As tattooing continues in the mainstream, not all clients are thrilled with their old colored tattoos and are looking for something fresh on their bodies. One way to resolve this is to do “blastovers,” i.e. overlapping parts of the old design with new ink, like the example shown below (photo 6) by 3kreuze—a German-based tattooist known for his laden black ink. Whether it is blastovers, coverups or completely new blackout designs, the artist loves his job and often jokes that “heavy blackwork [ruins] your life.” It surely is a visual statement, distinguishing these skins from the general crowd, which makes his work more sought after and cultlike. 3kreuze practises what he preaches: having 10-years worth of bold tattooing done on his skin, see here.

Images © 3kreuze