Precision, science, and transformation — with Rian, in our private Slabtown loft on NW Upshur.
Rian’s Bio Page
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The Expert Difference
Twenty-five years behind the needle. The last fifteen spent almost exclusively on the hardest problems in tattooing: cover-ups, reworks, and scar correction. Rian doesn’t just “cover” old ink, he engineers a transformation. Every rework starts as a technical puzzle: saturation mapping to understand what’s actually happening under the skin, and applied color theory to build a new piece that reads as intentional, original work. That’s what makes it hold up. A cover up tattoo can be vibrant and structurally sound for decades, not just camouflaged for a season.
Solving Technical Complications
Blown-out line work. Faded blackwork or color. A tattoo you’ve outgrown. These aren’t cosmetic touch-ups — they’re technical problems that require understanding skin trauma, ink saturation, and needle configuration most shops aren’t set up to handle. That’s exactly why most shops steer clients toward “just add more ink” instead of solving the underlying issue.
We specialize in the projects other studios turn away:
- Blown-out or faded line work and blackwork
- Aged color and old tribal/traditional work
- Names, symbols, and lettering from closed chapters
- Botanical and floral rework
- Scar camouflage
- Multi-tattoo consolidations into one cohesive piece
Every cover-up starts with an honest, in-person look at your ink saturation, scarring, skin tone, and how the original sits on your body. That is because a real assessment is the difference between a cover-up that lasts and one that fails in five years.
The Technical Studio Experience
This isn’t a walk-in-off-the-street shop. Our Slabtown loft at 1801 NW Upshur St. is a private, appointment-based space built for focus — no distractions, no rush, just technical precision and your creative vision. Consultations are free and done in person, because cover-up work genuinely can’t be assessed accurately over a photo.
- Rate: $250/hour, $100 shop minimum. Hours: Friday–Wednesday, 12–6 PM.
Why Work With Us?
Cover-ups are unforgiving. A design that doesn’t account for the tattoo underneath just becomes a second bad tattoo layered on the first. We treat every project as its own puzzle. We are experts in mapping saturation, color theory,
and placement and we’ll discuss it with you before a single line goes down.
Collaboration and planning are what separate a real cover-up from a guess.
f.a.q.
Not meaningfully. Scar tissue and heavily saturated areas can be slightly more sensitive, but it’s not a different experience.
Almost any tattoo can be addressed — but not always with a single session, and not always without some laser lightening first. That’s exactly what the consultation is for.
Yes. Photos help us prepare, but pricing and session count are only accurate after we’ve seen the piece in person.
Book a consultation and bring reference images, or come by the shop at 1801 NW Upshur St, Portland, Oregon.
Every piece is priced after an in-person assessment, based on size, complexity, and session count. We work at $250/hour with a $100 shop minimum.
Yes, there is no charge to come in. Show us what you’re working with and we can talk through what’s possible.