Blast Over Tattoo

A blast over tattoo (also written blastover) is a new tattoo done directly on top of one or more existing tattoos, with no attempt to hide them. The new design is drawn in heavy black lines with plenty of open skin, so the old tattoo shows through the gaps and reads as a faded background layer.

It is the opposite idea to a cover-up. A cover-up tries to make the old tattoo disappear. A blast over accepts that it is there and puts something stronger on top, so the eye goes to the new design first.

Blast overs are closely tied to American traditional tattooing, because that style is built from exactly what a blast over needs: thick black outlines, simple shapes and solid black shading that stay readable over a busy background.

• Blast over — a bold new design on top of the old tattoo. The old tattoo stays visible through the open areas. The new piece can be almost any size or subject, because it does not have to hide anything.
• Cover-up — a new design planned to hide the old tattoo completely. It usually has to be larger and darker than what it covers (artists often suggest two to three times the size), and the old tattoo limits which designs will work.
• Blackout — the area is filled with solid black. Nothing of the old tattoo remains, but neither does any open skin.

A simple way to choose: if you can live with the old tattoo being seen, a blast over gives you the most freedom. If you never want to see it again, you need a cover-up, a blackout or laser removal.

A blast over works best when the old tattoos are lighter than the new one:

• Old tattoos that have faded or blurred with age.
• Fine line work, script and small scattered pieces.
• A patchwork of unrelated tattoos you want to pull together into one sleeve or panel.
• Old color that has gone soft, where heavy black lines sit clearly on top.

It is a weaker choice when the old tattoo is very dark or dense. Black on black has little contrast, so the new design can get lost. In that case your artist may suggest lightening the old tattoo with laser first, or going for a cover-up or blackout instead.

Two things to be honest with yourself about. First, the old tattoo will still be visible — if seeing it bothers you, a blast over will not fix that. Second, a blast over puts more ink into the same skin, which makes any later cover-up or removal harder. Talk both through with your artist before you commit.

The designs that work are the ones that still read clearly with a busy background behind them: thick outlines, big simple shapes and solid black.

• Spider web — a classic choice. The strands frame the old tattoo instead of fighting it, and a web stretches to fit an elbow, knee or shoulder.
• Panther — a solid black body gives the strongest contrast of any traditional design. See traditional panther tattoo designs.
• Snake — a long body can wind across several old tattoos and tie them together. See traditional snake tattoo designs.
• Dagger — a long, narrow shape that runs straight down a forearm or shin. See traditional dagger tattoo designs.
• Skull — black eye sockets and a bold outline hold up over almost anything. See traditional skull tattoo designs.
• Eagle — spread wings span a wide area such as the chest or upper back. See traditional eagle tattoo designs.
• Rose — drawn as open linework, a rose lets the old tattoo show through the petals. See traditional rose tattoo designs.

Most blast overs are done in black only. Some are done in red linework instead, which reads as a separate layer from older black and grey tattoos. A blast over sleeve repeats the idea along the whole arm: a few large black designs laid over older tattoos, with the gaps left open.

If you would rather not see the old tattoo at all, American traditional is also one of the most practical styles for a cover-up. Thick black outlines, saturated color and solid black shading hide old lines far better than soft or fine-line styles.

Designs with large dark areas do the most work: a panther, an eagle, a dark rose with heavy leaves or a skull. Expect the cover-up to be larger than the tattoo it hides, and expect your artist to steer the design — what will cover depends on how dark the old tattoo is and where its lines fall.

Flash is a starting point here, not a finished plan. Bring a design you like and a clear photo of the old tattoo, and let your artist redraw it to cover.