Hi and welcome to the forum.

If you have any general tattoo queries feel free to check out my free e-book in my sig it covers most of the basics.

The tattoo is going to look sweet.

If I gave my honest opinion I would say that I prefer black n shade against a vibrant coloured background.

That said colour will work equally well as long as you get the depth of shading correct so not to clash with the flames.

It is really a matter of personal preference and no right or wrong answer.

Post up when done and good luck!

Take care
Matthew

Every artist has a particular method for doing color. Some is taught through an apprenticeship, some is picked up in experience.

I have an odd method for working color. I layer colors and I know how to do it without overworking an area, and it gives my art a unique style. If I do a piece of work, I do it my own way and the client always understands that. That being said, if you bring me a piece of art, then try to tell me how to do it, you’ll get an inferior piece because you are interrupting my particular style of art to introduce your own. So my advice to you is to seek out an artist whose work looks like what you want. Then let them do it their way.