I find breaking up the existing shapes by changing the direction the eye looks at the piece works better than just packing black over it. With black on black you are saturating more color into an area that is dark. With a bit of time and god forbid some sun, the black that is under the black will show through. It's the same reason that a large color patch wont work well in covering something. I find things like koi dragons etc work very well for covering, even more so if you use blends to "break" up the existing areas.

Doing something like lining then putting a flesh tone or white in the dark areas can lighten the image enough to help cover it with dark to light blends.

Flowers can do the same - the lines from different shape flowers. Saturate some dark colors blend them out to lighter tones and use a light background where you can.

Japanese that has color in the foreground and greys in the background work well because they change how the eye looks at the piece. Yes you will see areas that you can see if you stand and stare at it and know what to look for, but to most people won't see it. Big areas of solid color (or black) do not cover as well as dark to light blends cause you can losing things.

One of the easiest ways I find to cover stuff is to go bigger and bury it.

I always tell people getting cover ups to come back in a month for a "second hit" so you can saturate more colors in places that its needed.

Casey when I look at your stuff - I think you can defiantly come up with something - You are right about that style not being my thing, but I also see that you could come up with something that would work better. That being said, your have a strength in portrait style work, which I feel is one of my greatest weaknesses, so who knows.

If I has some time to, I would print and sketch some stuff, but I don't right now.

This whole thread has also made me very aware that I need to update my online portfolio.....