Please don't take this the wrong way, but there's an old saying... "you can't polish a turd." Maybe it'd best to just let it go, mark it up experience and get what you really want from a good artist on a different location.
putting white over solid black is not going to be as vivid as you are thinking,it will be very lightly subtle at best.
it will never look like that reference picture you posted.
My pup is still alive, but I have a woodcut portrait of him on my thigh. I love my doggies!
Maybe something simpler is in order? It sounds unnecessarily complicated and incongruous.
Also, reddit tattoo guy is full of shit.
Well I don't have any experience with this, but it sounds like you should probably listen to your doctor and artist(s). And if you're really concerned about it, maybe you could get a small, discreet tattoo as a sort of 'test.'
Does this person who said the rose will blow out know anything about tattoos? That's a really odd statement.
Simple tattoos are easier to read. The more you add, the harder it will be to read, but you should really get what you want. Listen to your artist, what makes a good image doesn't necessarily make a good tattoo.
There's also the question = Can someone else do work which is just as nice for less? There are some really talented biomech folks out there who don't charge that - so is this artist's work that much better to justify it in your eye?
Well guys, the day came and went, and honestly its fantastic. The artist did a great job with the design, and it didn't hurt nearly as much as I thought it would. Overall I think I was just having first time jitters (plus I have major anxiety over even small desisions so...yeah). But now that its done I have no regrets!