01 / A COLOUR REWORK
A small tattoo can still be a big job
Let's start with the before photo. Look at the body of the cupcake, the vertical lines and the little shapes around it. It's a small area, but there's quite a lot of dark ink in there. That's exactly what I explain in the video: it's tiny, but reworking it takes some doing.
Colour wasn't the only thing I needed to address. There was also how the drawing read: the dark areas dominated, and several details were crowded together. This was the actual tattoo I had to work with, not a design I could start from scratch on paper.
If yours is similar and you're struggling to explain what you'd like to change, start there: the lines, the details you can't make out, or the overall look. A tattoo's small size alone doesn't tell us how it can be reworked.
02 / A COLOUR REWORK
Working with the drawing already there
In the video, I point out just how close the tattoo was to the wrist crease. Reworking it meant working over skin that was already tattooed. I couldn't plan the design as though that ink wasn't there.
The result is still a cupcake. You can make out its base, top and bow again, now in a drawing with more colour and detail. I didn't switch to an unrelated subject: I created another version of that cupcake.
That distinction matters when you ask me about a rework. Tell me whether you still like the idea and want to bring it back to life, or whether you'd rather change the subject altogether. Here, we started with a cupcake and finished with a cupcake.
03 / A COLOUR REWORK
A little cupcake, a lot of colour
Now look at the result. The base brings together yellows, oranges and pinks. Above it is a purple area with little colourful details. Dark outlines separate the pink bow and blue top from the rest. Around it, you'll see hearts, dots and splashes of colour.
It's not just about making the colours brighter. You can follow the different parts of the cupcake: the base, the edge, the bow and the details at the top. The dark ink is part of the new drawing too, alongside the colour.
If this rework catches your eye, tell me what you like about it: keeping a sweet little subject, the colour combination, or making the drawing easier to read. Those are useful references even if your tattoo has nothing to do with a cupcake.
04 / A COLOUR REWORK
What would you like to bring back?
This project may help if you still like the idea behind your tattoo, but not the way it looks. I didn't leave the cupcake behind: I changed its appearance by working with what was already there.
To talk about yours, I need a clear photo of the whole tattoo and another showing where it sits on your body. Tell me what you'd like to keep and what you'd like to change. If it's near your wrist, show the placement too—not just a close-up so tight that I can't tell where it is.
We can start that conversation without you having to draw the solution first. This cupcake is one example of my work. Yours needs its own approach, based on the ink, the shape and what you'd like to keep wearing.