Sylvester Stallone Wanted to Alter Jennifer Flavin Tattoo to Make Her Look Like Wonder Woman: Tattoo Artist

Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic Sylvester Stallone and Jennifer Flavin

Sylvester Stallone was talking about altering his tattoo of Jennifer Flavin long before she filed for divorce last month, according to the man who gave Stallone the tattoo of Flavin's face years ago.

Speaking with PEOPLE, Mike DeVries recalls inking Stallone — who recently covered up the body art with a tribute to his late dog and Rocky costar, Butkus — in 2007. Days later, the couple announced their split.

"I already knew that he wanted to do something, because last year he emailed me, called me, and we discussed talking about making Jennifer Flavin into [Wonder Woman]," says DeVries.

He points out that Wonder Woman wears a yellow tiara on her head, which wouldn't "work" over the darker portion of Flavin's hair in the tattoo on his shoulder.

"All of her hair would just shine through," he says, adding that he ultimately did not alter that specific tattoo.

Sylvester Stallone/Instagram

RELATED: Sylvester Stallone Upbeat at Brother Frank's Atlantic City Concert amid Jennifer Flavin Divorce

The tattoo artist, who says he's given Stallone several more since then, tells PEOPLE the actor is "one of those guys who just knows what he wants."

Recalling the moment he created the image of Flavin, DeVries says Stallone made it clear he wanted a tattoo of her face, however, he also requested a few special touches.

"He wanted the colors brighter. 'Brighter, brighter. We got to get these colors brighter,' " says DeVries.

RELATED: Sylvester Stallone's Brother Calls Him 'Real Pro' for Finishing TV Series amid 'Tough Obstacles'

He continues, "We decided on a specific image. And usually when you pick the image, you don't want to veer too far away from it ... So I remember getting done, I got the hair done. I'm starting to work on the face now. And I'm starting to work up. I get the chin, and I'm working on the lips, and I get the lips pretty much done."

That's when DeVries says Stallone got a bit more specific. "He is like, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a second. [I] want you to do the lips like this.' And he gets out different magazine covers. And he is like, 'Make it like this.' "

DeVries says he finessed the image until he got it to a point where Stallone was "happy" with it.

RELATED VIDEO: Sylvester Stallone Denies 'Intentional Dissipation' of Marital Assets in Jennifer Flavin Divorce

Stallone covered up the tattoo last month, which DeVries says "looks good." DeVries — whose celebrity clients include Donnie Wahlberg, Travis Barker and Chris Daughtry — says he recently reached out to Stallone but did not hear back. "I was basically telling him, 'Hey, if you need the dog fixed up or any more, I'm here for you,' " DeVries says.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Stallone previously told TMZ he was trying to freshen up the tattoo, but it was instead ruined, so he decided to cover it up with Butkus.

The 76-year-old also addressed reports that his breakup with Flavin came after he got a Rottweiler, Dwight, and a disagreement over the canine triggered other arguments that led to the divorce filing.

"We did not end the relationship on such a trivial argument," he told TMZ. "We just went in different directions. I have the highest respect for Jennifer. I will always love her. She's an amazing woman. She's the nicest human being I've ever met."

In an exclusive statement, Flavin told PEOPLE of the breakup, "I'm sad to announce that after 25 years of marriage I have filed for divorce from my husband Sylvester Stallone. While we will no longer be married, I will always cherish the more than 30-year relationship that we shared, and I know we are both committed to our beautiful daughters."

"I ask for privacy for our family as we amicably move forward," the businesswoman/model added.

In a statement to PEOPLE, the Rambo actor said, "I love my family. We are amicably and privately addressing these personal issues."