Let’s face it — falling in love can be intense. We’ve all had that moment in the early stages of romance when we want to tell the world about our newfound boo.
Instead of simply changing their relationship status on Facebook, these folks decided to declare their love with tattoos. Unfortunately, not all relationships survive, calling for another trip to the tattoo shop to get their tributes covered up.
I Suspect Fowl Play
It’s been said that getting inked is a great way to kiss goodbye to the break-up blues. A creative solution, this woman covered her ex’s name with a watercolor-inspired feather. Cover-ups usually have to be large enough to disguise the original design, and the artist of this piece decided to take it one step further, getting creative with color.
Nature-themed cover-ups are a popular choice, and feathers can event represent freedom from a toxic or troubled relationship. Goodbye forever, Darwin!
Marge Makes the Best Muse
Cover-ups don’t have to consist of the typical images of flowers, birds, roses, skulls, or feathers. If you want to erase bad memories of your ex, why not replace your ink with a fun tribute to your favorite cartoon character?
Altering the text on a tattoo is a convenient way of changing its meaning without having to cover the design entirely. This tattoo artist cleverly altered ‘Mary’ to say ‘Marge’, complete with a portrait of the blue-haired mother of three.
Portrait Gone Wrong
Getting a portrait of your significant other can be risky, and when the relationship breaks down, a trip to the tattoo shop is inevitable. Thankfully, some tattoos are more easily covered than others.
Sometimes, the artist may suggest a few sessions of laser removal, but this is not always necessary. When a design has faded over time, the artist can conveniently cover the original piece of work using bold colors, as seen in this ‘Day of the Dead’-inspired piece.
Birds of a Feather
When a tattoo consists of a long line of script like this one, it can be difficult to cover it up. This tattoo artist decided to experiment with vivid shades of blue and purple, creating a colorful and fun feather. This bright design leaves no trace of the original, transforming the client’s arm into a canvas.
Sometimes the old tattoo can peek through, but not in this case. Even the small flower has been covered with a splatter of ink!
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
Natural landscapes can be a popular choice of tattoo – reminding the client of peace, tranquillity, and rest. If a relationship falls apart, it can be a good idea to cover the tattoo with a tribute to your happy place.
The artist of this piece decided to cover the original text with a cluster of trees. The mountain range and rising sun add another layer of beauty to this stunning tattoo. You wouldn’t even know that this was a cover-up piece.
Mother of Dragons
Sometimes a tattoo can be difficult to cover entirely, due to the placement or size of the original text. In some cases, names can be completely covered by circular designs like this one. This Game of Thrones-inspired piece transforms the old tattoo into a powerful dragon symbol.
Dragon tattoos can represent freedom – and in many cultures, they connote strength, good luck, and knowledge. If only the client had the wisdom to avoid getting a tattoo dedicated to their partner.
Til Death Do Us Part
On their big day, some couples decide to get matching tattoos instead of exchanging rings. However, not all marriages stand the test of time.
Ring finger tattoos are subtle, but they can be tough to cover up when relationships go up in flames. However, if you decided to celebrate your marriage with ink, a lotus design like this one can be a beautiful solution, symbolizing beauty and spiritual awakening. Next time, maybe you should just put a ring on it!
King Kong Cover-Up
What do you do when you have a huge tattoo of your ex adorning your leg? Cover it with a gorilla, of course! When a portrait is this big, covering it up can be a mammoth task. Sometimes, the only solution involves exploring the animal kingdom.
This gorilla tattoo is a fun way to disguise a detailed portrait, and the dark coloring helps remove any trace of the original. If your favorite movie is King Kong, then that’s a bonus!
Gotham Before Girlfriends
Getting a massive tattoo of your girlfriend’s name across your back seems like a good idea until you split up. This Batman fan came up with the ingenious idea of dedicating his back piece to the caped crusader. The large script may have posed a challenge for the tattoo artist, but the classic shape of the Batman logo worked perfectly to disguise his homage to Kayleigh.
Never mind Bruce Wayne – in this story, the tattooist really saved the day.
Growing a Forest Apart
If your true love has left you, don’t despair. Cover up that tattoo with an image of a place that brings you joy! This piece follows the natural curve of the lettering, disguising the fateful ex’s name with a tall, powerful tree.
Forests are places of peace and relaxation, and simply looking at this forearm piece would be enough to dispel any bad memories of a failed relationship. Simply inhale, exhale, and focus on the future. A new life awaits!
Wings of Freedom
Getting your loved one’s name tattooed on you is a big commitment. In the throes of love, sometimes this decision seems like a perfectly natural thing to do. This client desired his girlfriend’s name inked over his chest, just above his heart. How sweet!
However, when things went sour, he had to go big to cover up the huge original artwork. This new piece uses intricate shading to complete the bold design. Sometimes birds of a feather don’t stay together.
Devil in Disguise
Ouch. Let’s hope this guy’s ex never sees his new tattoo, as he decided to transform her portrait into a creepy, cartoon devil! The tattoo artist of this piece had to get creative to cover up the original design, as detailed portraits can sometimes prove difficult to erase.
The brilliant use of coloring really allows this piece to stand out, whilst still incorporating elements of the former tattoo, such as the hair. Check out those devil horns and sharp fangs!
Touchdown Cover-Up
People can decide to cover their tattoos for a host of reasons. Sometimes this is triggered by a relationship break down, but often the original tattoos were also terribly done! In this client’s case, both of those factors played a part in their decision.
The original tattoo is shoddy, amateurish, and lacks detail. The new design uses vibrant shades of green and yellow, showing off this guy’s love for sports, whilst covering the name of his ex-boyfriend. It’s a win-win situation!
Mythical Medusa Transformation
Oh, dear! Poor Kim. Not only has her ex entirely removed any trace of her original tribute tattoo, but they’ve also replaced her portrait with a colorful, detailed portrayal of an evil creature from Greek mythology! The artist of this piece cleverly covered the text and the image with a host of slithering snakes.
This cover-up is bright, bold, and leaves no trace of the original black and white design. Hopefully, Kim won’t be offended by her ex’s new ink!
Dead Man’s Bones
Some relationships just aren’t built to last. Thankfully, this client was able to say goodbye to their old relationship with this dramatic skull tattoo. The intense shading ensures that the original name is completely gone, while the skull design represents the death of an old life. Also, this tattoo can hold symbolic meaning for the wearer, showing that change and growth lie just around the corner.
Aside from all that soppy stuff, skull tattoos also make you look pretty tough.
Rainbow Feather Fever
When the piece incorporates many bright colors, it can be a challenge for the tattoo artist to come up with a new design. This artist decided to craft a tribute to all things nature-inspired, sketching a watercolor feather surrounded by flying birds.
It was a stroke of genius, as the stunning shades of purple, pink, blue, and green really help to conceal the former script. Feathers may be a popular choice, but this is for a reason. They look great!
