The Cover Up Tattoo Master is IN!
Welcome to the World of Cover Up Artistry!
With the influx of tattoo wannabes - half-baked tattooists, apprentices, in-home tattooists and the moonlighting tattooists... we have seen some incredibly awful artwork on the streets and in our studio.
A little background in Singapore's Tattoo History...
Back in the 1990s, there were only a handful of tattoo shops in Singapore. Artwork and technology back then were rudimentary, and the quality of tattoo arts then were of poor to barely decent according to today's standards. But that was the way it was then - technology and techniques were not adequate to address more complex artistic expressions back then.
From the 2000s onward, tattooing technology has improved by leaps and bounds. We begin to see long-lasting inks, more vibrant colour choices and a few talented artists developing newer and better techniques in creating artful and realistic looking tattoo designs. Execution techniques were refined and improved, so did the tools and technology required to execute them. All these happened in the West - America were the leaders in these areas. The Singapore Tattooing scene benefited from this vast knowledge as a few artists picked up the techniques and technology as they unfolded in the US. However, there were still only a handful of such pioneering artists in Singapore back then. Most were still caught up in the dark and ancient tattooing skill sets bore down from the earlier generations of tattoo artists in Singapore. Life were good then, with only few artists experimenting with these new found skill-sets, pioneering artists were able to generate quality artwork for faithful clients looking for more than run-of-the-mills artwork.
From mid-2000s, as quality tattoos from these pioneering artists begun to capture the attention of the public, more and more people became interested in the art of tattooing. This were further buoyed by the advent of the internet, and even more begin to appreciate good quality artwork. It was the nascent of a totally new tattooing community.
As more and more people flock to the aforementioned pioneering artists who have honed their skills through the years, some bright spark decided that they too want to cash in on the craze.
Then Disaster Strikes...
Beginning in the late 2010s, we start seeing people from all kinds of background, picking up the tattoo machine and go crazy with the ink. All sorts of mashed up artwork begin to walk the streets. We see people with zero arts background starting to welt their machines and tattoo badly executed stuff on their clients.
It's not exaggerating to say that 1 out of 5 tattoos you see on the streets are badly done. These so-called tattooists are the bulk of its creators. People are beginning to get disillusioned about what good ink looks like, simply because poorly executed artworks are overloading their senses (and sensibilities).
You might ask, "But if it’s so bad, why does people still get it?" When you condense it, it all boils down to costs. Tattoos regardless of how bad they are, are being charged at super low or "competitive" rates by these "tattooists" to woo more clients. They charge low prices, due to either a) the low overheads as some do it at home or at some obscure locations, b) to earn more by doing it in bulk (having more than 10 clients a day isn't exaggerating). "B" is extremely important, since many clients who later come to their senses, would never return to the same tattooist again. So, increasing their client base is extremely important for them to survive - if they're still doing it. But the sheer volume of work, means that many will burn out eventually, and we see many such tattooists leaving the scene after some time - leaving as mysteriously as they came.
And it’s by no coincidence, that we start to see "laser tattoo removals" getting more and more popular. Walking by any Family Clinic nowadays from the high-end luxury clinics at Paragon Medical Centre to neighbourhood clinics under your void deck, you'll see that these clinics have all started to be offering "tattoo removal" services. Prices varies greatly too, but generally it’s the cheapest at some shady beauty salons or home salons where untrained individuals operate a high-powered medical laser device.
Many people with badly done tattoos choose this route, mainly because they have been burnt the first time with their tattooing experience under the hands of some poorly trained tattooists. With that kind of hindsight, they are very afraid that they’ll end up with another poorly done tattoo to cover up the ugly one beneath. And its true, a coverup needs to be much larger than the original – and a poorly executed one would mean having a much bigger and uglier tattoo. You’ll be better off just staying with a tiny ugly tattoo.
Covering Up the Ugly Past...
Laser Tattoo Removal is an option to get rid of those unsightly tattoos that you'll regret immediately after the honeymoon period runs out - be it a result of the act of getting a tattoo or due to "bargain price". But many do not know that the risks of getting a tattoo removed. It's called a "permanent tattoo" for a reason. Laser removal is all good on paper, but the risks of scarring and having incomplete tattoo removals are very real. We have seen our fair share of scarred skins and incomplete tattoo removals in our studio over the years. Some are positively hideous - so much so that they are always embarrassed to show it to others let alone going out for a swim at the beach.
Another option to rectify a poorly done tattoo is to cover it up with another. This is what is known as a "coverup tattoo". This is another avenue to help "right a wrong". The keyword here being "right". Many people fall back into the trap of looking for a “cheap way out”. If they find another incompetent artist to correct a wrong another incompetent tattooist created, then disaster strikes. Coverups are an advanced skillset that only an artistically trained artist would be able to pull off. You wouldn’t find a hairdresser to fix your air conditioner, so don’t let another disaster happen to your skin with a poorly trained tattooist.
Don't Repeat Past Mistakes...
Apple Qu has seen more of her share of poorly executed tattoos and scarred skin (from botched removal attempts) over her 10 years of experience in the tattooing scene. She has also helped many smart people to coverup their poorly done tattoos – people who are finally in love with their skin again. You can view some of our selected coverup works done on the page. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the satisfaction on these faces tells a million stories!
A note on good quality coverups: A good coverup is not only about its execution. Execution is important – the correct technique would reduce the chances of scarring the skin (for example: tattoos should feel flat – if your tattoo is raised or rough to the touch, it means that the artist was too heavy handed, and the needle pierced through at a skin depth more than necessary to deposit pigments). The choice of design, placement and colour correction is what makes or breaks a coverup tattoo. Only get a coverup tattoo from an experienced and skilled tattoo artist. Not all artist are experts at coverup tattoos. Choose your artist wisely – look at their portfolio!
With the influx of tattoo wannabes - half-baked tattooists, apprentices, in-home tattooists and the moonlighting tattooists... we have seen some incredibly awful artwork on the streets and in our studio.
A little background in Singapore's Tattoo History...
Back in the 1990s, there were only a handful of tattoo shops in Singapore. Artwork and technology back then were rudimentary, and the quality of tattoo arts then were of poor to barely decent according to today's standards. But that was the way it was then - technology and techniques were not adequate to address more complex artistic expressions back then.
From the 2000s onward, tattooing technology has improved by leaps and bounds. We begin to see long-lasting inks, more vibrant colour choices and a few talented artists developing newer and better techniques in creating artful and realistic looking tattoo designs. Execution techniques were refined and improved, so did the tools and technology required to execute them. All these happened in the West - America were the leaders in these areas. The Singapore Tattooing scene benefited from this vast knowledge as a few artists picked up the techniques and technology as they unfolded in the US. However, there were still only a handful of such pioneering artists in Singapore back then. Most were still caught up in the dark and ancient tattooing skill sets bore down from the earlier generations of tattoo artists in Singapore. Life were good then, with only few artists experimenting with these new found skill-sets, pioneering artists were able to generate quality artwork for faithful clients looking for more than run-of-the-mills artwork.
From mid-2000s, as quality tattoos from these pioneering artists begun to capture the attention of the public, more and more people became interested in the art of tattooing. This were further buoyed by the advent of the internet, and even more begin to appreciate good quality artwork. It was the nascent of a totally new tattooing community.
As more and more people flock to the aforementioned pioneering artists who have honed their skills through the years, some bright spark decided that they too want to cash in on the craze.
Then Disaster Strikes...
Beginning in the late 2010s, we start seeing people from all kinds of background, picking up the tattoo machine and go crazy with the ink. All sorts of mashed up artwork begin to walk the streets. We see people with zero arts background starting to welt their machines and tattoo badly executed stuff on their clients.
It's not exaggerating to say that 1 out of 5 tattoos you see on the streets are badly done. These so-called tattooists are the bulk of its creators. People are beginning to get disillusioned about what good ink looks like, simply because poorly executed artworks are overloading their senses (and sensibilities).
You might ask, "But if it’s so bad, why does people still get it?" When you condense it, it all boils down to costs. Tattoos regardless of how bad they are, are being charged at super low or "competitive" rates by these "tattooists" to woo more clients. They charge low prices, due to either a) the low overheads as some do it at home or at some obscure locations, b) to earn more by doing it in bulk (having more than 10 clients a day isn't exaggerating). "B" is extremely important, since many clients who later come to their senses, would never return to the same tattooist again. So, increasing their client base is extremely important for them to survive - if they're still doing it. But the sheer volume of work, means that many will burn out eventually, and we see many such tattooists leaving the scene after some time - leaving as mysteriously as they came.
And it’s by no coincidence, that we start to see "laser tattoo removals" getting more and more popular. Walking by any Family Clinic nowadays from the high-end luxury clinics at Paragon Medical Centre to neighbourhood clinics under your void deck, you'll see that these clinics have all started to be offering "tattoo removal" services. Prices varies greatly too, but generally it’s the cheapest at some shady beauty salons or home salons where untrained individuals operate a high-powered medical laser device.
Many people with badly done tattoos choose this route, mainly because they have been burnt the first time with their tattooing experience under the hands of some poorly trained tattooists. With that kind of hindsight, they are very afraid that they’ll end up with another poorly done tattoo to cover up the ugly one beneath. And its true, a coverup needs to be much larger than the original – and a poorly executed one would mean having a much bigger and uglier tattoo. You’ll be better off just staying with a tiny ugly tattoo.
Covering Up the Ugly Past...
Laser Tattoo Removal is an option to get rid of those unsightly tattoos that you'll regret immediately after the honeymoon period runs out - be it a result of the act of getting a tattoo or due to "bargain price". But many do not know that the risks of getting a tattoo removed. It's called a "permanent tattoo" for a reason. Laser removal is all good on paper, but the risks of scarring and having incomplete tattoo removals are very real. We have seen our fair share of scarred skins and incomplete tattoo removals in our studio over the years. Some are positively hideous - so much so that they are always embarrassed to show it to others let alone going out for a swim at the beach.
Another option to rectify a poorly done tattoo is to cover it up with another. This is what is known as a "coverup tattoo". This is another avenue to help "right a wrong". The keyword here being "right". Many people fall back into the trap of looking for a “cheap way out”. If they find another incompetent artist to correct a wrong another incompetent tattooist created, then disaster strikes. Coverups are an advanced skillset that only an artistically trained artist would be able to pull off. You wouldn’t find a hairdresser to fix your air conditioner, so don’t let another disaster happen to your skin with a poorly trained tattooist.
Don't Repeat Past Mistakes...
Apple Qu has seen more of her share of poorly executed tattoos and scarred skin (from botched removal attempts) over her 10 years of experience in the tattooing scene. She has also helped many smart people to coverup their poorly done tattoos – people who are finally in love with their skin again. You can view some of our selected coverup works done on the page. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the satisfaction on these faces tells a million stories!
A note on good quality coverups: A good coverup is not only about its execution. Execution is important – the correct technique would reduce the chances of scarring the skin (for example: tattoos should feel flat – if your tattoo is raised or rough to the touch, it means that the artist was too heavy handed, and the needle pierced through at a skin depth more than necessary to deposit pigments). The choice of design, placement and colour correction is what makes or breaks a coverup tattoo. Only get a coverup tattoo from an experienced and skilled tattoo artist. Not all artist are experts at coverup tattoos. Choose your artist wisely – look at their portfolio!
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