changing the design of a tattoo: help?!

I got a tattoo on my upper foot/ankle area. It's a black butterfly. I'll admit, I wasn't very smart about going about this tattoo. I just went on hearsay about the shop, I didn't checkout my artist, and I wasn't 100% sure about the design. I'm hoping that my tattoo is fixable. There's this trail following the butterfly, but it just looks like shit. I want to completely redesign the butterfly, make it into a work of art as opposed to the mediocre "blah" that's there right now. How hard is it to redo a tattoo? Does it just depend on the design? I really want to fix the smudgy trail that follows it. I have pics, can anyone tell me if it's fixable?

A great artist can make it a beautiful piece of art. You're in Ohio and there are a ton of great artists there. You should check the artist list on this site and find someone that has a style that you like and research, research, research this time, so you don't end up in the same boat.

I'm pretty sure there are many good artists that frequent this site. If you post the pic or a link to it. You might be able to get better suggestions. I'm not an artist, but I have plenty of ideas. A pic would be more helpful though. Then look at the prospective artist's portfolio. Especially coverups, and similar tattoo styles, etc... Then if your still unsure you might ask to sit in on a tat...(I haven't dealt with the industy much so I don't know if that is allowed... prolly up to client being observed I suspect)

E-mail me a pic Green fairy....I haven't seen ANYTHING tat couldn't be fixed or at least greatly improved by a competent tattoo artist...TAz, Painted Angel Studios

I'm not sure how to download pics onto this (i suck with computers), but Taz, I did send some to you. It's a black tattoo, that's what worries me, I hear it's hard to cover those up. I don't mind making it bigger, I just don't want it to be HUGE ya know? I found a Kat that has a site www.the-artful-dodger.com and she's really good. I've seen her work on people, online, and she came highly recommended to me. I have a consultation with her tomorrow (I also wrote about that in my "tiny tattoos" topic) and I'm hoping she can help me. I've been checking out coverup jobs online and I'm having trouble finding any that are butterfly coverups and/or that were black and were covered up using little-to-no colored ink. I'm just worried it won't be able to be fixed the way I need it fixed. Thanks for all of your help though, anymore advice would be appreciated!

No...Not the way you NEED to have it fixed...the way you WANT to have it fixed....yes it can be altered with just black and somewhat improved but color would be so much better...anyhow it goes keep us informed and thanks for your post!!...TAz

The only thing about color is that I'm afraid I might get sick of my color choices ya know? With black black goes with everything, and although it's very traditional, I feel I'd never get sick of black, whereas I might be fickle about color, you know what I mean? I love admiring color combinations on other peoples' tattoos, but I'm afraid I might be too indecisive and choose colors I might get sick of, end up not liking, etc etc. I'll definitely let you know how it goes after I talk with my tattoo artist tomorrow. Thanks again! Jessie