Cover-ups · Characters · Colour

Covering Totoro with another Totoro. Yes, I was determined.

There was a small Totoro to cover, and I was determined to do it with another Totoro. Not by changing a couple of details: by turning it into a much larger composition, with colour, flowers and more characters. The challenge was to keep Totoro recognisable without being trapped inside the old drawing.

Starting point: A small Totoro on the lower leg.
The idea: Cover it with a new composition featuring Totoro again.
The change: More space, other characters, flowers and colourful watercolour.
The journey: Before, work in progress and result.

In this story01 · The idea could still be Totoro 02 · The new drawing needed room to grow 03 · More than six hours, and a new life for Totoro 04 · Want to keep the character, but change the tattoo?

Small Totoro on the leg before the cover-up — The small Totoro that needed covering.

01 / Cover-ups · Characters · Colour

The idea could still be Totoro

Sometimes you don't want to keep seeing the tattoo you have, but that doesn't mean you've stopped loving the character. This project is about exactly that difference. I started with a small Totoro, with a line crossing its body and a shape that would influence whatever went over it.

In the video, you'll see me approach it almost as a stubborn challenge: cover this Totoro with another Totoro. That was the fun of it. The solution wasn't to pretend there was nothing underneath, but to work with that starting point.

Detail of the Totoro drawing in progress, with the earlier tattoo still visible — A close-up of the work in progress: the earlier tattoo is still visible within the new composition.

02 / Cover-ups · Characters · Colour

The new drawing needed room to grow

The result takes up considerably more space than the original piece. Instead of squeezing everything into the small silhouette, I let the composition grow along the leg. Totoro is joined by another character, flowers and little dark figures among the colours.

This work-in-progress image shows something that's harder to trace in the finished result: where the old piece sat and how it relates to the new drawing. It's a process detail, not a photo of a finished tattoo.

Cover-up result featuring Totoro, another character, flowers and watercolour on a leg — The finished composition, much larger than the starting tattoo.

03 / Cover-ups · Characters · Colour

More than six hours, and a new life for Totoro

In the reel, I explain that it took more than six hours. There are my jokes about working magic and crying on the inside, but the change that matters is here: a larger piece combining dark areas, greens, blues, purples and warm colours.

I want you to see the whole piece, not just zoom in on the spot that's been covered. The drawing has to work as a whole. The flowers, characters and movement of the colour washes belong to the result; they aren't a frame sitting outside the tattoo.

04 / Cover-ups · Characters · Colour

Want to keep the character, but change the tattoo?

If that sounds familiar, tell me just that. You don't need a finished design: it helps to know which character you want to keep, what you dislike about your tattoo and how much you're willing to extend it.

This example shows one possibility, not a template I can place over any Totoro. To consider yours, I need a full photo, its size and placement. Then I can study the existing drawing and discuss the options with you.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS TATTOO

Questions about this project

Can you cover a character tattoo with the same character?

I did here: I covered a Totoro with a new composition featuring him again. That doesn't mean repeating the same drawing at the same size. The scale, composition and colour changed a lot here; another tattoo needs its own assessment.

Does the new tattoo have to be bigger?

This one is much bigger than the earlier piece. If not going bigger is your priority, mention it when you enquire: that's an important condition when considering what could fit. This case doesn't show that every tattoo can be covered at its existing size.

How long did this Totoro cover-up take?

In the original video, I say it took more than six hours of work. That applies to this project, not as a time or price estimate for another tattoo.

Can I ask for characters and watercolour in one composition?

Yes, you can bring me that idea. Send the references you like and, if you already have a tattoo, a photo showing the whole piece. I want to separate the character you want to keep from the appearance you want to change.

In the original video, I show the approach and result of this project. Watch the original Instagram video ↗

KEEP EXPLORING

More examples for your idea.

LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR TATTOO

I'd like to ask about a similar cover-up

Tell me what you'd like to do, where, and what your existing tattoo looks like if you have one. We'll start with your own situation.

Information & prices ↗