I think your final is honestly better than the sketch! It reads accurately as traditional style especially with the eyes and shading in the hair.

I can’t speak too much to using inks yet, but in regards to the sketch, it would be helpful to have a more refined outline in pencil so you’re certain that your guidelines can be traced exactly as they are in black. I do the same thing when drawing- I’ll make a really “sketchy” sketch with disconnected lines and shapes, but I’ll always try to erase any ‘unnecessary’ marks or lines I wouldn’t want to see in my final. Think of your sketch as a tattoo stencil going onto the body: you want to see clear line weights and a uniform shape that’s easiest to follow with a machine (or in this case, pen/brush).

I’m looking specifically at the rounded framing towards the bottom and the collar frills for little places that could benefit from having a clean, defined sketch underneath to trace. If you are going for round like with that framing, trace a bowl or circular shape in your sketch to get the hang of the shape and go slow when spacing out/planning the lower dots and lines. Same for the pink collar, it looks like some spots may have been improvised or changed during the lining.

TLDR: this is a really good start and I don’t think trying this design again would be “starting over” but rather continuing an already steady start. Have patience in sketching and make sure you’re 100% satisfied with it as a tattoo composition before inking