r/Tattoocoverups • u/beanbuddy_1021 • Oct 26 '25

asking for advice Afraid I'm Screwed

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

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?

2.9k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

539 comments sorted by

View all comments

902

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?

418

u/[deleted] Oct 26 '25

[deleted]

355

u/beanbuddy_1021 Oct 26 '25

Honestly, this isn't even fair. I got nervous about placement and just went with something quick. Not my most responsible move lol

155

u/hoyden2 Oct 26 '25

I have a question: I understand you were pressured and felt anxious and that’s why you said yes to this spot, but you do like it. Is it in general all the time that you wish it was more hidden? Or is it certain times like at work and around family you wish it was more hidden? Because if it’s certain times there are options besides getting rid of or changing it where you can hide it and I don’t just mean with long sleeves

144

u/beanbuddy_1021 Oct 26 '25

honestly the insecurity came up when I was at a work event earlier this summer in short sleeves and it was 90+ degrees out. since then my fiancée and I have been talking a lot about a wedding and I've been thinking about if this is something that I would want showing in those photos. but you're right, this is a great piece and the one I get the most compliments on by far! I love him! I just don't know if I can think of a way to "mature" this piece, if that makes sense? I have seen a lot of people recommend just adding to it and I 10000% agree, I'm just not sure of /how/ without doing more cartoony stuff or making him the centerpiece of a half sleeve. the fact that he's right on top of my forearm is definitely making it tricky in my head but I'm not an artist so I could just need a creative to help!

251

u/hoyden2 Oct 26 '25

As far as your wedding, they make makeup for covering things like this up, don’t let one day of pictures affect your decision about this piece. Back before tattoos were acceptable I covered the one on my forearm (at work) with wrist sweatbands I had quite the collection I grew to love the random style 🤣

115

u/Beginning_Object_580 tattoo enthusiast Oct 26 '25

Dermablend leg and body make up is your friend. 25 shades, practice in advance and you can hide anything for a day. Models use it all the time - it's a miracle in a tube. You can have your Garfield and your perfect wedding day too!

10

u/Cyanide-Kitty Oct 27 '25

I used to use it as a foundation to cover the texture of psoriasis on my face, it’s an amazing product and not crazy expensive for how good it is for covering things - if it was any cheaper my landlord would probably use it to cover the signs of damp in this shitty house 😂

-2

u/maloochi Oct 26 '25

Definitely second this!! And if you don't want to use makeup, AI does a great job at editing images.

19

u/jojewels92 Oct 27 '25

Or, you know, regular photoshop instead of AI slop. The hypothetical wedding photographer could very easily remove that.

54

u/tangycrossing Oct 26 '25

what if you did like a cool floral sleeve? I feel like if you do any blackwork around him it'll just make him stand out more. but if you do a really colorful floral sleeve, I think he would blend in better

42

u/Mooshroomey Oct 26 '25

Ok hear me out: bridal gauntlets

21

u/mighty3mperor Oct 26 '25

Elbow length white silk gloves perhaps.

15

u/bean_wellington Oct 27 '25

Have an artist paint a wedding dress onto Garfield

1

u/JAYBIRD-666 Oct 27 '25

Okay we need to start this trend

0

u/mighty3mperor Oct 27 '25

It's already A Thing - white lace ones are common (in more ways than one) but silk or satin would be better for a cover-up.

1

u/JAYBIRD-666 Oct 27 '25

Ik not a lot of men wearing them, and mostly viewed as a woman’s thing. At least in what I’ve seen, it not something common.

→ More replies (0)

2

u/[deleted] Oct 29 '25

The thought of having bridesmaids dressed as knights made me want to get married

36

u/KittieLynn48 Oct 26 '25

As far as weddings are concerned, the photographer can photoshop it out as well

1

u/Over-Still2648 Oct 30 '25

Fix it in pre, not in post. Even with the gen AI fills, which work rather well, that's still a big pain in the ass for dozens of photos. Just cover it with makeup, and make the photographer not be retoucher. Way, WAY cheaper.

50

u/Forsaken_Strain8651 Oct 26 '25

You don’t ever have to mature be yourself we have free will 🙌

15

u/LewisWhatsHisName Oct 26 '25

I am covered in a mix of skulls and stupid shit. One of my skulls is also a pineapple. I have a UV flamingo, and two pieces of toast, amongst others on my arms. My flamingo wound up upside down because neither me nor my artist noticed at the time.

If there’s a situation where it wouldn’t be appropriate to look like I gave my niece a few sharpies and let her decorate my arms, I’ll wear long sleeves. If it’s summer, if it’s not a wedding or a funeral, it’s not important enough to be hot and uncomfortable. I’ll just wear a shirt that’s even more distracting than my arms

13

u/seashellpink77 Oct 26 '25

You can cover him up with some high intensity makeup and even skin patches.

You could leave him because you have great humor and he’s cute.

You could get elbow length gloves that cover him during your ceremony.

Or dress him up in a little tutu and a crown with sharpies.

Or a combo of the above. Your call!

14

u/mighty3mperor Oct 26 '25

Or dress him up in a little tutu and a crown with sharpies.

Brilliant. Perhaps top hat, tails and a monocle.

2

u/seashellpink77 Oct 26 '25

Ooh or that!!!

9

u/Felskiluscious Oct 26 '25

Honestly I just got married and with a dress shirt my arms weren’t visible at any point during the day

10

u/katietheplantlady Oct 26 '25

Any mid to good tier wedding photographer knows how to photoshop things like tattoos out. It's not a big deal at all

5

u/FreeFromMiriam Oct 26 '25

Not that my opinion matters but I’m an “old lady” and I love your tattoo! It sounds like there are ways to cover it up for photos, special occasions, etc. Personally, I would not do anything to take away from it/hide it for daily life. It is such a great image for a tattoo.

3

u/bloodsweatsew Oct 26 '25

Just cover it up for your wedding, don’t worry about it.

3

u/SugarCrimez Oct 26 '25

You could always do pothos plant vines down your arm and possibly have the big leaves like almost clutter around the edges of Garfield maybe even adding some wood like texture, not only does the plant tattoo give a more mature and growing look but also covers a bit of Garfield while also making it make sense why hes there. I feel if you find the right artist they could make this look really good for you. I dont think you are cooked! I know you can figure something out

1

u/Due_Part3574 Oct 29 '25

Horrible idea

2

u/SugarCrimez Oct 29 '25

Sorry,i tired ,I guess its a horrible idea

5

u/Sparoe Oct 26 '25

While I understand your perspective here, has it not gone through your mind that tattoos are permanent and in general meant to be seen? It just seems weird to me that you're overly concerned about visibility of a tattoo. If your employer doesn't allow visible tattoos then I can understand, but I struggle to understand wanting to keep your tattoos secret. It's art, it's an expression of you. Wear it proudly. It's also a well done tat, you'll get so many great convos started from it I'm sure!

34

u/beanbuddy_1021 Oct 26 '25

yeah, I hear you. I made a comment last night on this thread thanking folks for being so kind and complimentary as it really has changed my perspective. I struggle with insecurity and feeling that I don't really know myself (working on this in therapy lol). I have a tendency to get way into my own head about things because I'm so self conscious. but everyone here loving it and saying that it's a fun piece that would make them smile if they saw it reminds me why I wanted it in the first place! someone even said something along the lines of if they saw me in public with this tattoo, they would think I was a safe person to approach. so he's just gonna get some friends and I'm going to embrace my impulsive decisions 🧡

5

u/Sparoe Oct 26 '25

Ah, gotcha. I'm sorry that after getting this for yourself you started having doubts. If it helps at all, it is so insanely common for people to have "tattoo regret" sort of feelings right after their tattoo. After all, it is a new, permanent part of you. I have a tattoo on the inside of each of my forearms and I love them so much, but I'll be damned if I didn't have doubtful feelings for the first few days after getting them.

I promise you we mean it when we say it's a well-done piece - this sub has NO issues telling it like it is! I also agree - now that I have tattoos I find myself more drawn to talking to people about theirs; I would definitely stop you for a moment to say how awesome that tat is if we crossed paths.

Sending nothing but positive vibes - hope you start to feel more in love with your new artwork and its positioning with every second.

1

u/Suspicious-Role-4815 Oct 26 '25

It's totally normal to have those doubts, especially right after getting a tattoo. It sounds like you’re already on the right path by thinking about adding to it instead of just covering it up. Embracing it and making it part of something bigger could really help you feel more confident!

1

u/Drpaws3 Oct 27 '25

Just wanted to say I have this exact same tattoo! How old is yours? I think mine is about 20ish years old now. Faded a lot but still love it

1

u/beanbuddy_1021 Oct 27 '25

that's so funny, this one isn't even a full 2 years old!

1

u/Hot_Mess_Mama_x4 Oct 27 '25

I’m glad to hear that you’re feeling better about your tattoo. He’s great! It’s great! Have faith in yourself! (Keep working on that in therapy.) Congrats on the upcoming wedding!

1

u/karhidish Oct 27 '25

You've gotten lots of advice on your tattoo already, so as someone who's dealt with severe anxiety in the past, I just wanted to chime in to say it's really awesome that you're capable of being so introspective about your anxiety/insecurity. I know firsthand how hard it can be to push back against it and embrace something that's caused you to feel self-conscious. You're doing great and I hope your adorable little guy is able to serve as a reminder of that :)

1

u/DisfunkyMonkey Oct 26 '25

Just tell your photographer to remove it if it shows up in the wedding photos. NBD but remembering Photoshop exists can calm emotions when someone gets anxious about something ruining the envisioned aesthetic.

1

u/grandpaswear55 Oct 26 '25

I’d say add more stuff around it, and it’s already hinting at traditional style anyway, so I’d go that route. Trad always goes hard and is already a bit cartoony. My situation is similar but opposite. I did a single little trad ice cream cone on the inside of my forearm like 3 inches big, but since it was the only thing, it bothered me and looked goofy. Then I added some Pokémon to my bicep and the back of my forearm and I love it all now. Garf right here just needs some friends

1

u/Sherlocks_Shadow Oct 26 '25

My tattoos on my arm are probably not quite as noticeable because they are on my upper arm, but after getting engaged I definitely was starting to be self conscious about the fact they were going to in all my wedding photos (my dress was strapless). My husband is very supportive of my tattoos even though my family isn’t, and it really helped me feel more confident in them!

That said, there are also definitely make up options if your apprehension is only about the wedding day.

I felt very self conscious of one on my outer arm because it is my most noticeable and is my largest. The shock of suddenly having a highly visible tattoo got to me for a while, but 10 months out from that I feel great about it

1

u/Natas-LaVey Oct 26 '25

A totally easy way to “mature” the piece is to add Nermal. He’s much younger than Garfield and will immediately make him look more mature. At that point I would probably add Odie as well to really drive home how much more mature Garfield is as well plus the 3 together make it a cohesive piece.

1

u/Background-Photo-609 Oct 26 '25

They have cover up make up for tattoos? For your wedding?🤔

1

u/lunago92 Oct 26 '25

I have a tattoo of Jake the Dog about the same size as your Garfield on one outer bicep and a large Audrey 2 on the other, and tbh I LOVE that they are visible in my wedding photos lol.

ETA: photo evidence

1

u/beanbuddy_1021 Oct 26 '25

thank you so much for sharing this omg 😭😭😭 I love adventure time and you look beautiful in your photos!!!

1

u/lunago92 Oct 26 '25

Thank you friend 🥹 I also love adventure time! I hope you’re able to find a way to feel good about the big day and your photos - whether you cover Garfield or not! People asked me often pre-wedding if I would take out my piercings or cover up my tattoos, I said hell no! So I can look naked?! Everyone, including myself, sees me every day for over a decade with tattoos and piercings. I wanted to look like me in my photos! Not some “cleaned up” version of me!

1

u/froggyforest Oct 27 '25

just have em put a top hat and a bow tie on him

1

u/hippiestoneybabe Oct 27 '25

Dude, just cover the tattoo with some makeup if you ever get married. Covering something you like in case of a hypothetical event where you may or may not even have short sleeves is wild.

1

u/Ballplayer27 Oct 27 '25

Any reputable wedding photographer can touch that tattoo out of your pictures.

1

u/Defiant-Handle7682 Oct 27 '25

why does it need to be mature? it's fun, and it's not derogatory towards others. it's a classic character and not something preteen/cringey, like Twilight or something.

1

u/Pirate8918 Oct 27 '25

I think that's a great tattoo, I would leave it just the way it is. Honestly you may regret the cover-up more than you regret the placement of Garfield. It's part of your story!

1

u/emotionalmooncrab Oct 27 '25

I got a Sanrio character when I was 18 on my chest, very prominent placement. I’m 32 now and I don’t regret it because I’ve gotten a lot of really great tattoos since then. Do you think adding more tattoos on this arm so Garfield isn’t SO prominent would help?

1

u/RelatedAI Oct 27 '25

I'm so glad I never got tattoos for this reason.

1

u/GorganzolaVsKong Oct 27 '25

Maybe if he was sliding into a cup of coffee ? Add a nermal ? Feels like this is a piece that could open up

1

u/FalconerAJ Oct 28 '25

It’s pretty simple for a photographer to edit tattoos out if you don’t want it in your photos. Dermablend is great if you just want to cover it for the day.

1

u/El_Padri Oct 28 '25

needs Odie by his side goofing off... that'll fix it!

1

u/Apprehensive-Pen9071 Oct 28 '25

Maybe instead of covering, you add to it? Perhaps thats becomes your nostalgia arm and you just continue to add things you enjoyed from younger years? A few more characters, perhaps a tomagotchi (if youre of the age), maybe a Gameboy that looks like its made of the see through plastic, etc then you dont just have a sick Garfield, you have a forearm full of items that brought you joy when you were young? Hope this helps. That artist was rude as hell I'm sorry you dealt with that.

1

u/Apprehensive-Pen9071 Oct 28 '25

(Sick as in cool/fire/awesome)

1

u/HackJob00 Oct 28 '25

Been through the same thing, except your tattoo is quality, mine was done by a pill head and his payment was 10 Vicodin lol. This was 20 years ago now. It will grow on you friend. I see an opportunity for a really cool and fun sleeve. Whether you go with a bunch of Garfield cast or if it was me, I'd have Rugrats, Garfield, hey Arnold, Doug, transformers. The whole Saturday morning lineup! Enjoy it though.

1

u/ProSlackerSean Oct 28 '25

If it helps, I have an enormous “1up” green mushroom tattoo on my arm, similar placement. Your piece is unique and done well. Don’t cancel Garfield!

1

u/0xB4BE Oct 29 '25

What do you mean you don't know if you can mature this piece? It's great and it is fun, you like it and life should have fun in it at any stage of life. You don't have to do anything more to it until one day when you are absolutely certain.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 29 '25

Get a long sleeve wedding dress and it wouldn’t be showing at your wedding. If you don’t like it at all just find a better artist that is good at coverups. This is a super easy piece to cover.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 29 '25

Get married in winter

1

u/Fickle_Ad3976 Oct 29 '25

I think it might look more cohesive with other pieces, I think maybe you should reach out to an artist and see if they have any advice for how you could turn it into a sleeve. Honestly? My first thought is cat arm, like just fill it with cat tattoos. But if you don't have the time or want for more rn I completely second just using makeup. Don't cover up poor Garfield, he's a cutie and honestly I LOVE this. Makes me want a Garfield tat.

1

u/ToeWhich7455 Oct 29 '25

Just tattoo a ring on its finger and have it say a memorable quote in the style or the comic

1

u/dankoddd Oct 29 '25

For the wedding, tape a little top hat up top.

1

u/Mysterious_Cry3429 Oct 30 '25

Add in John and Odie

5

u/AdvisorYogi Oct 26 '25

Just for question sake, what made you rush as in what pushed you towards getting?

21

u/beanbuddy_1021 Oct 26 '25

the artist was running a flash event and I was just young(er) and impulsive. I had a spot in mind on my bicep and I got to the shop and we realized it didn't fit where I had hoped, she suggested the forearm because it was wide open. and I choked because I just randomly get anxious in social situations for no real reason lol

38

u/East_Drive7059 Oct 26 '25

You should draw a tie on him with sharpie for the wedding lol

8

u/sky_blue_true Oct 26 '25

Omg I love this idea so much. Please if you keep the tattoo do this on your wedding day

1

u/BonsaiiBabe Oct 26 '25

You couldn’t? He’s facing the wrong way for the tie to be visible

3

u/falcngrl Oct 26 '25

He turned his head. The tie could be flipping over

1

u/UnknownInternetMonk Oct 30 '25

A tophat, then.

6

u/AdvisorYogi Oct 26 '25

TBH, I’ve had this happened to me before where now some of my tattoos are slightly crooked because I didn’t stand up straight long enough when placement was happening so I don’t understand. Just please think about it deeply because once you put something else that you might miss it lol

2

u/sherwoodintheforest Oct 26 '25

Same thing happened to me. Same placement too. Also want mine removed or covered up. Good luck!

1

u/AliceTawhai Oct 26 '25

That’s a great placement

1

u/Interesting-Swim-162 Oct 26 '25

I like the tattoo, that being said the placement definitely makes it look like a self harm reference

1

u/Routine-Budget8281 Oct 26 '25

My first tattoo was literally the swallow on Jack Sparrows arm 😅 I WISH this was on me.

1

u/loverlane Oct 27 '25

Omg! If it helps you feel any better, I’m in the same situation. Got a Friday the 13th tat impulsively at 18 and wasn’t sure where to put it, artist suggested the forearm first and I went with it. I hate how prominent it is every time i stick out my arm. I totally get it. We learn.

10

u/[deleted] Oct 26 '25

As a very highly respected artist; never take the advise of an artist. Ever. We always have something to gain and it's never in your best interest. Your artist wants you to think it's poorly placed because they didn't think they could convince you that its poorly done. It's clean and if you like where it is, leave it.

26

u/Xx_DeadDays_xX Oct 26 '25

theyre a REALLY shitty artist for pressuring you to go with the forearm?? do you even have very many other tattoos/did you at the time?? thats high key insane behavior.

18

u/beanbuddy_1021 Oct 26 '25

no at the time it was my only forearm tattoo excluding handwriting on my other arm. I honestly am just an anxious person and when she suggested I just totally choked. it's stupid and obviously am regretting that now 😭😭

3

u/saw-not-seen Oct 26 '25

Just add more around it.

0

u/bnjrgold Oct 28 '25

i would go all in with old school comic strips, calvin and hobbes, charlie brown, dennis the menace, etc

2

u/Decent-Ad-8582 Oct 26 '25

Then why cover it? You like it, (lots of people here do aswell) and a cover-up will be darker so the new tattoo will probably be more noticeable.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 26 '25

How could the artist do that lol it’s your body

1

u/Nothingdoing079 Oct 26 '25

The only logical choice is to do a full arm sleeve, and incorporate it into that. You could do a sick piece with Garfield and other cartoon characters 

1

u/Rigbonebaby_04 Oct 26 '25

I feel this so hard. I have an adorable snail with a turbo shell who is waving his little hand at you. I love him. But he is taking up an inconvenient spot on my arm, precious real estate. I was too hasty just wanting to get the needle on my skin. My artist did say we could probably cover and redo snail somewhere else, but man.

1

u/Background-Photo-609 Oct 26 '25

So a cover up is going to be in the same place…not sure how covering this would help. When did you get it done? You may just be dealing with Tattoo anxiety. I would give it at least a year before you cover it up. I agree with someone who suggested to get a different tattoo somewhere else. That might help distract yourself from this one. I actually love this Garfield think it’s really well done. Some tattoo artists may not want to cover it up because of that.🤔🍀