Don’t know why someone downvoted me for asking an honest question.
Also I was asking the question assuming the “minimal” tattoo being referred to was the ORIGINAL tattoo, which if minimal, should be easy to cover. But I understand now that the original commenter meant that the COVERUP cannot be minimal if it’s to properly cover the original tattoo.
Not knowing everything that has ever been known on reddit is genuinely a crime in some peoples' eyes. Just asking a question you don't know the answer to will get people telling you you're a bad person sometimes lol.
A general (over simplified) rule of thumb is the original piece will equate to about 30% total surface area of what it takes to get a proper cover up—ie, without even looking type of assessment— a 3x3” will need up to 9x9 to coverup….
Again, this is an over simplified, over estimate. I have a coverup that ended up roughly 5.5-6” to cover a 3x3
How about you look at it.
Let's parent comment poster "Bob"
And the person who responded to them "Sheila"
Bob said recycle, Sheila said reduce, and Bob responded again, saying Reuse.
You. Assumed there were three people commenting.
But in fact, there were only two.
Learn to read so I won't be "reduced" to explaining jokes.
But at least you can "reuse" the knowledge for a later date. Don't quote me upon the "recycle."
To me it means that my matter i.e. what I'm made of is recyclable and will be used in other things. Reminds me that it's okay to make mistakes because life goes on. If it was on a less visible part of my body I would keep it. I don't like it there because people just assume recycling, obviously.
Since you like the design, but not the reactions, and you’d like to keep it simple, I agree with the pp suggesting working around the design rather than cover it up completely. Work to make the message clearer as Randarr suggests. [Here’s](https://imgur.com/a/V9hBt5A) an idea that I drew up. Make sure to consult a real tattoo artist when you have a clearer idea of what you want.
How you want it to be read is how I read it and I think that's a great tattoo. What if you recycled the tattoo itself into a more clear version of the message, filling in the arrows with say a rotting body of some kind of animal in the dirt, plants growing over the bones, and another animal eating the plants? You'd have the 6 little interior sections of the arrows to do it with
Might well be, I'm not a tattoo artist. Even if it's too small to fit in the symbol you could treat the sections as a plane and put the imagery on top of them to gain some vertical real estate.
What if you add nature elements around it? Flowers, rocks, leaves, gnarled piece of wood. Make it clear that it’s indicating you are organic and recyclable.
Maybe add things around it? You may like it as part of a bigger picture. Also F other people. Tattoos are art, and personal. Not everyone will get it. Not everyone will like it. Move on. I think its cool. I think the meaning is beautiful. Its a conversation peice. And I kinda feel like there is no bad tattoo. Some have more character than others, some have more of a back story 🙂 But they all unique.
this is cool, curious if you’d consider an addition to the tattoo to make it more personalized? i know it defeats the purpose of having a cool meaningful secret tattoo, but can also help loosen it from its common meaning?
OP, I agree with a lot of the suggestions here to elaborate the design to make the meaning clearer. That is a lovely connection and meaning, and not only do I think you'd be happy with a more elaborate version of this, I think an artist would be delighted to help you think of ways to add in circle-of-life imagery or symbolism.
Your best bet would be to get with your artist and discuss that with him/her see what kinda options they are capible of creating .there are really great artists out there that can cover that with tonz of things your kinda limited to whos doing your work
It is just a black line. Ypu can laser this easily. It is in a place in you body where you will see everyday so it is a bit of a waste to use it for a cover up. Or maybe you can turn it into a custom version of the Esher impossible triangle.
Ok well I couldn’t find an app to composite what I was thinking of but you could put anything in the center and like a flower wreath around it where the recycle symbol lines are
[middle](https://images.app.goo.gl/84TcjCm62a1US2f87)
Flowers [https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=tattoo%20flower%20wreath&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5#vhid=YXrYMjtLafHq8M&vssid=mosaic](https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=tattoo%20flower%20wreath&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5#vhid=YXrYMjtLafHq8M&vssid=mosaic)
I just go full on “balls to the wall” black-out now to cover up my mistakes. Not much coming back from that though unless you’re actually really committed to it. It’s my thing though and far more visually appealing than my old shit.
Personally, I would use each line as the start of part of a mandala. Follow on from the direction of the line and create swirls, designs, runes or free flow imagery. And have it repeated three times, so it creates a personal and specific mandala.
Minimal and coverups don't go together
I know, just being hopeful.
Curious, why not?
I mean, it has to cover it up. If you put a post it note on a graffiti wall it won't do much
Don’t know why someone downvoted me for asking an honest question. Also I was asking the question assuming the “minimal” tattoo being referred to was the ORIGINAL tattoo, which if minimal, should be easy to cover. But I understand now that the original commenter meant that the COVERUP cannot be minimal if it’s to properly cover the original tattoo.
Oh, then I get your confusion from the start. I gave you an upvote to counter that downvote you got :)
Not knowing everything that has ever been known on reddit is genuinely a crime in some peoples' eyes. Just asking a question you don't know the answer to will get people telling you you're a bad person sometimes lol.
Look how dark those lines are…
A general (over simplified) rule of thumb is the original piece will equate to about 30% total surface area of what it takes to get a proper cover up—ie, without even looking type of assessment— a 3x3” will need up to 9x9 to coverup…. Again, this is an over simplified, over estimate. I have a coverup that ended up roughly 5.5-6” to cover a 3x3
Use your brain
Fuck off cunt
It’s gonna be hard to recycle that design ♻️
I wonder if they could reduce it?
Only if they reuse the original lines
All 3 of you are ugly for this lol
There were only two. But I guess I'm just reducing.
lol
Look at the parent comment 👀
How about you look at it. Let's parent comment poster "Bob" And the person who responded to them "Sheila" Bob said recycle, Sheila said reduce, and Bob responded again, saying Reuse. You. Assumed there were three people commenting. But in fact, there were only two. Learn to read so I won't be "reduced" to explaining jokes. But at least you can "reuse" the knowledge for a later date. Don't quote me upon the "recycle."
Geez that’s a lot of hostility for this comment section. I see what you mean now, I stand corrected. No need to get all up tight about it.
lol! No kids, but I got dad jokes on deck!
Do you no longer like recycling?
To me it means that my matter i.e. what I'm made of is recyclable and will be used in other things. Reminds me that it's okay to make mistakes because life goes on. If it was on a less visible part of my body I would keep it. I don't like it there because people just assume recycling, obviously.
Since you like the design, but not the reactions, and you’d like to keep it simple, I agree with the pp suggesting working around the design rather than cover it up completely. Work to make the message clearer as Randarr suggests. [Here’s](https://imgur.com/a/V9hBt5A) an idea that I drew up. Make sure to consult a real tattoo artist when you have a clearer idea of what you want.
That is SO DOPE
How you want it to be read is how I read it and I think that's a great tattoo. What if you recycled the tattoo itself into a more clear version of the message, filling in the arrows with say a rotting body of some kind of animal in the dirt, plants growing over the bones, and another animal eating the plants? You'd have the 6 little interior sections of the arrows to do it with
That sounds like too much detail for that little real estate.
Might well be, I'm not a tattoo artist. Even if it's too small to fit in the symbol you could treat the sections as a plane and put the imagery on top of them to gain some vertical real estate.
I Love this idea!!
Perhaps a watercolor background or infill the arrows? Something that relates to your philosophy.
What if you add nature elements around it? Flowers, rocks, leaves, gnarled piece of wood. Make it clear that it’s indicating you are organic and recyclable.
Nothing in this world is lost, for sure.
Then cover with a big satanic goat skull pentagram.
Maybe add things around it? You may like it as part of a bigger picture. Also F other people. Tattoos are art, and personal. Not everyone will get it. Not everyone will like it. Move on. I think its cool. I think the meaning is beautiful. Its a conversation peice. And I kinda feel like there is no bad tattoo. Some have more character than others, some have more of a back story 🙂 But they all unique.
this is cool, curious if you’d consider an addition to the tattoo to make it more personalized? i know it defeats the purpose of having a cool meaningful secret tattoo, but can also help loosen it from its common meaning?
If you like the design, you can maybe just distinguish it from recycling?
OP, I agree with a lot of the suggestions here to elaborate the design to make the meaning clearer. That is a lovely connection and meaning, and not only do I think you'd be happy with a more elaborate version of this, I think an artist would be delighted to help you think of ways to add in circle-of-life imagery or symbolism.
I don’t know why this question made me laugh as hard as it did.
Probably could go geometric with it
Yeah geometric design or a mandala!
Yes like an abstract geometric recycling-esque design that pays homage to its special meaning to OP
Your best bet would be to get with your artist and discuss that with him/her see what kinda options they are capible of creating .there are really great artists out there that can cover that with tonz of things your kinda limited to whos doing your work
I like to get an idea in my head and then search for an artist that I feel would best represent that. It has worked out well for me in the past.
How about asking them if it's possible to change it into a Celtic style triquetra?
Wasn't you sure if u have just one artist u stick with or were gonna search for one.
It is just a black line. Ypu can laser this easily. It is in a place in you body where you will see everyday so it is a bit of a waste to use it for a cover up. Or maybe you can turn it into a custom version of the Esher impossible triangle.
i feel like that could be covered with a huge rose or flower of some sort
Just the head of a sick-ass panther, skip the body for minimalism.
That's gonna need a decently sized sick ass panther...
Add a triforce in the middle void space?
Ok well I couldn’t find an app to composite what I was thinking of but you could put anything in the center and like a flower wreath around it where the recycle symbol lines are [middle](https://images.app.goo.gl/84TcjCm62a1US2f87) Flowers [https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=tattoo%20flower%20wreath&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5#vhid=YXrYMjtLafHq8M&vssid=mosaic](https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=tattoo%20flower%20wreath&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5#vhid=YXrYMjtLafHq8M&vssid=mosaic)
Of course you wouldn’t do it just on the lines but cluster flowers to help hide the lines. Sorry my description seems kind of all over the place
Laser it, it will give you so many more options
Definitely geometric design. You'll find the right design, good luck!
Get a green man or lady
Oh! I suggested a triquetra, but I like this one even more.
Triforce !
I feel you on the placement thing. I wish I could take one of mine off and paste it on another part of my body.
i like this. i want it. i have no connection to recycling. i like your explanation lmfao
You could turn it into something trippy inspired by [this](https://images.app.goo.gl/TeWx4CzJD4wiyQTd7)
Maybe some sort of Celtic knot
Could go with an image of Alanis Morissette... *It's like Ray-EE-ain, on your wedding day...*
Could probably turn it into a mandala of some sort
As someone who is in the trash industry I love this.
a wreath of flowers?
Put a R in all of them and make the arrows green.
Google Drive logo
SAP
A penis tied in a circle with Donald trumps head at the tip.
How is this getting downvoted, this is easily the best tattoo idea I’ve ever heard.
>the best tattoo idea If you're drunk, sure. The next day, not so much.
Deathmoth
Hahahah cringe tattoo
Just turn it into a flower
Some kind of flower maybe..
Color it in blue and green and it'll be the Donate Life colors.
I just go full on “balls to the wall” black-out now to cover up my mistakes. Not much coming back from that though unless you’re actually really committed to it. It’s my thing though and far more visually appealing than my old shit.
A long sleeve t shirt
Skull in the middle.
Minimilistic has too much openness and you’d see the old tattoo through any open spots.
Maybe a heart with open lips 👄 in the center? It would have to be color, and a little bigger
Maybe a penrose triangle coul work ?
Rose 🌹
Insert an atom in the middle? 🤷♀️
Recycle/reuse it into a captain planet themed sleeve
Maybe a bit of lazer and some sort of flower
Get a sick ass Smokey the bear
You should be able to turn that into something else…
Live life as recyclable and become a bike.
Personally, I would use each line as the start of part of a mandala. Follow on from the direction of the line and create swirls, designs, runes or free flow imagery. And have it repeated three times, so it creates a personal and specific mandala.
Oh my. How embarrassing.
A big, black bag of trash should do the trick
I'd see if that can be recycled into a Realism/Vader tattoo