattoo Design
Common blast over tattoos include skulls, butterflies, dragon and snake outlines, and mosaic geometry. They add a stunning new dimension that will renew your love for your old tattoos. And if you’re running out of un-inked real estate on your body, but you still want to experiment with tattoo designs, blast over tattoos are an innovative alternative.
Blast over tattoos represent your power to adapt. With a blast over tattoo, you’re designing your future with your past still in the background. Your history may be permanently etched on your skin, but it doesn’t control you.
Most often, blastovers are traditional in style, and use black ink, thick lines, and lots of negative space. This allows the previous tattoos to act as a colored background behind the new one that is lighter and sharper.
Sometimes the motivation behind a blast over is to cover up something that you are not happy with, but as you can see from the examples below this is not always the case. A blast cover can largely cover your old tattoos, and you can continue to enjoy the old as well as the new now that the different layers coexist perfectly together.
This style of tattoo can be useful for those who are starting to run out of room for new tattoos, giving you the chance to have something new when you thought it was no longer possible.
Most blast over tattoos will be heavy blackwork… But that’s cool too. Especially if you have color work you want to cover up. It ends up looking sort of like a light watercolor wash under thick ink. The layers look beautiful, and are a testament to how our styles change, our ideas about ourselves change.. But you should always remember that you always have tons of choices as to how to deal with a tattoo you’re not happy with! They may say a tattoo is forever…but these days, it really isn’t.