Making it easy

Most inquiries are in regard to touching up a tattoo or reworking one with similar imagery.

I personally love these requests because they're not too difficult. Also, don't take much work to see a big difference. Keep an open mind and your artist can really show their creative side.

What I really want to do is work with the existing tattoo, not against it.

Working against the tattoo can lead to decent results but takes longer for lackluster results.

What do I mean by "work with". Using some of the original lines, shading, color and tone. If the original tattoo has areas of blue/ cool tones, then I will keep with similar colors.

Why would I do this? Well, using a warm color or complementary color might have the opposite result.

All tattoo pigments are translucent with differing viscosity. So, putting orange over blue would only create a dull greenish color. Putting a bright red would only create a dark red.

As the tattoo ages it will become more of a mess.

What's my options? The best choice is to stay with similar colors. Using warm colors over warm colors or cool colors with cool colors will give you the best results.

Here's an example of a tattoo I did. I used some of the same lines and tone. Using dark tones to mask any areas where I had to go outside those lines. These dark tones also helped create depth and enhanced vibrancy.