Kat Von D has revealed the dramatic outcome of her bold body art transformation, having covered about 80% of her skin with solid black ink.
The tattoo artist and former LA Ink star—born Katherine Von Drachenberg—first discussed her choice in October of last year, explaining that she had grown disillusioned with the colorful tattoos that once made up her signature style.
“I think I had been fed up with a lot of the tattoos I got over the years for a long time,” the 42-year-old told Inked Magazine.
Von D’s latest Instagram videos reveal the results of her extreme makeover: her once intricately inked arms are now completely blacked out, marking a sharp departure from the detailed designs that once adorned her skin. This dramatic change, she says, symbolizes a significant personal transformation.
Teaming up with blackout tattoo artist Hoode, Von D undertook an intensive process that spanned 17 sessions and nearly 40 hours of tattooing.
"I think at that time I thought I would just black out an arm, but shortly after, I knew I would end up tattooing my whole body,” Von D explained.
In addition to the blackout work, she’s also removing certain tattoos via laser—such as a rose on her neck—and has kept fans informed of the journey through regular, candid updates.
"Some people are fine with keeping these types of landmarks in time on them - I personally grew tired of waking up to them, and seeing those constant reminders every time I looked in a mirror,” she told the magazine.
Previously, she shared how meaningful it was to finally erase tattoos tied to a darker period of her life.
“Finally cover up so many of the tattoos I got back when I used to drink,” she wrote. “They meant nothing to me but landmarks in dark times.”
Now, she says, the outcome is a fresh start—a “nice and clean” look that aligns more closely with her current self. Her transformation also comes roughly a year after she emerged victorious in a landmark legal case involving tattoo copyright.
Von D had been accused of infringing on intellectual property rights after a photographer claimed she used his image as a reference for one of her tattoos. The federal lawsuit centered around a 2017 tattoo she created of jazz legend Miles Davis with his finger to his lips—originally photographed by Jeffrey Sedlik in 1989.
In March 2024, a federal jury unanimously sided with Von D, ruling that she had not violated copyright law.