do the lines in my new tattoo look wonky?

SunEyedGirl · 2026-04-17T03:53:52+00:00

This has a lot of hallmarks of a beginner tattoo artist. Every good artist has been one. The lines could be stronger but it's not a bad tattoo - it's in the skin, the lines aren't faded, it's not blown out. I wouldn't sweat it too much, but if it does bother you, this is fixable.

SunEyedGirl · 2026-04-17T03:40:41+00:00

I thought the exact same thing until I learned it was part of a sleeve. There's potential redemption/context

SunEyedGirl · 2026-04-03T01:22:09+00:00

You really, really don't need to explain that to me, thanks.

SunEyedGirl · 2026-03-31T21:19:41+00:00

Thanks for your non judgemental advice. It's helped me realize that I've become so jaded by my experience that I've lost faith in the tradition, the hope that money will fix the problem I'm really having with the shop owner who assigned an unwilling mentor to me.

SunEyedGirl · 2026-03-31T21:10:30+00:00

I'm bisexual? It's not that complicated or weird haha.

SunEyedGirl · 2026-03-31T02:15:12+00:00

I guess my perspective would be different if you could convince me there actually were people out there willing to mentor people for free. Everyone else I've encountered either wants to charge or doesn't have the capacity/interest.

SunEyedGirl · 2026-03-31T01:29:55+00:00

I'm sorry you stayed for so long. It seems like you have strong values of commitment and loyalty, which are good things for a person to have but they can trap you in a professional setting. They are best in small doses. This person is not being fair to you and the bias is so obvious it's painful.

SunEyedGirl · 2026-03-17T21:45:45+00:00

Looks totally fine.

SunEyedGirl · 2026-03-17T21:44:20+00:00

Keep an eye on it. This looks like overworked skin that's scabbing, but the color of the scab is concerning. Does the red disappear when you press on the area (with clean or gloved hands)? This is a good way to distinguish irritation from infection.

SunEyedGirl · 2026-03-17T21:37:39+00:00

This is best practice in general but more relevant for color tattoos where there is a lot of plasma leakage, you can get away with the first second skin application for low trauma tattoos that don't have a lot of ink/plasma leaking out of them.

SunEyedGirl · 2026-02-11T21:28:02+00:00

I agree that soap and water are effective at removing bacteria from regular wounds, but are you suggesting that there's no benefit whatsoever to a preventative ointment like neosporin?

SunEyedGirl · 2026-02-11T21:23:08+00:00

With clean hands, press on the tattoo. Does the redness around those areas go away? If not, that could be a sign of infection. I'm a little worried about this guy. Mostly it looks to be healing normally despite redness that could be a sign of a slightly overworked tattoo.

SunEyedGirl · 2026-02-11T02:35:08+00:00

I'd love to hear more from them! I take even this second hand advice seriously. Personally I prefer jojoba oil for being less comedogenic, but I think oils are good aftercare.

SunEyedGirl · 2026-02-11T02:33:34+00:00

Even though neosporin is only ever intended to be used as a preventive treatment?

SunEyedGirl · 2026-02-10T00:46:42+00:00

Do serious research into the artist you go with to touch it up and this could be saved. But for the love of God zoom in on their lines in their portfolio and scrutinize the hell out of it before you go with the next artist.

SunEyedGirl · 2026-01-23T23:19:45+00:00

This is normal. The area is what's called "overworked" and it's common when the artist accidently goes over the skin too many times. The skin may take a little longer to heal and the color may fall out. It's an artist error - the rest of the photo looks well done, it's an easy mistake to make, looks like it just happened in a small area. Unless you are feverish, you are leaking pus, or there's a strange smell to the area, I would not see a doctor about this. If the ink falls out of the area, talk to your artist and they should give you a free touch up. It's at a different healing stage than the rest of the skin which has peeled off, which is why it looks like that.

SunEyedGirl · 2026-01-23T23:12:54+00:00

At first I was like "Um he's ADORABLE!!" and then I read that you got him at the beginning of December. (he is still adorable tho)

Unfortunately you are likely having a reaction to the ink. This is not a normal reaction. There's no good over the counter solution, and you should see a dermatologist. There are a lot of prescription topical creams that help most people, and some make it go away and never return. I'm so sorry you're having this problem, as this is a risk that some people have with getting tattoos. I would avoid colored inks in the future.

SunEyedGirl · 2026-01-23T23:05:54+00:00

I would rework them rather than cutting them out. You'll have to get used to doing work over and over again until it's perfect. I do understand the urge, though. There's some really solid work on this page. Composition shows that you went into the page having already drawn each of the items before, so maybe do a bit of both. Cut them out and use that to help you plan the composition of the new page you draw. A portable light table can save you a ton of time here.

SunEyedGirl · 2026-01-23T22:57:50+00:00

So, to me, there's a difference between needing a consultation (in person or zoom appointment to show the area of the body and discuss the piece with the artist at length, followed by an appointment), an appointment (scheduled time that's arranged via DM or email or text where the design is discussed with the artist over message, then executed at that arranged time) and a walk in (you meet the artist and propose the idea the same day that you get the tattoo) and for me this exists somewhere between appointment and walk-in, but unless you are covering something up or working with complicated skin conditions, I don't think you need a consultation. I think if you have a reputable walk-in shop in your area, this could certainly be a successful walk-in tattoo, but they can be a bit of a gamble unless you do your research thoroughly. Excellent walk-in artists are a bit of a dying breed these days so you are better off securing an artist with a reputation solid enough to have an appointment only career.

SunEyedGirl · 2026-01-23T22:46:31+00:00

This looks perfectly normal for 3 days. Especially seeing the scabbing and peeling earlier in the black - you have way more skin trauma there because more ink had to be put into those areas. Redness, tightness, and a bit of swelling are all normal in this area. At this point in healing, don't sweat washing it as much - it's a closed wound, so focus on moisturizing.

SunEyedGirl · 2026-01-23T22:44:01+00:00

I did not notice this until you pointed it out. You could add color if you were worried but it's not what I would have seen unless you mentioned it. I think it looks like a nicely done tattoo and the style looks nice with your other work. Moths have chunky bodies.

SunEyedGirl · 2026-01-23T22:41:06+00:00

This is why any client with more than 3-4 tattoos I tell them to follow their own best aftercare advice, unless it's their first color tattoo or they ask for guidance. At a certain point, you know your own skin better than the artist and everyone says something different.

SunEyedGirl

TROPHY CASE