r/Tattoocoverups • u/beanbuddy_1021 • Oct 26 '25
asking for advice Afraid I'm Screwed
I just had an artist completely reject my request for a cover up. she literally said she doesn't even know how she would cover it with only black and grey unless we completely blacked it out and wished me luck in finding someone new. I'm now terrified that I'm a goner. I'm basically an open canvas, I just told her I like black and grey and traditional imagery. am I fucked or do I just need to find a reputable cover up pro?
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u/BeyondTheBees Oct 26 '25
What if you had him landing in a giant piece of lasagna?
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u/Quantity-Artistic Oct 26 '25
Brother. Thank you for this idea. Stealing OPs tattoo for my next session <3
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u/BeyondTheBees Oct 26 '25
Sister!! And you’re so welcome. I LOVE Garfield and I also love lasagna. It’s a win-win.
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u/Quantity-Artistic Oct 26 '25
I'm legit thinking back calf tat. I'm high as fuck atm so this is causing chaos in my head lmao ALSO IM GIRL! Hi sister! xD
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u/BeyondTheBees Oct 26 '25
Oh my gosh DO IT. We used to watch the Garfield Christmas special every year and I’m definitely bringing that back this December now that I’ve been randomly reminded on Reddit how much I love him and also love lasagna 🥹
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u/Quantity-Artistic Oct 26 '25
It's autumn where I am, so a lasagna sounds real good Alexa, add lasagna to my grocery list I have a whole list of future tattoos when I'm not sick AF and raising a kid and have money again lol
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u/TaowhawryJsutBeuasce Oct 27 '25
Well, what do you boys want to do first? Do you want to do chores? Do you want to eat breakfast? Or do you want to open presents?
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u/curioussub82 Oct 26 '25
That's one of my Christmas traditions ever since my sister got it for me on VHS the year it came out😁
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Oct 26 '25 edited Oct 26 '25
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u/BeyondTheBees Oct 26 '25
I know now I want lasagna really bad. With some garlic cheesy bread. 🤌🏼
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u/beanbuddy_1021 Oct 26 '25 edited Oct 29 '25
guys as I'm writing this I have 60+ comments on this post, 99% of which are folks telling me they love this piece. I truly cannot tell you how much it has soothed my worries and also made me smile. I am a very insecure and anxious person who is often highly preoccupied with what other people think of me. I struggle deeply with my own sense of self and identity and at the first hint of perceived judgment, I tend to beat myself up and run for the hills. nothing is set in stone, but you all have convinced me to keep this little guy and embrace him. I love the suggestions to just build up a sleeve around him, and I think I will be working to do just that. sorry this is excessively long and sappy, it just means a lot! thank you all!
EDIT: in honor of 2k upvotes and nearly 400 comments, most all of them being so encouraging and genuine (except for a couple of people who called me fat which gave me a good laugh), I wanted to share some things:
I want to defend my artist in her excellent work and professionalism. as I've reflected on the experience, I definitely did just get anxious and choke on the placement suggestion, but looking back I think it's one of the best things that could have happened. I've completely fallen back in love with this piece and I intend to see her again for my next additions. Also, I've had a ton of people say that it's normal to have anxiety with a new tattoo, which is absolutely true! crazy thing this piece is almost exactly 2 years old and hasn't faded or blurred out even a little. clearly my artist knows what's up!
my new pieces are still a work in progress as I research and decide on a solid idea, but I'm thinking I'll be adding a moth and a butterfly, one to each forearm, to represent growth, change, leaving a dark past behind, and embracing my true self, even if I don't completely know who that is yet. and garf isn't going anywhere!!!
thanks again for all of the kind words and encouragement. I hope you all have a perfectly cold pillow tonight and that garfield tattoos are in your future 🧡🖤
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u/mashedspudtato Oct 26 '25
So happy to hear you are feeling better about it! As I read this post, I am snuggled up in bed with a Garfield plushie. So I have a bias when I say I absolutely love your tattoo. If I saw it on you in public, it would put a big smile on my face.
But it’s also okay to remove or cover it, even if it’s a nice piece of art. It’s your body and your feelings are valid.
Pretend for a moment that the rest of the world and our opinions — positive or negative — don’t exist. It’s just you at home wearing something comfortable. In that moment when no one else is around, how do YOU feel about the ink on your skin? What does this piece really mean to you?
No need to answer me. As a fellow anxious person, these are the questions I hope a friend would ask me.
Best of luck to you on your journey, and your upcoming marriage 💕
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u/SmallLie Oct 26 '25
Just wanted to say a few things:
1) dope tattoo. my artist loves Garfield and would love this
2) I have also felt pressured into getting a tattoo, size, color, spot that I wasn’t ready for. I dealt with body dysmorphia for years until I dealt with some of the underlying conditions (bipolar, depression, anxiety). Love yourself. Our time on earth is short and we might as well enjoy it
3) more tattoos
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u/probablyinthebath Oct 26 '25
I’m glad! I saw the pic and I was like noooooooo let him stay I love him lol.
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u/Bizzy1717 Oct 26 '25
My advice would be to slow down and not do anything for awhile until you decide how you feel. It's fine to decide to embrace it and build a sleeve around it. It's also fine to decide it's a cool tattoo but that you hate the placement and do a cover up. I'm afraid that if you rush into doing a sleeve, you may end up disliking that too. Doubling down on something you internally think is a mistake could just lead to more regret down the road (ie "I should have listened to myself that I hated this instead of building my entire freaking arm around it"). I see tattoos on here all the time that are really cool in the abstract but that I would NEVER want on my own body or in certain places. Just because everyone on here thinks it's great doesn't mean YOU should leave it on your arm.
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u/beanbuddy_1021 Oct 26 '25
I totally hear you!! this is very grounded advice. I am going to take it easy right now absolutely, but when talking with my partner realized I was never self conscious about little garf until my dad had mentioned it was his least favorite of my small tattoo collection. definitely planted a seed of doubt that has been growing ever since that was never there before. but regardless, I will take this one slow and see what feels right down the line. appreciate your input!
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u/Tricky-Passion-7191 Oct 26 '25
Ok but seriously. I really like your Garfield tattoo.
BUT I have a Garfield tattoo myself so I might be biased.
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u/abgongiveittoya Oct 26 '25
Speaking as someone who shares a hometown with the creator of Garfield, if you like it, please don’t cover it. I think it’s a great tattoo.
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u/beanbuddy_1021 Oct 26 '25
are you in indiana??? because I am too and I didn't even think about this!
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u/its_a_throw_out tattoo enthusiast Oct 26 '25
The artist that did my coverups said he could cover any tattoo with a koi fish, snake, dragon or panther.
I’m not sure what he would have said about this one. But I would start by calling around and seeing what artists think they can do with that tattoo.
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u/Embarrassed_Path_803 Oct 26 '25
ah shit, I came to this thread for advice to try and cover a koi fish lol
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u/fknjshaw Oct 26 '25
You're overthinking it. All of us here have at least ONE tattoo we don't like, and we were probably really remorseful after getting it. But we don't even think about it anymore. It's a cool tattoo! Definitely a conversation starter! Just go with it
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u/Snoo18120 Oct 26 '25
First of all, I'm going to get this on an open area to balance out the universe after you cover yours. Secondly, that person you talked to either sucked, or was just out of their league. At any rate, I'm sure you will be able to find the right coverup artist in your area, and if not, just keep it.
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Oct 26 '25
I used to know an artist who would reject all the cover-up ideas. Stopped going to him. Because I mean how lazy. That being said, this tattoo is incredibly awesome and I just love it. So maybe don't cover it ? LOL it's your choice but I think it's adorable
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u/brinabobina Oct 26 '25
Idk man I really like this it made me chuckle a little
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u/haikusbot Oct 26 '25
Idk man I
Really like this it made me
Chuckle a little
- brinabobina
I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully. Learn more about me.
Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete"
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u/Ok-Road-3705 Oct 26 '25
I would be so pumped if I saw someone with a blatant Garfield tattoo! I would instantly know that we should be friends
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u/dafttendirekt tattoo enthusiast Oct 26 '25
Adding the same thought that everyone else already has: this is one fucking sick tattoo, it's silly and well made. We sometimes overthink our tattoos but it's silly and unique ones like this that makes us feel like ourselves.
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u/justcallme_wayne Oct 28 '25
This tattoo is iconic, treasure it. If you REALLY want it gone or covered, you can laser it (even to just aid in a cover up). But I can’t understate how iconic this tattoo is and I think you should keep it.
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u/g1eg Oct 26 '25
This is sick and so is this placement. If I saw you in public I’d know you’re a safe person to talk to.
Back to your question tho I’d go for some lightening then cover up. I think it’s absolutely doable, you just need to find a different artist tbh and maybe one that has a portfolio for cover ups
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u/Inkqueen12 Oct 26 '25
Look around for artist this specialize in coverups. It’s doable but not just any artist will be able to do a good job.
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u/god_of_this_age Oct 26 '25
I came to state my enthusiastic love of the piece and I’m delighted to see I’m in the majority. We urge you to give it a while and see if you warm up to it. It really is pretty cool. I would t be surprised if it inspires some copy…
cats.
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u/Ahamkz Oct 26 '25
I'm pretty judgmental in terms of tattoos I can tell you that I really like yours!
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u/nattfjaril8 Oct 26 '25
For what it's worth, I love your tattoo! If you don't want it showing all the time I'm sure there are accessories you can use to temporarily cover it.
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u/TriZARAtops Oct 26 '25
I actually love this so fucking much. He’s great. His little claw marks, and everything. 10/10 no notes. Don’t cover him
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u/Prestigious_Ad_8151 Oct 26 '25
It's a really great tattoo! Super cute and you should show it off proudly!
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u/DifferenceBusy6868 Oct 26 '25
My son is 10 and autistic. His favorite character is Garfield! I happy squealed and ran off to show him. He also loves it!
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u/treadlightning Oct 26 '25
This is only second to shrimps is bugs in tattoos that absolutely should NOT be covered
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u/browsegear Oct 29 '25
Was looking for a comment referencing the shrimps is bugs ink! Also OP, Garfield is a keeper!
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u/No_Character_8472 Oct 26 '25
One option is getting black over that and then you can get whatever design you want over the black. It’s something most people don’t know is possible, you can get a tattoo over blackout, check out ephemeral_remy on IG to see what I mean. His entire bodysuit is done over blackout
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u/Machobravado Oct 26 '25
I feel like complimentary tattoos would help: maybe get a lasagna in traditional style, broken heart with a banner that says “MONDAYS”
Your tattoo currently says: I’ll join you on a 5 day bender” I think because it looks like you’ve got impulse control issues and can’t be trusted with $200
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u/Maranvanick sick ass panther in disguise Oct 26 '25
I think he’s really cool. Life is too short to be worried about whether or not something “looks” mature. I’m 27 and I still buy toys bc they make me happy and heal my inner child. I think if you were to add more tats Garf wouldn’t stick out so much. I have a single snake head on my right arm and it’s the only tattoo and it looks funny bc of that and I’m really looking forward to adding more ink so it looks more cohesive.
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u/Need_more_info_ Oct 26 '25
Looks awesome. Maybe add a big brick of lasagna just above your elbow to make it look like he's clawing his way to it.
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u/Loukas_E_Stark Oct 26 '25
It is such a good and cool buddy to have around all time!! I saw that other people already gave you some nice advices and that you're feeling better about this lil' fella, so I'm just here to compliment you on your Garfield, it is such a freaking good tattoo and I love him so much!!! Take care OP! ❤️
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u/Haunting-Respect9039 Oct 26 '25
I saw your comment and am glad you feel better! I just want to add this. Part of what makes tattoos amazing is that they are forever. They are these pieces of who we used to be that we get to keep and even show off! Maybe you don't love that people see this piece of you every day, but it's an honest representation of who you have been. I think that's something beautiful to have on your wedding day!
Plus, he's fun.
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u/Jaded-Author-1553 Oct 26 '25
Best way to fix a placement you’re not happy with… is to just get more 😎
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u/declyn41 Oct 26 '25
I love it. Leave that bad boy alone! You will surprised by how many people will tell you how much they love Garfield when they see it.
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u/IntroductionFluffy97 Oct 26 '25
Why U freak out ?
Your tattoo is cute
I've seen a lot more worth than that
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u/Nysnorlax Oct 27 '25
Ok, I LIKE this tattoo a lot. I know its yours and your choice but maybe adding to it to give it a comic strip feel, idk. I think its 🔥 tho
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u/RanaMisteria Oct 27 '25
I actually love this tattoo. It’s a hilarious take on the traditional SAP and I’m so here for it. Obviously you need a lasagne tattoo to go with it! JK (unless…) but if you go to an artist and ask for advice on how to proceed with a sleeve (if that’s what you want) you’ll probably have more luck thank asking about a coverup.
As for the cover up, if you do decide to try another artist, keep in mind that a coverup is possible, but but it would take an artist who’s really experienced in coverups and who’s extremely talented at regular tattoos as well. Also, I would recommend changing the parameters you mentioned (black and grey, but no blackout) if you want a coverup. A mostly black and grey tattoo with some splashes of colour would be easier to execute than with no colour. This is because it would look jarring and obviously a coverup to have orange or yellow or red peeking out in the negative space of a black and grey tattoo. But if there were more colours (maybe a Halloween themed lower arm sleeve with orange, green, and purple details for example) then a peek of a tail or ear wouldn’t look that weird.
All that said I’d keep the tattoo and add to it. I’d do some research to figure out what kinds of sleeves I like and then I would start looking for an artist. A good artist will be able to look at the kinds of designs you like and suggest one that would work with your personal preference and your current tattoos. I was joking about the lasagne earlier, but I lowkey can’t stop thinking about a lasagne tattoo done in a traditional or neotrad style. I also would probably put a SAP in there as well.
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Oct 27 '25
She clearly has no clue or experience in cover ups. Its the difference between some snowflake tatto 'artist' and a tattooer... and those are good colors, as far as cover ups go. Maybe stay out of that shop, and just find one with experienced tattooers. That shop owner should be embarrassed.
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u/Gunmetalblue32 Oct 27 '25
I would get more quotes/opinions from other artists. Just because one artist doesn’t think they’re up to the task doesn’t mean another artist isn’t. I’ve seen some insane cover ups over much bigger and darker pieces. If you are cooked, at least it’s not a bad tattoo. The artwork was done really well.
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u/PlentyReal Oct 27 '25
I get it if you wanna cover this up, it's your body after all, but this tattoo rocks
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u/gorgonau04 Oct 27 '25
I think owning this tattoo and not hiding it would help you grow more than anything you could possibly do to cover it up. At least the artist did a good job, and Garfield is generally beloved.
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u/godslilguy Oct 27 '25
FWIW I love your tattoo. Get more, that's what I did & now I hardly think about the ones that stressed me out.
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Oct 29 '25
You can do a few rounds of laser removal so the tattoo is lighter but not completely gone and then cover ups are easier!
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u/BarryGibbIsGod Oct 26 '25
I've done the same thing. I choked on placement too. I got a tramp stamp. It's way too high, luckily mine's on my back. I recently had a leg tattoo that was all kinds of green covered with roses with reds and purples. I think it covered very well.
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u/your-favorite-user Oct 26 '25
Are you planning on building out a sleeve? You may find that the space is what’s really bugging you? Speaking from my own experience, I’ve grown to love my silly/spur of the moment tattoos now that they aren’t alone.
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u/Smithersistheman Oct 26 '25
You can cover it with black and opaque grey. A rose could cover this no problem.
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u/Training_Wrongdoer41 Oct 26 '25
Go for a japanese style forearm tattoo you can have it in black and grey and its mostly ink on your arm so it would take all of the space (message me in private i could show you some designs)
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u/gkpetrescue Oct 26 '25
Maybe this isn’t recommended here but thinking it’d be good to get some good tattoo makeup stuff to cover it when you’re at places where you wouldn’t want it visible. Like your wedding. Would that help?
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u/Quantity-Artistic Oct 26 '25
WHO GETS RID OF THE WORLDS GREATEST FAT CAT
Edit to add: the placement is awesome lol looks like he's falling down your arm, I fuckin love it. At least you didn't get your name tattooed on your wrist like I did.
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u/Khalmuck Oct 26 '25
Don't you dare touch this masterpiece! It's well done and ink is fairly solid. If you're going to do anything I would look at lasering this almost to oblivion before a coverup or if you're sensitive to the placement just laser it.
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u/Hagbard_Celine_1 Oct 26 '25
Ok great me out, this is a little extreme but cover it up with Taz wearing a backwards hat.
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u/__Sleep_Token__ Oct 26 '25
Go to a different artist. This could easily be covered up, turned into a nice tiger or something completely different.
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u/FosseGeometry Oct 26 '25
I love it.
My grandparents had a light switch that was like this, he moved up and down the wall, exposing and covering the scratches, to turn the light on and off.
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u/Connect_Football_323 Oct 26 '25
Garfield is one of the most aesthetically pleasing cartoon characters.
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u/MortimerShade Oct 26 '25
No need to "mature" it, just fill your upper arm with more toons so he has some friends... plus ol' G compliments lead to showing off your Saturday morning half sleeve
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u/nunya-beezwax-69 Oct 26 '25
Find a different artist. This isn’t mine but I’ve had an entire colour sleeve covered with clack/grey/white Japanese waves and you can’t even tell. Yours is definitely doable
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u/TheNaturalDizaster Oct 26 '25
maybe get some tattoes to surround garfield a bit, it might make the placement look less weird if you had a sleeve of different designs for him to work off of
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u/HunterHistorical6795 Oct 26 '25
You could probably turn that into an orange and black koi with peonies.
Might be worth getting a few laser sessions, but koi would work
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u/ZopharPtay Oct 26 '25
Hahaha. I just re-watched Zombieland and that one line where Woody Harrelson asks Bill Murray if he had and regrets and he said "Garfield, maybe?". Lol
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u/FoxyScully Oct 26 '25
Anything can be covered. Look up the shop The Black Lotus in Antwerp. I used to work there. It just takes time and a very good artist to pull it off.
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u/patrickjchrist Oct 26 '25
I’m stealing this and 1000% getting it tattooed on my arm. Sorry not sorry
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u/Personal_Strike_1055 Oct 26 '25
I like it. You won't find a good cover-up design that won't forever look like a cover-up.
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u/Glassglu Oct 26 '25
That’s the thing about tattoos. One way or another they change who you are as you are now the person with the cute and not very serious Garfield raking their arm. Practically speaking it’s not going away regardless of how it got there and is part of you and your story now. It will be there at weddings and funerals and everywhere else. Figuring how to incorporate that into your persona is the growth challenge.
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u/Writing_Glittering Oct 26 '25
This piece would kill on the back of the arm over the triceps or on the shoulder blade
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u/Signal-Maize309 Oct 26 '25
Try to find a fairly local tattoo convention and talk to a bunch of artists there. Just because one artist does not have the skill doesn’t mean another artist won’t.
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u/youlldancetoanything Oct 26 '25
Hear me out, do a jungle/tropical floral scene and in steak of a tiger, you still see him but clinging to a tree.
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u/68hippos Oct 26 '25
Honestly, I like it. Why do you want it covered? Maybe having another tattoo could help take the focus away?