Cover up

I was asked to do a tribal cover up.
The tribal is 10 years old black ink and my plan is to draw a dark violet rose with dark green petals over it. I'm not sure if this will cover up the whole black - or do i have to cover black with black?

Another question:
I've seen a picture of a black tribal tattoo covered with white ink before the new design was made - will white lighten the black ink at all for the cover up or was it just useless additional skin irritation? Anyone tried this?

[canvasyou]

It is difficult to say w/o seeing it.
This is where your apprenticeship really plays a big part. You cant experiment on people - you have to learn from the lessons of guys from your shop!

I have used white to lighten a black tattoo before - but you have to let it heal up.
I have also covered up an old black tattoo with lighter colors.
It depends on the person's skin color - how dark the tattoo is - how old it is.
When in doubt recommend that the client get a session of laser and let it heal before tattooing.

Don't over work the skin.

Best of luck!