S06.E08: Composed and Exposed

[thewhiteowl]

No description available

Will try to update but I forget, so if some one has one and want to post it, please do.

[Inkmaster0345]

Pretty vanilla episode. Craig (one of the best) won and Big Ceeze (one of the worst) went home. This typically happens around the midseason mark, as there is a pretty clear gap between the top dogs and the field and it takes a few episodes to clear out the obvious lesser artists. 

 

Not sure how I felt about the trash polka style. It's cool that they decided to do something new that's never appeared in previous seasons, but I'm not sure such a unique style lends itself well aesthetically to the audience. Craig and Erik definitely managed to pull out the best tattoos.

 

A bit of a snoozer. The schism between Matt/Craig and Chris/Dave/Tyler could be interesting down the road. But for now there are still a few too many weaker artists hanging around to reasonably see one of the top dogs going down soon--regardless of getting a bad canvas or not.

 

I want to see this season heat up. With St. Marq gone the drama in the house decreased a lot this week. Time for people to stop playing nice and turn up the heat.  

[grumpypanda]

I've never heard of Trash Polka before this episode so it would have been nice if the show would have actually showed some examples of what it is. I googled it while watching the episode and found some really great tattoos. I think I like Trash Polka when done properly.

I agree with Craig's win. I thought his tattoo was interesting and best met the challenge. I wasn't all that impressed with anyone else's.

Anyway, once Chris mentioned the balls on Marissa's tattoo that was all I could see. I would have been happy to see Marissa go but I'm fine with the anti-ink master Bigcheese going instead.

I still hate Chris and his stupid overalls and I still love Dave and his silly little mustache.

Edited August 19, 2015 by grumpypanda

[WickedTuna]

I really can't stand Chris and it's not just because of the Farmer Bob outfit. When they were talking about playing honorably I couldn't believe he was saying he was. I swear he's talked about gunning for people at least a couple of times.

I thought Katie got robbed on the post card challenge. The ones the judges picked were good but I thought the postmark on Katie's put it over the top.

I didn't notice the ball look on the face at first but it really did look like testicles. I hope the canvas missed the comment because otherwise that's probably all she's going to see. Is it possible to use white and lighten the shading on a tattoo?

Looks like we were on the same wavelength grumpy.

Edited August 19, 2015 by WickedTuna

[AuntieMommy]

Dear Dave Navarro;

Devil's Tower is in Wyoming.

Sturgis is in South Dakota.

You do NOT have what it takes to be a geography master.

[HunterHunted]

I've never heard of Trash Polka before this episode so it would have been nice if the show would have actually showed some examples of what it is. I googled it while watching the episode and found some really great tattoos. I think I like Trash Polka when done properly.

THIS!! All day. When your tattoo professional contestants don't know what it is, then you can assume your audience doesn't either. I had to look it up while the show was airing. Those were minutes when I wasn't watching the show or the commercials that pay for the show.

[Muffyn]

I really liked Craig's winning tattoo.  It seemed far above the others.  I won't miss Big Ceeze at all.  

 

Like most of you, I had not heard of Trash Polka prior to this show.  I wonder if enough people looked it up to make it noticeable to google.

[azshadowwalker]

Chris is an asshole. After his little speech about how he took out SM for himself (no shit, dude) did he really think he had the moral high ground?

 

Tyler flipping off his canvas? Also an asshole.

 

I actually liked Duffy's tattoo. 

[BadArcher]

Judges missed a major mistake with Eric's tatoo (bird & clock). The number 4 in roman numerals is IV not IIII.

[maya1959]

Many if not most clocks use IIII instead of IV so not a mistake.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I, too, was googling trash polka as I watched the episode. I'm not a fan of it but I guess at least now a lot more people know what it is.

 

Chris is such a hypocrite. He is pissed at Matt for "gunning for him" and "targeting" his little minions Tyler and Dave despite the fact that he JUST admitted that he was strategic in wanting to take out St. Marq for himself (not his team) like five minutes ago. If you're going to play the game, just admit you're playing the game. But don't try to take the moral high ground when you have been playing the game all along. You can't pretend to be a sweet innocent impartial contestant after you just told everyone else that you have been using strategery.

 

Ceeze can also STFU. I couldn't believe that he tried to tell Marissa that the only reason she is still around is that she fulfills the challenge requirements. Are you a fucking idiot? "You're only here because you're following the rules and doing what the judges ask for in each challenge! How unfair!" Gawd. That is the most ludicrous thing I have heard all day. That's like Top Chef having a scrambled egg challenge and then one person making a steak and complaining that the other people are "only" there because they chose to make eggs. What I love about a lot of non-American reality shows is that the judges will often say, "This person made a nice dress/entree/whatever but unfortunately it didn't fulfill the brief," and then cut that person.

 

LOVE that Dave's tie breaking vote was based on who did the worst at composition and trash polka. AS IT SHOULD BE. If the challenge is black and white and someone does the awesomest color tattoo ever, they should be eliminated for not fulfilling the requirements of the challenge.

[TattleTeeny]

Chris is an asshole. After his little speech about how he took out SM for himself (no shit, dude) did he really think he had the moral high ground?

 

Even if this is true, why on earth would he say it outright? Keep quiet about that part and use your "selfless" act to garner respect, you ding-dong!

[hkit]

Like most of you, I had not heard of Trash Polka prior to this show.  I wonder if enough people looked it up to make it noticeable to google.

 

I did my part. I've been on the fence about getting my first tattoo for 15 years now. What can I say, I have serious commitment issues. Craig's design just grabbed me like no other style I've ever seen on this show. I've been googling all night.

 

Alas, it does seem to be derided by many, and good artists who specialize in it aren't easily found. I also have read that many experts expect it to age poorly. Does anyone here know why that may be?

[Diane Mars]

... Chris is such a hypocrite. He is pissed at Matt for "gunning for him" and "targeting" his little minions Tyler and Dave despite the fact that he JUST admitted that he was strategic in wanting to take out St. Marq for himself (not his team) like five minutes ago. If you're going to play the game, just admit you're playing the game. But don't try to take the moral high ground when you have been playing the game all along. You can't pretend to be a sweet innocent impartial contestant after you just told everyone else that you have been using strategery...

Could it be the edit, as in "the timeline is not correct and the chronology is not respected" ? It would give more sense, IMHO Edited August 19, 2015 by Diane Mars

[akr]

I did my part. I've been on the fence about getting my first tattoo for 15 years now. What can I say, I have serious commitment issues. Craig's design just grabbed me like no other style I've ever seen on this show. I've been googling all night.

 

Alas, it does seem to be derided by many, and good artists who specialize in it aren't easily found. I also have read that many experts expect it to age poorly. Does anyone here know why that may be?

I did a little googling, too, and from what I could tell, two factors: black and red inks both tend to fade; and the eye-catching quality of these tattoos has a lot to do with the stark contrasts between the red and the black. However, one of the things I read commented that traditional Japanese tattoos also use a lot of red and black and age well, so I'm thinking it would make sense to talk to a prospective tattoo artist about how they planned to take these factors into consideration, and possibly take some cues from the Japanese model to think ahead about what will and will not work well over time. I would tend to think from the articles that good use of contrasting black and empty space - and thus use of a large swatch of skin - is key to a lot of these designs working - it seems like empty space could provide compositional space for the design to still stand out as bold and stark and filled with contrast, even as the depth of the colors faded, that and very distinct borders and linework, such that the boldness would last even if the intensity of the color faded. I think some of the busyness that they encouraged, like those dots fading in and out of Marisa's, are an example of something that looks pretty good now but will lose its impact as it fades.

 

I did like Craig's quite a lot - especially that bizarre contrast with the insects, which really seemed to fit the style. It's a little post-Berlin-Wall German, and I wonder whether that's going to look as clever as it does now down the road, but then again I'm not the sort to put this stuff on my body. I'd prefer to get a print and put it on the wall. And for somebody who's really into tattoos, it seems like it would be a big commitment to use that much of your skin for one really great Trash Polka style tattoo, as it's not going to have the same impact if it's small or it's crowded by other stuff. It needs the open space to breathe,

 

On Marisa's - I didn't see the balls at all at first and could not understand what they disliked so much about the face. I only saw it as a little too dark and maybe heavyhanded on the cheekbone. Once you see it, though, it's hard not to see it, and I assume that's why their reaction was so strong. Maybe guys are more likely to see it instantly than I am, but I didn't see it at all until it was pointed out. Tyler and Marisa seem to work well together, although obviously that's because of the mutual attraction, but boy does he seem to be turning into a petulant child. He flips somebody off again in the previews for next week. 

[phantom]

Count me as another googling Trash Polka during the show. It's very bold and unusual, so it was fun to see something different. It's surrealist collage in tattoo form.

 

Both my current reality shows booted someone who didn't really complete the challenge vs. someone who had a poor execution of the challenge this week. (Project Runway being the other). That make my little rule-following heart happy. Though Marissa's portrait was just, ugh. I didn't think balls immediately, but thought of a neck goiter.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Could it be the edit, as in "the timeline is not correct and the chronology is not respected" ? It would give more sense, IMHO

Although I would not put anything past the editing monkeys, it looked like everyone was wearing the same clothes from last week's elimination through that entire conversation so my guess is that this was not a case of the timeline being totally manipulated.

I did my part. I've been on the fence about getting my first tattoo for 15 years now. What can I say, I have serious commitment issues. Craig's design just grabbed me like no other style I've ever seen on this show. I've been googling all night.

Alas, it does seem to be derided by many, and good artists who specialize in it aren't easily found. I also have read that many experts expect it to age poorly. Does anyone here know why that may be?

This website goes into detail about the black/red issues with the tattoo as it ages. Edited August 19, 2015 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Merneith]

What an interesting episode! I really love this style, although I'm not sure if maybe it will look dated in ten years. But a really well done Trash Polka is a super-sharp look. I'm glad that they make the artists stretch themselves and Mr. "This isn't really my style" can take a long walk off a short pier. I liked Craig's, and the bees were a brilliant touch, but I also really loved Matt's. I loved how dynamic the bird looked in flight and then the beautiful photo of the raven.

 

I also thought Katie's postcard was my favorite, although, again, I liked Matt's. I think I'm rooting for Matt to win this.

 

There is no unit of measurement small enough to register my feelings for Tyler & Marissa's having feelings. Just when I thought there couldn't be anything dumber than the bickering  - here comes the showmance!

Edited August 19, 2015 by Merneith

[Apatee]

Was nice to see a new style they haven't done before, though I too had to google what trash polka was. Glad we're getting to the point where the lesser artist are getting cleared out. Marissa should definitely be next, unless the previews aren't misleading and Tyler gets sent home because of his attitude. After she's gone, the competition should get a lot more interesting.

[Kelda Feegle]

THIS!! All day. When your tattoo professional contestants don't know what it is, then you can assume your audience doesn't either. I had to look it up while the show was airing. Those were minutes when I wasn't watching the show or the commercials that pay for the show.

 

 

I did my part. I've been on the fence about getting my first tattoo for 15 years now. What can I say, I have serious commitment issues. Craig's design just grabbed me like no other style I've ever seen on this show. I've been googling all night.

 

Alas, it does seem to be derided by many, and good artists who specialize in it aren't easily found. I also have read that many experts expect it to age poorly. Does anyone here know why that may be?

I've seen the style before - just didn't know what it was called. I think there is concern about it aging well as it is similar in some respects (mainly the soft unlined edges) to the current trend to watercolour tattoos. I really like both styles to look at but will wait a few years before considering one so I have a better understanding of how they age.

 

You never go home because you follow the rules? WTF? Numpty. Not going to miss Ceeze at all.

[Monty]

Everyone on this show thinks they'll be able to argue their way out of going home. This is not a show where you get to lip sync for your life! By the time you learn you're in the bottom, the judges have decided who's going home. They don't care how much of a "fighter" you are.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I would actually love it if these self important asshats had the lip sync FOR YOUR LIIIIIIFE option sprung on them. It woukd be hilarious to see them have to drop their "I'm so cool and anti-establishment" attitudes and have to lip sync to, say, Nicki Minaj.

Edited August 20, 2015 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Hana Chan]

Man, was the flash challenge disappointing! Not the tattoos mind you - some of these were really great and I loved the idea of the postcard tat to mark a life changing trip. But the places these people wanted to remember weren't exactly the most exotic places. Well, there was Hawaii, but everything was in the USA. They couldn't find anyone who'd traveled overseas? Not exactly Living Mas, in my opinion.

 

Ah... young love. Shouldn't be too surprised that the two prettiest people in the loft gravitated towards one another. And since neither of them have a hope in hell of winning, the competition between them is going to be muted. While it was nice of Tyler to defend his girlfriend (and he was right about her skill vs Big Ceeze), she's a big girl and can defend herself, thank you very much. Still, seeing two contestants get along is a nice break from all the drama.

 

I really liked this style of tattooing - it does really does remind me of the East German/post-Soviet graphics and it's very eye catching. How well the designs wear and whether or not it looks dated after a few years remains to be seen, but I do like it. Much more so than new school.

 

Am going to agree with the judges for the most part - Matt and Craig had the two best designs of the day and either one of them would have been a justifiable win. I liked what Chris was able to come up with - it made sense of the mishmash of images that the client wanted and it fit her body well. Most of the others were varying degrees of not so wonderful. I wanted to smack Dave upside the head. You got handed the shit canvas who then turned around and gave you carte blanche to do whatever you wanted and that was the best you could come up with? Talk about a lost opportunity.

 

Sorry, Big Ceeze, but whining that this wasn't your style isn't an excuse at this stage. And bitching that Marisa survives because she actually tries to fulfill the challenge requirements, even if her efforts aren't always successful, is beyond lame. You and St. Marq can go bitch in a corner together.

Edited August 20, 2015 by Hana Chan

[phoenix780]

I could've sworn I learned about this tattoo style from this show, from Josh.  But maybe it was the other tattoo competition show?

 

In any case, add me to the list of those who really liked the style.  Thanks for the info on possible fading and whatnot over time, I hadn't even really thought about that.

 

I agree it was nice to see a new style but it made me wonder...have they ever done a New School challenge?  I kept thinking that they were hopping on some trend to try and gain some credibility, because even though I have no knowledge of the tattooing universe this seems like a fairly conservative show, in the sense that they seem to consistently reject the style referred to as "new."  I guess I'm wondering why they'd randomly pull this style in. 

 

I enjoyed the way they started the episode with a nod to US history rolling immediately into product placement.  There was something oddly, probably-unintentionally fitting about how quickly that transition happened.  Maybe they kept the canvasses limited to US postcards for that reason- the segment did start with a reference to immigrating here. 

 

I also appreciated the bait-and-switch with the canvasses in terms of attitude, but it made me think there was some producer coaching going on.  Probably always is, otherwise there's no drama during skull assignments.  This was just such a contrast, though.

Edited August 20, 2015 by phoenix780

[thewhiteowl]

I learned about Trash Polka from Tattoo Nightmares(?) Miami. A former Ink Master contestant was on that, I don't recall his name but he was about 4 feet tall with a two foot mohawk.  It's new and different but ultimately not to my taste. I think it will be equivalent of tribal in a few years but to each their own.

It's different that the female artists have stuck around this long, I think. While Marisa is past her expiry date IMO I think Duffy is losing her confidence. I like how Katie always swings for the fences even if she's not always hitting a homer, she is damn sure giving it her all.

The guys are the same as always. Nothing new there.

[Diane Mars]

I learned about Trash Polka from Tattoo Nightmares(?) Miami. A former Ink Master contestant was on that, I don't recall his name but he was about 4 feet tall with a two foot mohawk...

Yup ! It's Clint : http://www.spike.com/shows/tattoo-nightmares-miami/bios/clint-cummings (and if I dont like the "regular" "Tattoo Nightmares", I LOVE the Miami spin off <3)

Edited August 20, 2015 by Diane Mars

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Man, was the flash challenge disappointing! Not the tattoos mind you - some of these were really great and I loved the idea of the postcard tat to mark a life changing trip. But the places these people wanted to remember weren't exactly the most exotic places. Well, there was Hawaii, but everything was in the USA. They couldn't find anyone who'd traveled overseas? Not exactly Living Mas, in my opinion.

I wonder how Dave Navarro keeps a straight face when he has to do things like shill for Taco Bell. I was cracking up when he talked about Living Mas.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Ha, I agree. When he was going on and on about how he should get to stay, I was like no, you should have been eliminated weeks ago so consider the fact that you were here for a couple more challenges a gift from the capricious judges.

[phoenix780]

Thanks for identifying the Trash Polka tv appearance.  At least there was an Ink Master contestant involved, so I wasn't too delusional.

[candall]

I googled trash polka. . .and also clocks using 'IIII' instead of 'IV.'

 

As to trash polka, I think I know more about the style, after eight minutes of reading, than some of the artists.  I thought they always got a big chunk of time off-camera to research and design.  Didn't I hear someone on the show say, "I'm just going to do black & grey and put in a red strip"?

 

Twirly mustache guy should be ashamed, wasting an unexpected carte blanche with a skull and a smeary star.

 

And Toothpick McPeck--as usual--was annoying.  After critiquing artwork for years, he can surely be more specific than "This face is jacked."  (Which, it was not.  That one vertical half-line of shading was a problem, but the features of the profile were anatomically better than about FIVE THOUSAND other faces I've seen get a pass on this show.)

Edited August 22, 2015 by candall

[LoneHaranguer]

 

After critiquing artwork for years, he can surely be more specific than "This face is jacked."  (Which, it was not.  That one vertical half-line of shading was a problem, but the features of the profile were anatomically better than about FIVE THOUSAND other faces I've seen get a pass on this show.)

Is it really the face that's the problem, or the choice of background? In artwork in general, you'll see faces like that, bur not with so much black right against it. That makes the shading seem darker.

[AnnieBananie]

While I'm superthrilled to see St. Marq go - and about time - I thought that Farmer McOveralls was sliding neatly into the spot that St. M vacated. He didn't waste any time bragging about his skills and starting to manipulate the other players. It's a shame, I think, because I liked him a lot prior to this week, and his machinations left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

[azshadowwalker]

He's been like that for a while, though. It's just getting more attention now that Marq's bullshit isn't there to take away the focus. I also wonder if they haven't given Chris a positive edit prior to this because of the pro-military "I'm a Marine" line.

[Psychobunny]

Thank you so much for reminding me where I saw Trash Polka before.  I was sure it was on this show but it makes sense if it was Clint on a show that runs on the same network/same night.  I definitely remembered seeing it before.  I guess I'm also the only one not in love with Matt's postcard.  I didn't like the black and white or the girl much.  It didn't seem like any postcard I've ever seen.

Tyler is an immature ass.  Flipping off the canvas who didn't like his tattoo was incredibly rude.

 

So far, I'm thinking Matt to win. Still impressed that at nearly halfway through we haven't lost a female contestant although Marisa is due to go at any time and Duffy may be fading.  I still like Katie.  Craig has totally lost me this season and I didn't love his tattoo this week.

[Jesse]

He's been like that for a while, though. It's just getting more attention now that Marq's bullshit isn't there to take away the focus. I also wonder if they haven't given Chris a positive edit prior to this because of the pro-military "I'm a Marine" line.

 

Didn't he say to someone that being nice at the beginning was part of his strategy? 

[azshadowwalker]

Could well be. I would just wonder about his definition of nice, since I have found him grating and overbearing since, well, always.