Arm band cover up

[iowagirl]

Didn't put it in the cover up section since I've not actually done anything w/it yet, so I hope that's the right way to do it!

Soooo I got a little flower circlet around my upper right arm right after we got married, so 11-2001. I never really paid much attention to it, as far as how it's aging or whatever, it's just a part of me and it's just there. When I got the cherry blossoms I started looking at it and thinking hmmm....then I got this new peony and holy moly is the difference startlingly apparent. When we were talking placement, I'd already decided to cover it up-it's just a stock piece out of a book. I've seen it on a couple other women over the years, tho the coloring on theirs were different, and mine goes all the way around my arm, the ones I saw did not. It doesn't have any "value" to me, to keep it. So, of course once I get home w/my new peony, I think well shitshitshitshit, I didn't think about what I was going to cover the circlet with, and the peony is so close to it.

I'm wondering how limited I'll be, in terms of covering. I can't go too much farther down the arm, lest work frown on me.

I did message the artist who will be doing all the work, and he's not worried about it. He thought a flower on the inside of my arm and some mandalas on the outside of it. Whatever we do will have to be kind of small, seems like, when I look at the available space. Most of the mandalas that I like don't seem like something for small areas.

I have decided I am a bit of a planner. It doesn't have to be exact down to the last detail, but I'd like to have *some* sort of ideas/thoughts for covering it up. Maybe it could be reworked/updated so it flows better w/the way the rest of the upper arm/shoulder/upper back is going to look. Make it not look so...dated, somehow.

I like to talk things through a little, basically, and I don't want to drive him batshit crazy before I get there in two months. But I'd like to work a little bit on setting my mind at ease that there are things that can be done w/it.

Will attach pics of the arm in question. One w/the new peony and one from when I got my cherry blossoms last year. If anyone has any words of wisdom, or thoughts on it, throw 'em out there.

[Fala]

I wonder about a paisley-type pattern? Or something Art Deco'ey? Putting on branches/more peony leaves and then adding water/clouds/etc? The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Piece from a Kosode with Peonies and Stream

[iowagirl]

Ha, great minds-I was just googling peonies and paisley, to see if they went together! I like that link-very pretty and soothing to the eye.

[Colored Guy]

There's a lot that can be done with what you have. Either of the areas can be expanded upon easily.

Rob

[iowagirl]

there's going to be either some more peonies or some dahlias-flowers of some sort, behind the new peony, continuing the way up behind the frog. His leaf will be changed a little bit too. Just that arm band is throwing me off, what to do with it. I can go down a little bit, I just want to make sure it's something that doesn't have to go down to my elbow, and that will cover the band/incorporate it so I can't see it. I can see what's under my feet and it bothers me.

[Reyeslv]

there's going to be either some more peonies or some dahlias-flowers of some sort, behind the new peony, continuing the way up behind the frog. His leaf will be changed a little bit too. Just that arm band is throwing me off, what to do with it. I can go down a little bit, I just want to make sure it's something that doesn't have to go down to my elbow, and that will cover the band/incorporate it so I can't see it. I can see what's under my feet and it bothers me.

How about some wind bars as background? It will fill in the space and you should be able to cover that arm band.... Just a thought.

[iowagirl]

wind bars-is that the smokey looking swirls in Japanese tattoos? Can I do that if it's not a Japanese piece?

[deadsp0t]

wind bars-is that the smokey looking swirls in Japanese tattoos? Can I do that if it's not a Japanese piece?

Good question. Was wondering the etiquette in that as well. :cool:

[Reyeslv]

wind bars-is that the smokey looking swirls in Japanese tattoos? Can I do that if it's not a Japanese piece?

That would be a good question for a professional.

[deadsp0t]

That would be a good question for a professional.

Of course I'm no professional, but my guess would be it would depend on the rest of the tattoos and how it would flow or go together for most artists, I'd think a more traditional minded artist would say no way.. I'm curious now, as I pondered that for background in my arm.. Guess I'm just going to have to bring it up when I schedule my next appointment :cool:

[iowagirl]

Maybe I better stick to trying to look for paisleys or mandalas or smaller flowers instead. I don't want to end up making some sort of tattoo faux pas you know?

[Old Rose Tattoo]

Good question. Was wondering the etiquette in that as well. :cool:

Wind bars would work good for covering that up. It would flow with the Peony and If eventually you want to bridge the tattoo over to your cherry blossoms. Both the Peony and the Cherry blossoms are used often in traditional Japanese pieces. With tying it in with your frog, there are frogs in Japanese pieces as well. You can make it fit and look like a Japanese piece. However, instead of wind bars I would look into waves, would cover the band better than wind bars. Wind bars are black and grey wash that fades to skin. Where there is open skin youd see the old tattoo. But with water bars and waves there is more ink coverage on the skin and would cover the old tattoo better. Peonies are often drawn with waves and since you have a frog which comes from the water, the waves would be able to depict its immersion from the water into a frog, and the peony could be getting taken away by the water. I think your best bet would be to take it the Japanese route since there is a lot that you can do that way, and to bridge the gap to the blossoms it would be seamless.

Paisley would work too but I think the Japanese would look really good. The Peony you have is beautiful I would keep that theme going!

[iowagirl]

Thank you for your thoughts, that is very helpful!

I'd wanted to do a lady head in the middle w/some other flowers, in the sort of triangle between the blossoms and the frog/peony area. Maybe I'll need to find a different spot for the lady head!

[Old Rose Tattoo]

You could still do the lady head as well, but make it like a geisha head. If you dont already have an image planned for the lady head. Just another thought. But as long as you are with a good artist that artist will take good care of you! But personally I think going the Japanese route would be the best looking way to go. Would love to see pix when you get it done!

[iowagirl]

I do have this one already planned, minus the rat. Sooo..forgive my total lack of knowledge, is she traditional style? I love her.

I did go look at tattoos w/water in them and like that idea. Would the blue of the water be able to cover the colors in my arm band?

[Old Rose Tattoo]

Yes you are correct, that is a very traditional piece. I personally would find a different place to put her. Only because she would not mesh well with your blossoms or your frog since neither of them are traditional. She would look great on a shoulder or a thigh!

The blues in the water will cover up the arm band. Typically when doing a cover up in color its best to use cool colors rather than warm colors. Blues, greens, purples are the best colors to use for cover ups because they have more white in them and white pigments are thicker which helps cover up the blacks and other colors. I have done many cover ups using those colors and they look great you cant even see the old tattoo under it. That is why I recommended going with the waves.

Here is a tattoo I covered up using blues about 3 years ago.

[iowagirl]

Damn. I don't have a shoulder for her. Like the idea of the thigh but nobody would ever see her. =(

[Old Rose Tattoo]

The thigh would be a really nice place for her. Or you could take her and change her a bit and make her more Japanese influenced and use that in between. Even your rib cage would be a good spot for her.

I went back and looked at your pic of your back again, and putting her on your back wouldnt look right. Only because she wouldnt be centered between the two. Your blossoms go over more than half your back and she would sit funky back there.

[iowagirl]

Oof, this is hard. I'll have to do some thinking, where to put her so I can show her off when possible, see what I can make work/flow. Argh. I have an empty ankle and need to have some things situated ankle-wise, so maybe.

[Old Rose Tattoo]

Oof, this is hard. I'll have to do some thinking, where to put her so I can show her off when possible, see what I can make work/flow. Argh. I have an empty ankle and need to have some things situated ankle-wise, so maybe.

It would look good down on your ankle! and easy to show off!

I remember you saying in the beginning of this thread that you dont like how your cover up on your feet turned out b/c you can see the old tattoo under it and dont want your arm to be this way. I went back and looked at your picture, and the reason you can still see whats underneath is b/c of the colors used. Reds and oranges are some of the worst colors to use for cover ups. If you notice where there is green you cant see any of the cover up, at lease not in the pic.

[iowagirl]

Well feck, I wish I'd known that! I just let him do what he chose, figuring he would know the best. I was kinda bummed b/c I was hoping for different colors but what do I know haha! Shoulda spoke up I guess. It does make me a little leery for the arm cover up b/c it drives me nuts sometimes when I look at my feet..nobody's ever said anything like "Oh hey, what's this line here", or asked why there's stuff still visible--that would just send me over the edge. After 4 hours of that, there's no way I'd ever look into laser or anything to remove them to get them redone again. I'll just have to suck it up and deal w/it I guess! (and cross my fingers it doesn't happen again)

What are the best colors?

I did think about doing her above my knee and putting something else traditional above the other knee. My other ankles (ha like I have eleven of them or something but you guys know what I mean!) are a rose, dragon and Tigger. The rose and dragon will either need to be covered or worked into something new or redone at some point too..the rose turned 20 end of October!

[Old Rose Tattoo]

As long as no one really asks about it. Its not all the noticable. I love to do cover ups so I can usually spot a cover up when looking at tattoos. Not always b/c they are not always any traces of the old tattoo! Theres nothing left you can do to cover up the little bit of lines that are showing through a bit. Just get used to it lol. It is a good tattoo over all though so be proud of it!

The best colors to use are blues, greens, purples, teals, pretty much any color that isnt red, orange and yellow. Dont get me wrong you can use yellow and orange to cover something up, I have done done it, but it doesnt always work.

Above your knee would be awesome! Do you have a pic of the 20 year old rose? or the dragon and tigger? I wouldnt cover any of them as long as you still enjoy them. Redoing them is fine. I love to redo tattoos and bring old tattoos back to life. Too bad your not in Cali Id love to do some work on ya!

[iowagirl]

Bah, the exact colors I was hoping for, figures. I wonder if maybe there wouldn't have needed to be so much black if there'd been different colors..wonder how it will age. Not anything I'd ever thought about before spending time here.

Nobody can tell what it is...maybe you have to be a tattoo person to "get" it? I dunno. One of my coworkers said she thought it was a bug from my pics on FB after I got it!

Sometimes those things make me ponder going somewhere else.

Been looking at thigh tattoos on the internet now, liking that idea more and more, unless I can find a way to work her into my ankles.

I can take some pics, I don't have any close ones at all, but I think I have one that shows the dragon in it.

[Old Rose Tattoo]

There could possibly be a way to lighten up the ones on your foot so its not so dark. but that would all have to be something to look at in person!

Thigh tattoos are awesome! they look really good in a bathing suit too! Especially if you have something that goes with the curve of a bikini line like the top of your girls head!

Yes please do take some pix Id love to see them

[iowagirl]

ppppft there's no swimsuits going on this lady. Board shorts and long tops for me...that's why I'd thought above my knee, so it would show! I sound like an ole gramma.

What would you do to a tattoo to lighten it? Do you think it will be a muddled mess down the road? Gah, to go back 8 years and not have gotten the stuff done originally..