Covering Musical Notes with a Celestial Collarbone Tattoo

William's celestial collarbone tattoo covers an earlier musical-note design. The gallery now gives that change a visible starting point: a process photograph shows the old notes while part of the new celestial composition is already tattooed. Two other photographs show the completed work.

The original notes, still visible

It shows the position and shape of the musical notes in relation to the new design. That matters because a cover-up begins with existing marks in a particular place. The photograph is not an untouched before image: work on the new planets-and-stars composition has already begun.

Open the Before thumbnail in the Celestial ornament gallery to see the earlier musical notes. Then compare their position with the completed views. The new planets and dark shapes extend beyond the original notes along the collarbone.

Why discuss the surrounding shape?

The finished band follows the collarbone toward the shoulder. Its curved outline, dark areas and celestial subjects give the cover-up a shape of its own. The size and position of those elements matter just as much as the choice of planets and stars.

An assessment of another piece needs its actual size, darkness, placement and surrounding space. A saved photograph of this result can communicate a direction, but it cannot establish feasibility or the required dimensions for a different tattoo.

Should the new design always be celestial?

No. Planets and stars belong to this particular solution. Your preferred subject may suggest a different arrangement, or require more room than expected. Discuss what you want to see in the finished image alongside what needs to be covered.

For your own cover-up, bring William clear photographs of the existing tattoo and a few references for what you would like to see in its place.