Part Five of the Interview
In this section, we'll talk about laser tattoo removal and old, poor-quality tattoo correction in Los Angeles.
“Sins of youth” and funny stories
[Journalist] What are the typical “sins of youth” that people come to you with most often?
[Rinat] Those who had a vivid imagination in their youth come in with all kinds of funny tattoos. Recently, a woman came in with the words “Your name” written on a ribbon on her buttock. The backstory is that she won a lot of arguments by telling people, “You know, I have your name written on my butt.” They didn't believe her, they bet money on it, she showed them, and there really was “your name.” It worked. But apparently, this kind of fun became irrelevant to her, and she wanted to cover up this tattoo with a new design.
[Journalist] Can this be considered a bad tattoo?
[Rinat] Not as an idea, it's cool. The problem is in the execution, the crooked work, the crooked contours, everything is “so-so.” People often come in with army tattoos, a conditional chevron of a unit tattooed crookedly, blurred over 30 years, the person has grown up, everything has changed, they want something on a different level.
A separate category is gangster and prison tattoos, which now interfere with a person's life or are associated with bad memories. People have been getting tattoos for hundreds of years, and the first tattoos were often done on impulse and out of stupidity. This story will never end; it's impossible to warn everyone, everyone makes their own mistakes anyway.
[Rinat] Those who had a vivid imagination in their youth come in with all kinds of funny tattoos. Recently, a woman came in with the words “Your name” written on a ribbon on her buttock. The backstory is that she won a lot of arguments by telling people, “You know, I have your name written on my butt.” They didn't believe her, they bet money on it, she showed them, and there really was “your name.” It worked. But apparently, this kind of fun became irrelevant to her, and she wanted to cover up this tattoo with a new design.
[Journalist] Can this be considered a bad tattoo?
[Rinat] Not as an idea, it's cool. The problem is in the execution, the crooked work, the crooked contours, everything is “so-so.” People often come in with army tattoos, a conditional chevron of a unit tattooed crookedly, blurred over 30 years, the person has grown up, everything has changed, they want something on a different level.
A separate category is gangster and prison tattoos, which now interfere with a person's life or are associated with bad memories. People have been getting tattoos for hundreds of years, and the first tattoos were often done on impulse and out of stupidity. This story will never end; it's impossible to warn everyone, everyone makes their own mistakes anyway.
The master's personal experience, his own covers
[Journalist] Do you have any tattoos that you've had redone? Do you have any cover-ups?
[Rinat] Yes, of course. I had a bunch of micro tattoos on my leg, done by anyone who wanted to try. I'd just let my friends have a go: “Want to try? Here, do something small.” It seemed normal at the time. Now, I might have left them as a memory, but at some point I decided to cover them all up.
[Journalist] What did you cover them with?
[Rinat] Now there's “Predator” and alien motifs. There were two cover-ups, first Aksinya covered it up in Tomsk, then Pavel Roch covered it up again in Barnaul. There's a tattoo cover-up by Alexander Pashkov, he's a master of cover-ups, he did a cool skull for me.
[Rinat] Yes, of course. I had a bunch of micro tattoos on my leg, done by anyone who wanted to try. I'd just let my friends have a go: “Want to try? Here, do something small.” It seemed normal at the time. Now, I might have left them as a memory, but at some point I decided to cover them all up.
[Journalist] What did you cover them with?
[Rinat] Now there's “Predator” and alien motifs. There were two cover-ups, first Aksinya covered it up in Tomsk, then Pavel Roch covered it up again in Barnaul. There's a tattoo cover-up by Alexander Pashkov, he's a master of cover-ups, he did a cool skull for me.
Master style, realism, biomech, Japanese
[Journalist] Is realism your signature style?
[Rinat] Realistic tattoos and Japanese style, definitely, but I'd like to focus more on biomechanics, specifically “new” biomech, not the stereotypical kind with gears and torn skin effects like cyborgs. I'm more interested in dense, robotic forms that are done as a single “shell” on the arm or leg. I did some work like that at the last convention.
[Journalist] Which of these styles is better for covering up old, poor-quality work?
[Rinat] Realistic tattoos and Japanese style, definitely, but I'd like to focus more on biomechanics, specifically “new” biomech, not the stereotypical kind with gears and torn skin effects like cyborgs. I'm more interested in dense, robotic forms that are done as a single “shell” on the arm or leg. I did some work like that at the last convention.
[Journalist] Which of these styles is better for covering up old, poor-quality work?
What styles are best for cover up?
[Rinat] It all depends on the size of the original tattoo. If it's a small piece that can be “drowned” in the background or shadow areas, then the style isn't that critical. If the task is to cover up a large dark tattoo, such as a fully tattooed arm, realism isn't the best option.
Realism involves a lot of light, illuminated areas that cannot be ignored. It is very difficult to cover dark ink with light ink. There are artists who specialize in cover-ups and can work wonders, but in most cases it is a very difficult task, especially without prior laser removal.
Biomech is more flexible in this regard; it is easier to play with shapes and dense dark areas, adjusting elements to the old design. Plus, I do biomech freehand, so I can draw directly on the body and precisely adjust the new design to the old outline during the process.
Realism involves a lot of light, illuminated areas that cannot be ignored. It is very difficult to cover dark ink with light ink. There are artists who specialize in cover-ups and can work wonders, but in most cases it is a very difficult task, especially without prior laser removal.
Biomech is more flexible in this regard; it is easier to play with shapes and dense dark areas, adjusting elements to the old design. Plus, I do biomech freehand, so I can draw directly on the body and precisely adjust the new design to the old outline during the process.
Preparing an old tattoo for laser removal
[Journalist] Laser tattoo removal in Los Angeles—how long and expensive is it to get the original tattoo to a state where it can be covered up?
[Rinat] It's difficult to answer for everyone, as lasers vary and each specialist has their own protocols. Some do sessions once a month. Others do them once every two months or less frequently.
It's best to check with those who do removal professionally. But on average, if we're talking about a black, very dark tattoo, 2-3 laser sessions are often enough to start thinking about covering it up, if everything was done correctly and it was clear from the start that this was preparation for a cover-up.
If the pigment is colored, the work is more difficult, as colored inks are usually harder to remove and may require more sessions.
[Journalist] When do you recommend laser tattoo removal to a client or refuse to do a cover-up at all?
[Rinat] When I see that, given the current condition of the skin and the client's idea, nothing good will come of it without lightening. Especially if the person insists on their concept, and I understand that it is technically impossible to do over the existing tattoo. Then I honestly say, “You need laser treatment.”
[Journalist] After laser treatment, can you take on any job “from scratch”?
[Rinat] When we reach a certain “lightness,” yes, then you can cover it with almost anything. But the number of sessions varies for each person, depending on the pigment, depth, age of the tattoo, and skin characteristics.
[Rinat] It's difficult to answer for everyone, as lasers vary and each specialist has their own protocols. Some do sessions once a month. Others do them once every two months or less frequently.
It's best to check with those who do removal professionally. But on average, if we're talking about a black, very dark tattoo, 2-3 laser sessions are often enough to start thinking about covering it up, if everything was done correctly and it was clear from the start that this was preparation for a cover-up.
If the pigment is colored, the work is more difficult, as colored inks are usually harder to remove and may require more sessions.
[Journalist] When do you recommend laser tattoo removal to a client or refuse to do a cover-up at all?
[Rinat] When I see that, given the current condition of the skin and the client's idea, nothing good will come of it without lightening. Especially if the person insists on their concept, and I understand that it is technically impossible to do over the existing tattoo. Then I honestly say, “You need laser treatment.”
[Journalist] After laser treatment, can you take on any job “from scratch”?
[Rinat] When we reach a certain “lightness,” yes, then you can cover it with almost anything. But the number of sessions varies for each person, depending on the pigment, depth, age of the tattoo, and skin characteristics.
Tattoo Removal Partners
[Journalist] Does your studio offer tattoo removal services?
[Rinat] No, we don't have a laser in our studio. But our administrator, Kimberly, works for a company that does laser removal. They are our partners, and while I don't know much about them technically, it's easy to find information about them, and we can recommend them.
[Rinat] No, we don't have a laser in our studio. But our administrator, Kimberly, works for a company that does laser removal. They are our partners, and while I don't know much about them technically, it's easy to find information about them, and we can recommend them.
Customers' emotions after a cover-up
[Journalist] Describe the reaction of a person who finally got rid of an old complex thanks to your work.
[Rinat] It's always joy and gratitude. The person looks at their new tattoo and smiles. Especially when you show them the “before” and “after” photos side by side, open the old work on your phone or camera and place it next to the new one. The smile on their face at that moment speaks for itself.
[Rinat] It's always joy and gratitude. The person looks at their new tattoo and smiles. Especially when you show them the “before” and “after” photos side by side, open the old work on your phone or camera and place it next to the new one. The smile on their face at that moment speaks for itself.
In the next part of the interview, we will talk about how tattoos can be used to cover up scars and what nuances there are in this process.