Hongdae Tattoo Retouch or a New Design: Examples of New Designs Placed Over Small Tattoos

Hi, I'm Yeonjae, a tattoo artist in Hongdae, Seoul.

Today I'd like to share a wrist piece I did recently. If an older small tattoo has been bothering you and you can't decide whether to get a tattoo retouch or to turn it into a different design, and you've been hesitating over a Hongdae tattoo consultation, start with this example.

The first photo shows a small moon tattoo on the inner wrist that now has a flower, stars and soft rainbow colours added. In the post I described how the original moon blends naturally into the new design, making a delicate and colourful piece. In the photo, a crescent shades from blue at the top into purple and pink below, a flower drawn in fine lines sits inside it, and two small sparkles shine beside the moon. The stem runs from yellow to green and ends in a small knot. Photo 2 shows the same piece from another angle with the arm raised.

If part of the current shape is still something you like, think about a retouch that redraws the lines. If you want the shape itself to change, think about placing a new design on the same spot. Which of these is possible depends on a photo of the existing tattoo. Price and how long a session takes are covered separately in the consultation.

Even on the same theme, each piece treats the existing tattoo differently. The descriptions go like this, photo by photo. Photos 4 to 6 are different pieces on the same theme, not results of the wrist piece above.

Photo 3 puts two images side by side. The bow on the left has blurred, soft lines so its outline looks clumped, while the bow on the right has crisp lines and a tidy inner surface. The two photos differ in angle and shape, though, so I won't say they show before and after of the same tattoo. I can only describe the difference in line that you can see.

Photo 4 is a comparison photo with the words Before and After. Where the thin, blurred cross sits on the left, the right shows a pair of leafed cherries in deep red. The post says the old tattoo was naturally covered while the new design stayed delicate and cute, and that a little change gave a completely new mood.

The posts do not say why each method was chosen, so I grouped the pieces by the change you can see in the photos.

• Lines redrawn (photo 3): the bow keeps its shape and blurred lines become crisp.
• Existing elements kept and added to (photos 1, 2 and 5): photos 1 and 2 use the spot of the moon like a backdrop for a flower and stars, and photo 5 keeps the lettering while the moon becomes flowers.
• Changed into a new design (photos 4 and 6): cherries where a small cross was, and a fairy where a small character tattoo was.

Photo 5 shows one line of cursive running along the collarbone, with two black and grey flowers and a stem joined at its left end. According to the post, thick and slightly blurred lettering was refined into cleaner, thinner lines so that the design flows more softly and naturally along the collarbone. I won't interpret the words, only the shape. Keeping the lettering and changing only the picture means the position of the words doesn't have to be reconsidered.

Photo 6 shows a golden figure with one arm raised and wide teal and red wings spread along the arm. In the post I wrote that cover-up work is more than simply hiding an old tattoo; it is about turning something from the past into a completely new piece of art. The fairy's silhouette and stained-glass wings were used to conceal the original while creating a dreamy atmosphere.

Grouped by placement, it looks like this.

The wrist and the back of the hand are small areas where blurred lines stand out, while the arm allows a design to spread wide. In the photos, the collarbone suited lettering and flowers that flow along a line.

The first thing I ask for at a consultation is a photo of the tattoo as it is now. One photo says more than any description.

• Front and side in bright light: show the blur of the lines, the darkness and the surrounding skin tone.
• One close up and one from farther away: so we can see size and position together.
• A moving shot: wrists and the backs of hands can look different when they move, so one more photo helps.

People look again at an old tattoo for different reasons: wanting blurred lines to look clear again, or wanting a picture that suits who they are now. You don't need to tell me how or when the tattoo was first made.

Once you know your reason, we talk first about what to keep and what to change. As in photo 5, the lettering can stay while only the picture changes, and as in photo 1, one shape can be melted into a new design. Tell me whether you want to keep the shape, the position or the lettering, and I build the design around that. Don't decide on a method before sending a photo of the existing tattoo. What is possible depends on its size and darkness.

Think about colour too. Photo 1 uses a blue to purple gradient and a yellow to green stem, and photo 4 uses deep tones with small highlights. The same spot feels different in black and grey or with colour added.

A wrist is also where a watch or a bracelet sits, so telling us where you usually wear one helps in deciding the position and size. In daily life, wrists and the backs of hands are often visible without rolling up a sleeve, while an arm shows more or less depending on sleeve length. Aftercare depends on your skin, the placement and the size, so I won't state general methods here. At the consultation, feel free to ask how aftercare guidance is given.

A design like photo 6 spreads along the flow of the arm well beyond the spot of a small tattoo. The curves and colour fields of the wings follow the arm, so a few things are considered together.

• Darkness and size of the existing tattoo: if parts are dark or large, the shape and colour of the design are chosen to suit them.
• Range of the design: how widely it spreads along the curve of the arm changes the size.
• Colour and contrast: where dark planes and deep colours go changes how visible the old shape is. Photo 4's deep tones and small highlights relate to this.
• The position to keep: whether to centre the design on the old position or follow the flow of the whole arm.

If you want to keep the shape and only tidy the lines, start from the idea of a retouch as in photo 3. If you like the existing shape and only the lines have faded, a retouch comes to mind first, and if you want to change the shape or the mood itself, a new design does. Many cases are in between, so we decide together in the consultation while looking at photos.

What result is possible depends on the condition of the existing tattoo, so this article promises no outcome. We look for a workable direction by placing designs over your photo. If you're curious about a branch that runs from wrist to arm, see our plum blossom branch post, and for delicate drawing on an arm, our cat portrait post.

You don't need much. If you jot down these six items, the conversation goes faster.

• Photos of the current tattoo: front and side in bright light, and if possible one close up and one from farther away.
• What you like and what bothers you: shape, blurred lines, size or colour, whichever apply.
• What you want to keep as it is: position, lettering or part of the shape.
• The mood you'd like next: a flower, a small star, a fruit or a character; one or two reference photos are enough.
• Colour preference: black and grey, colour, or a soft gradient.
• Everyday concerns: where you wear a watch or bracelet, sleeve length, and any work or school setting.

Just follow these steps.

1. Open an Instagram DM to @yeonjae_tattoo. Open the Instagram DM
2. Send the photos of the current tattoo, what bothers you and the mood you hope for from the checklist. Skip what's hard to fill in and write only what you know.
3. After we see your photos, we talk through whether a retouch or a new design suits you, plus size and colour, in an individual consultation. Price and session length are explained then too.

If you haven't decided on a direction, send the photos first. To get a feel for our other work, you can also browse our films page.

I'm Yeonjae, a graduate of the China Academy of Art who, as of 2026, is in the eighth year of working as a tattoo artist in Hongdae. The academy is an art school founded in Hangzhou in 1928, and I try to bring the sense of painting I learned there into line, colour and balance on the body.

This article is based on two wrist and hand posts on the Yeonjae Tattoo Instagram account and three photos of other pieces on the same theme that I checked directly. Those other pieces are separate works and not results of the wrist piece. The feelings behind each work are limited to what the posts say. The four AI-staged images above were made to help you picture a consultation and daily life, and they are not real clients or actual tattooing scenes.