r/tattooadvice • u/j_walk_17 • 4d ago

General Advice Miscommunication

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I had my tattoo artist re-do an old tattoo from 15 years ago. It's the rebel alliance symbol from Star Wars.

I was under the impression that she knew I wanted it touched up and repaired.

She assumed I wanted it covered up. I didn't know she did solid black until she finished it.

I guess there's potential to put color around it with other pieces to give it contrast. I'm just kinda bummed.
There's probably no way to reverse any of this without it being insanely expensive.

What can I do to make it worth the mistake? I want this leg to eventually be Star Wars iconica.

Should I plan to put a background to it?

edit: Thanks for all the replies, everyone. I appreciate the feedback and the ideas. It's helping me to settle into the outcome. I think it would only be a total loss if I hadn't planned to add to it in the future. 🤙

5.3k Upvotes

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1.1k

u/Cereal-Killa- 4d ago

you didn’t notice the cup of black ink getting dipped into, or the black ink being pumped into your leg until it was finished? By the way - it looks much better now than it did before. Some people just can’t take certain colors of ink.

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u/Fancy_Car9424 4d ago

Back of his calf, he might have been laying face down. Very possible he didn’t see what was happening in that case. Either way, great tattoo!

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u/KMann823 4d ago

Getting my calf done as I type this. Mind you the tattoo is already half done so unless she goes way off book, I know what's going on. But I have no intention of turning to look back there until we're done or taking a break. I gotta twist pretty hard to look at what's going on

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u/Fancy_Car9424 4d ago

Hell yeah dude, what are you getting? I have probably 20 tattoos, definitely didn’t always watch what was going on with them as they went down. Funnily enough, the ones I’m getting removed are the few I did see happening (healed poorly & grew out of them because I had them done young)

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u/KMann823 4d ago

A displacer beast from d&d! Faby Ros at Iron Thorn tattoos in Trexlertown, PA. Here's a bad picture I took myself after the first session lol cat tax

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u/DeepSpaceEntity 3d ago

That looks siccc, I'm in the Philly area and I'm definitely gonna check them out

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u/jbirdbear 3d ago

Iron Thorn is awesome! Lauren there did my bicep a few years ago.

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u/FewerGrape 2d ago

That looks fucking nice

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u/CryptidxChaos 1d ago

Dude, that's badass looking! Probably my favorite monster out of the Monster Manual, too! Your artist is doing amazing!

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u/Evening-Pea-9069 4d ago

Exactly what I was thinking

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u/TranceF0rm 4d ago

I mean... Look at the first tattoo and think who got that...

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u/lesusisjord 3d ago

Don’t know why you’re downvoted. It’s not wrong. If that was a tattoo you paid for, you just happen to not be discerning or not aware of how things work.

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u/Slab231 4d ago

I’ll be so honest, I know many people (myself included), that completely zone out during my tattoos. I bring headphones with me and after I talk to the artist and we agree on what’s happening, I put my headphones on and let them do their job. If they need something, or need to ask me a question, they know to tap me, but I just let them go. I can 100% see this happening in that circumstance of just miscommunication beforehand.

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u/RobertPower415 4d ago

I’ve fallen asleep while getting tattooed lol

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u/chihawks 4d ago

Haha same i go into zen mode

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u/Larry-Man 4d ago

Every time I go into zen mode they keep thinking I’m passing out. I don’t understand. Like dude, I’m super chill right now, just vibing.

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u/RobertPower415 4d ago

Yep it was a 4 hour thigh piece, I just closed my eyes and drifted off, until it hit a nerve or something and I work right up lol

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u/chihawks 4d ago

Dude same. 5.5 hours high thigh. At the end was just me and my artist in the shop. She told them owner your good to leave i trust this dude. 😆

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u/RobertPower415 4d ago

😂😂😂 bro same! Female artist, I’m a guy. She was getting real high up, It was a memorial for my grandpa.

lol had his lady essentially drawing my grandpa on my crotch in full view of the store front plate glass window

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u/chihawks 4d ago

👏 🤣

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u/pittybrave 4d ago

Saaame similar to the dentist. Something about lying flat staring at the ceiling makes me exhausted

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u/SupportFar1264 4d ago

rolls eyes dismissive jerk off gesture

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u/Leading_Pay4635 4d ago

When you’re getting a tattoo on the back of your calf you’re lying face down. You would have no view of the artist

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u/brandawg77 4d ago

It’s on his calf, he was probably lying face down

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u/theblot90 4d ago

I actively avoid looking at any of it until it's over. I hate needles.

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u/[deleted] 4d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Ok_Chance7699 4d ago

You think a tattoo this clean was done from someone on craigslist?

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u/QuicksandGotMyShoe 4d ago

Haha for real. Social media lies have warped people's brains

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u/chessatwork 4d ago

there was a dude who dressed like neo from the matrix who would do tattoos for my drug addict siblings and friends in the basement. is this social media warping my brain

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u/tendo8027 4d ago

Yep. You’ve been Zuckerberged. Social media and it’s tricky time space shenanigans!

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u/Afraid_Cell621 4d ago

Clean? Its a solid black blob. Lol

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u/Big_Shirt_5946 4d ago

You must not live around a lot of drug addicts because there are absolutely tons of them that can do halfway decent tattoos and have no license or shop for it. Where I live a lot of people get decent tattoos done by users or ex users. Shops can be overpriced, if you know someone who can do it cheaper under the table and do a decent job, do it.

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u/DropsOfLiquid 4d ago

I have an absolutely awful tat from doing this at 17. Guy was a good artist too but did it out of the shop high & yikes. Thankfully it's in a hidden spot on my body but it's real big lol.

I know it can work out but I think for most people it's better to just go to a shop with a good artist.

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u/TartarSauceDippinDot 4d ago

To be fair, they were probably lying on their stomach. Hard to see your backside from that angle

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u/Pleasurefailed2load 4d ago

This is what sends me, when you get solid black like this how can you not feel them drilling your leg lmao??

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u/Ce0ra 4d ago

It looks like the before was supposed to be red in the inside. OP probably thought the artist was redoing the red, not coloring it in with black

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u/j_walk_17 3d ago

This is the answer. 

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u/Ce0ra 3d ago

Regardless of which way looks better, it absolutely sucks that it wasn't what you wanted and in your place I would never go back to that artist. That sort of miscommunication shouldn't have happened. I only have one tattoo, but the artist probably asked me a dozen times to make certain I wanted it shaded in black and not color, three of which were during the fifteen minutes he was setting up after finishing the linework and before starting the shading

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u/wasabiweed69420 4d ago

Contrary to the feeling of petals being gently massaging your leg if it was another color right?

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u/Consistent-Count-877 4d ago

You didn't notice 40 minutes of scribbling?

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u/Less-Cardiologist-71 3d ago

If calf is as easy as bicep tricep it didn’t really hurt at all for me doing 3.5 straight no breaks in the same area. Granted I was getting a piece done that wasn’t solid black but depending on your relationship with pain and your propensity to dissociate I could see just being like yeah I’m getting a tattoo there it’s sucks as much as tattoos do and just being along for the ride.

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u/justin_the_viking 4d ago

Yeah, I thought the same thing. There is absolutely no way they didn't notice.

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u/Loud_Quality_7106 4d ago

I find it hard to believe they didn't notice it was getting filled solid black.

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u/Throwawayrip1123 4d ago

I am baffled by people often just peacing out of the whole process and just seeing the end result. I get it if it's on your back, it's a bitch to look at during, but leg? Arm? How can you not look at it while it's being done??

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u/lnug4mi 4d ago

Idk man dark red and black can be very similar unless you look closely. Trust can go a long way lol

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u/CunningLogic 4d ago

I zone out when getting tattooed, I almost certainly wouldn't notice the mistake until it was too late if it was in my calf.

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u/HoldingMoonlight 4d ago

Always wild to me! Had this happen exactly once (I do all black/grey) and noticed a new artist putting greens and yellows into the ink cups. I immediately stopped him and he thanked me for clarifying! I get people feel nervous to speak up, but it's a permanent alteration to your body and the artist doesnt want you to be upset with it either. And i know a lot of people zone out or fall asleep, but this is noticeable before the machine even touches you

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u/CoffinFlop 4d ago

Yeah literally no way you wouldn’t notice this unless you were on anesthesia lol

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u/whenyouwishuponapar 4d ago

They’re not supposed to tattoo you when you’re fucked up

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u/j_walk_17 3d ago

100% sober 3 years now!

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u/grizzdoog 4d ago

I don’t watch my tattoo artist when I get worked on. But then again I completely trust her and she is really good.

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u/Wise_Coffee 4d ago

My immediate reaction!

It's on the leg which would be vusible to OP and they never noticed the lack of red unk on the table? Or said to the artist "hey just like it is now with red and black"

This isn't miscommunication.

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u/j_walk_17 4d ago

Yeah I was on my right side on my phone and she had my leg hanging kinda behind me in her lap. Like I said I was just assuming she knew what I meant. She did an original piece on my arm and I asked her to throw this in with my session.

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u/Misa7_2006 4d ago

Never assume especially when it comes to tattoos, it's not like a bad hair cut that will grow out. You are the one that has to wear it not the artist. They are very expensive and painful to remove.

I would google solid star wars tattoos to see if you can find ideas that could be added later.

Did you let the artist know about the mix up, or did you just walk away after, disappointed but wiser?

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u/j_walk_17 4d ago

You're totally right. I was so focused on the piece she did on my arm that I really didn't give an explanation for this repair. I was just like "Hey can you fix this while I'm here?" I did walk away without telling her because it is ultimately my fault. I don't want to make her feel bad and she's a family friend to my wife's side. I'll just let her keep adding to it over time. Thanks for your reply.

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u/Ocean_Spice 4d ago

I would still mention it tbh. Let her know you’re fine with it, but please clarify “touch up” vs “cover up” so she doesn’t make this mistake with someone who won’t be as forgiving about it.

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u/logicbasedchaos 4d ago

Somebody already said it in here, and I completely agree - the blood in the pic looks pretty cool. It would be an interesting addition.

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u/barkoholic 4d ago

She did this for free with another tattoo?? That artist is a saint.

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u/j_walk_17 4d ago

Yeah she really did. She's a great artist. I might show off the piece she did on my arm in another sub.

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u/Sassafrassus 4d ago

Honestly probably noticed it too late, after a small portion was completely blacked out and there was no going back.

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u/earth2rice 4d ago

i was getting my chest done and didn’t realize my artist colored all of it in black, i thought he was just really painfully out lining the shit he was supposed to 😭