S06.E12: Slitting Throats

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Artists and guests join forces; an artist must prove loyalty to Chris; artists are thrown off their game by painful throat tattoos.

[azshadowwalker]

Kruseman hit the nail on the head. If Chris was as badass as he claims, he wouldn't need an "alliance" to give him easier tattoos. He would just tattoo. The fact that he needs his competition hamstrung and himself given what he perceives to be an easier task exposes him as half-assed tattoo artist. The fact that he and his lapdog need to pressure some guy they haven't given a shit about up until then to help him exposes him as a coward. His obsession with Matt during judging was pathetic. It wasn't just that he didn't want to go, but that he specifically wanted Matt to be the one to go. Again, showing his cowardice.

 

Erik was definitely the sacrificial lamb tonight. Neither Matt nor Chris was going home no matter what. I don't really think that Erik's tattoo was the worst, but I knew he was out as soon as it was the three of them. At least he got to call Chris an asshole on national TV before he was sent packing.

 

Duffy kicked some ass. Good for her. That was a beautiful tattoo. And she didn't even need to be given an easy canvas to do it...Chris.

[phoenix780]

Wow, that was some luck that Erik got the random draw for skull picks. 

 

I think I misheard something.  Did Chris call out Duffy/Kruseman for being "middle of the pack" when he surrounded himself with weaklings to try and ensure both an easy final victory and an easier path to the finale?  I'm not a fan anymore, but at one point he seemed to be...one of the better strategists the show has had.  But if I heard right...he's straight-up delusional.

 

I want to see what Matt's tattoo looks like now to see if it really did fade any.

[leighdear]

Very happy for my girl, Duffy.  That neck piece was absolutely exquisite.  

 

As for the visiting artist challenge, I always like when they do the heart strings tugging challenges.  Anything that makes my boyfriend Chris Nunez smile like that is worth watching.  All the aggressive and macho posturing goes out the window and you can see the actual human beings behind the bluster. Sweet.  

 

Overalls Chris is trying so hard to be a "character" and a badass, it's ridiculous.  Idiot. 

[tessa]

Loved Duffy work tonight! The thing I don't get - and maybe you all can explain it too me - if Chris was forming an alliance to get to the finale - why choose some of the weakest tattoo artists instead of the strongest? The weakest seldom win the skull picks so they're not putting you in a better position to advance - you are still going to be the target but if 3 strong players align - they'll get the majority of the skull picks and most often out tattoo the more inexperienced ones.

 

Also Craig and Matt were also trying to get Erik to join them - so it's not fair to slam Chris for doing the same thing. I personally had hoped Craig would get to the finales this time - but really none of them appeal to me to win.

[Demented Daisy]

I'm no expert -- not by a long shot -- what about Chris' tattoo was Victorian?  It just looked like a disproportionate butterfly to me.

 

I was sure this was Duffy's week to go, but damn if she didn't kick ass this week.  Beautiful.  A shame she won't win.

 

If Erik was so concerned about doing a "manly" Victorian tattoo, why did he give himself a male canvas?  Talk about slitting your own throat.  Poor guy should have just kept doing what he was doing, but he let them in his head and he paid for it.  Of course he was going home; Chris and Matt's rivalry provides the drama.

 

If Chris wins this season, I expect to see a lot more machinations in future seasons.  And drama, of course.  Lots and lots of drama.

 

Have I mentioned I miss Best Ink?

[Kelda Feegle]

Hated the butterfly - hated Chris slinging hate the way of Matt's canvass, made her feel even worse than she already did - Matt was explaining ink and time etc to her and asshat twatwaffle Chris just rides over him.

Loved the guest artist tattoos, thought briefly that Chris was going to cry cheater at Matt helping his artist out with a more dimensional drawing.

 

Poor neutral Erik - wish he had won on principle alone

[qtpye]

I thought Erik was one of the better looking contestants.  He looked just like Colin Ferrel (sp?).  Duffy's tattoo was so beautiful, it almost made me want to get a throat tattoo. I think it was one of the best tattoos ever done on this show.  If Duffy can continue this train, she might be our first female Ink Master.

 

Edited to add- I probably just jinxed the poor woman.  She will probably be sent home next week so they can keep the drama queens around.

Edited September 16, 2015 by qtpye

[fifty8th]

 

If Chris wins this season, I expect to see a lot more machinations in future seasons.  And drama, of course.  Lots and lots of drama.

Please no it is killing the show for me, there are reasons I don't watch shows like survivor and alliances are a big part of it. I liked this show when it was judged purely on which tattoo executed the challenge best and looked the best.

 

Chris is so bad now I even miss St. Marq. Heck I even miss Josh from the last two seasons and I could not stand him. It is safe to say out of all the seasons and all the hated characters he is climbing to the top.

[MuMuGuy]

If Duffy can continue this train, she might be our first female Ink Master.

 

Edited to add- I probably just jinxed the poor woman.  She will probably be sent home next week so they can keep the drama queens around.

 

I personally hope either Craig or Kruseman gets booted next week. Kruseman should've been gone that week the girl wanted to incorporate her hair in the tattoo and he flat out refused to do the challenge. Craig didn't follow the rules last week for both the Flash Challenge and Elimination Tattoo (though last week's Elim Tat was a stupid challenge).

 

They need to boot people automatically for not attempting the challenges.

[TattleTeeny]

While I did not love Chris's butterfly, I could barely look at Matt's tattoo without physically feeling uncomfortable! I was imagining the absolute horror of leaving a tattoo shop with that on me (though I'd never ask for a big, centered neck tattoo--not my thing at all, though I would get a smaller tattoo on the side of my neck). I feel like there is practically nothing that can ever be done about that! It's there, and it's there for good, man. No. Not that I don't want my tattoos to be there for good, but that will look like a big black blur in no time! At least Chris's left the canvas with the option of a touchup.

I loved the flash challenge! Amateur drawings full of color really translate well! I mean, I guess if a tattooist did something like that without me having brought in the drawing, I'd be super-"WTF?!" (and, haha, I have a story about a horrific tattoo that was done to my sister's bitchy friend) but in the context of it being the artwork of a loved one, I loved it--and I loved how all of the artists captured the "texture" of the pencils and the markers that the guests used to create the images; those tattoos really looked like something you'd see hanging on the refrigerator. If I ever had a kid (I won't), I'd totally get a tattoo of his or her drawing on me. Also, I almost actually want the donkey (right? Was it a donkey?) one for myself.

Edited September 16, 2015 by TattleTeeny

[thewhiteowl]

Boy howdy did I laugh at Chris' eye twitches when he realized he was likely going to be in the bottom. The butterfly was well placed and presented well from a distance (which should be a given but is not) but it did look scratched on. I like Matt but he really should have been booted for that. Atrocious.

Duffy's was exquisite. IDK why the hell anyone would want it but it was pretty. I giggle to imagine what that chick will look like at 60. But to each their own.

[TattleTeeny]

Everything else will be a mess anyway (probably not as early as 60, but eventually) so why not have some of the inevitable evidence of aging be some once-awesome ink? That's what I tell myself anyway (and I'm more concerned about gravity rearing its ugly head).

[thewhiteowl]

Like I said, to each their own.

[azshadowwalker]

Yeah, I know people in their late 50s and early 60s with heavy tattoos, including neck and face. To be honest, the tattoos are generally the least of their concerns, as far as aesthetics go.

[OakGoblinFly]

Why am I still watching this show?  The contestants are reprehensible and the artwork/tattoos lacking.

[Honey]

Although I wouldn't mar my body with a tattoo, I can see how some of them are ok looking.  I mostly like the ones that can be totally covered up.

[TattleTeeny]

Like I said, to each their own.

I wasn't arguing that; just joining the conversation (I thought). 

[phoenix780]

The thing I don't get - and maybe you all can explain it too me - if Chris was forming an alliance to get to the finale - why choose some of the weakest tattoo artists instead of the strongest? The weakest seldom win the skull picks so they're not putting you in a better position to advance - you are still going to be the target but if 3 strong players align - they'll get the majority of the skull picks and most often out tattoo the more inexperienced ones.

 

I think there's a gap in his logic too, unless you factor in how random the flash challenges are.  You never know who could be a crap tattoo artist but a champion whittler, or really good at drawing/burning stuff.  But I think his theory was more focused on end game- you want to go against the weakest at the end, and if they happen to help you out along the way that's awesome.  It's a weird combination of confidence (you're ultimately relying on your talent, plus hard tattoos for your rivals) and fear (you don't want to face people at their full strength, ever).

[TattleTeeny]

I commented something similar a couple episodes ago -- something about how Chris doesn't likely even know who is good at whatever a non-tattoo flash challenge might be. How does he know, for instance, who is good at, say, painting a car? And also, "bad canvasses" could be in the eye of the beholder; Chris's minions might consider something to be a desirable skull pick while Chris might thinks the complete opposite. 

Edited September 16, 2015 by TattleTeeny

[Nutjob]

Erik, Erik, Erik... that's what happens when you join the dark side. Dude.

 

So, Duffy FTW? I guess? I can't stand anyone else anymore, so I'd love to see her come from behind and beat all these losers in the finals.

[WickedTuna]

As soon as Erik said he ws trying to be fair I knew he was going home. I knew he wasn't going to win but I'd been rooting for him anyway. I don't think his was the worst. I thought Craig's was pretty wonky.

Duffy's was really beautiful. I wish she would do good work like like that all the time.

I'm back to GTHIAH but I loved watching Chris squirm. I bet Tyler peed a little when he thought of Chris going home. Ha.

[Muffyn]

Chris is sucking the life out of this season.  He is exhausting.  Between his over the top posturing and his excessive although rarely fruitful machinations, he is taking up so much screen time being a jackass.  I would so much rather the time be spent seeing them work out the design with the canvases, working on their tattoos, explaining their design choices, etc.  I really hoped that horrible butterfly would get him sent home.  

 

Neck tattoos squick me out.  I already cannot imagine getting a tattoo on a show when I don't know the artist's skill level or style.  A neck tattoo is a major commitment.  If you have a bad tattoo on a thigh, for example, unless you live in an area where shorts are commonly worn, you can cover it easily.  The neck is always out there.   

[LoneHaranguer]

I was disappointed that they didn't take the opportunity to skip the skull assignments for this episode. Just have the canvases pick skulls at random, or maybe mix things up by letting the canvases actually pick their artists.

[Fallacy]

Matt's tattoo was absolutely terrible and I'm shocked he didn't get the boot. Eliminating Erik instead was the most obvious judging bullshit I've ever seen on this show.

Chris doesn't actually bother me that much, but I don't mind arrogance when it's backed by talent. I loved when Scott Marshall won the Ink Master winners show, for example. The guy loves to talk shit for the cameras, but he's crazy good. Chris is a solid artist who may well win the whole thing, but I'm pulling for Duffy.

[Fex]

Erik was definitely eliminated for the sin of not-bringing-the-drama. His tattoo wasn't good, but it wasn't the worst!

 

During that flash challenge, I must've gotten something in my eye. Both eyes.

[fifty8th]

I like how it seems Matt, Cruzman, Duffy and Craig seem to like each other. Now I've not watched a ton of the loft footage because I fast forward to the tattoos and they probably bad talked each other along the line but I liked Matt's one armed hug of Craig when Dave said the Kid was a fan and Craig teared up. And Cruzman's hug of a crying Duffy when she got a good critique (understandable since he is her mentor), Matt's happy chuckle when she walks by, and Craig giving her a pat on the back when they walked out. Of course Chris and Tyler scowling and shaking their heads. I like it when it is a friendly competition.

Edited September 17, 2015 by fifty8th

[Eliza422]

Thanks to you folks all I could think about during last night's episode was Tyler tucked safely in Chris' kangaroo pocket....I couldn't take any of them seriously!

[grumpypanda]

Matt's tattoo freaked me out. I felt claustrophobic just looking at it. I really feel like he disfigured that women. Why anyone would think getting a tattoo on their neck is a good idea is beyond me. I'm also curious to know what someone with one does for a living. I work in a really conservative field and it's not unusual to see a wrist or ankle tattoo poking out which isn't a big deal but there is no way anyone with a giant neck tattoo could work in most offices.

I really liked the flash challenge. It was refreshing to see everyone happy for a change.

[phoenix780]

As soon as Erik said he ws trying to be fair I knew he was going home. I knew he wasn't going to win but I'd been rooting for him anyway. I don't think his was the worst. I thought Craig's was pretty wonky.

Duffy's was really beautiful. I wish she would do good work like like that all the time.

I'm back to GTHIAH but I loved watching Chris squirm. I bet Tyler peed a little when he thought of Chris going home. Ha.

Forgive my ignorance, but what does that mean?

[Apatee]

The flash challenge was pretty awesome this week. With all the drama bs that gets thrown around, its nice to have a feel good moment every once in a while. I haven't been too attached to Duffy so far, but that neck tattoo was seriously impressive. Props to her. Erik definitely didn't have the worst tattoo and it seems the judges are playing favorites again. Matt, given how dark and big it was, was a clear loser.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

In a weird coincidence, the theme for this week's episode of The Great British Bake Off was also Victorian. If you are sick of all the alliances and drama of Ink Master, try watching GBBO. The bakers are more like the artists on Face Off - there is no ganging up on people and when someone needs help, the others pitch in (this week two bakers helped someone else whose cake was about to fall apart).

 

I watch shows like this for the skill and the end result so all of the Chris and St. Marq drama has really been turning me off this season. I'm at the point where I am about to just watch the first ten minutes for the flash challenge and then the last fifteen minutees so I can see the final tattoos and the judges' decision. If I wanted to see a bunch of whiny self-centered babies having shit fits, I would watch Bad Girls' Club or the Real Housewives of Whatever.

 

Oh, Erik. While I admire his desire to stay out of the drama thus far, it was just a matter of time before he was asked to choose a side. After admitting that Chris is an asshole, why would he decide to join the two person team of Chris and Tyler?

 

Neck tattoos do not appeal to me, but Duffy's was really beautiful. It was far better than anyone else's so I'm glad she got the win.

 

When Dave explained the flash challenge, I thought oh lord, how are they going to fairly choose a winner? I was glad when the judges later said they decided not to choose one person. Instead of giving one person the power to assign the canvases, I wish they had just done the random skull picks the way they did in the flash challenge. I really liked how well the contestants were able to capture the bright colors and texture (of both the crayons and the watercolors). I enjoyed watching Matt coach his client about how to draw the treasure chest.

[Eliza422]

Personally I think they planned all along not to pick a winner of the flash challenge...how could they?

[Darian]

I loved the flash challenge! Amateur drawings full of color really translate well! I mean, I guess if a tattooist did something like that without me having brought in the drawing, I'd be super-"WTF?!" (and, haha, I have a story about a horrific tattoo that was done to my sister's bitchy friend) but in the context of it being the artwork of a loved one, I loved it--and I loved how all of the artists captured the "texture" of the pencils and the markers that the guests used to create the images; those tattoos really looked like something you'd see hanging on the refrigerator. If I ever had a kid (I won't), I'd totally get a tattoo of his or her drawing on me. Also, I almost actually want the donkey (right? Was it a donkey?) one for myself.

That was fantastic. I admit, I held my breath, hoping none of the artists felt the need to clean up a drawing or make it their own or something, but they did beautifully, both with that tattooing and the consultations. Never thought I'd say this about anything connected to this show, but they should all be proud of themselves.

 

Duffy's tattoo was gorgeous, and I was so happy for her. I've liked her all along, but I didn't think she was going to pull that masterpiece out. She had a tough assignment and nailed it!

[WickedTuna]

phoenix, it's going to hell in a handbasket.

[fifty8th]

I really want to see what happens to Chis when Tyler gets booted. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Chris got extra demerits from me this week for saying he only cared if Erik took care "of Tyler and I."

[Rancide]

I swear, Nunez is like a domestic abuser.  He's such an asshole most of the time, and then he's sweet to the Down's syndrome kids and gives Duffy a really gorgeous smile, and I forget for a minute that he has no redeeming human qualities and needs repeatedly to be punched in the face.  Please don't do that to me again, show.  Thanks.

 

I was disappointed that with the exception of Matt, who totally deserved it, the judges didn't talk much about placement.  For the majority of the tattoos, all we saw during the critique was the close-up of the image as the person's neck was stretched out with the chin up.  During the human canvas jury discussion where all the tattoos were visible as they sat around discussing, a lot of the ones that looked fine to me when all you could see was the image looked really terrible when seen in the context of the person's whole head/neck/shoulder area.  Cruzman's birdcage, in particular, looked really aesthetically unappealing to me when viewed from a distance.   It looked like a giant tarantula was sitting on her neck.  Even Duffy's, which I thought was gorgeous close up, sort of looked to me like her canvas either had a beard or had vomited on herself and it was rolling down her neck.  I didn't like Tyler's either when I saw it on canvas in the jury room.

 

Meanwhile, while I continue to loathe Chris and think his tattoo looked bad up close, I don't think he was wrong that out of all of them, his fit her body the best.  It really seemed to go with the shape and contour of the human neck the best from what I could see when they were sitting around talking.

Edited September 17, 2015 by Rancide

[qtpye]

And Cruzman's hug of a crying Duffy when she got a good critique (understandable since she is her mentor), Matt's happy chuckle when she walks by, and Craig giving her a pat on the back when they walked out. Of course Chris and Tyler scowling and shaking their heads. I like it when it is a friendly competition.

 

 

I swear, Nunez is like a domestic abuser.  He's such an asshole most of the time, and then he's sweet to the Down's syndrome kids and gives Duffy a really gorgeous smile, and I forget for a minute that he has no redeeming human qualities and needs repeatedly to be punched in the face.  Please don't do that to me again, show.  Thanks.

 

 

Hail to all that is holy...Nunez smiled and actually looked happy!  I did not know that could happen without signaling the beginning of Armageddon.

 

It was lovely to see actual camaraderie and professionalism among the artists.  I also enjoyed the first segment and it was wonderful to see everyone act like actual human beings and it seemed the tattooers went out of their way to please their clients.  Those tattoos all looked great and Craig tears, when that kid said he was his favorite artist, was giving me the strong case of the feels.

 

Of course by the time we got to the second segment, it all went back to hell really quickly. 

 

It was interesting to see the canvases critiquing the work with all their tattoos in plain view.  I have to say, I think overall a throat tattoo is not a good idea.

 

I remember when former contestant Josh (who many people love and others consider a total jerk) talked about how he refused to face tattoos.  I think consenting adults have the right to do whatever they want to their bodies, but I hope some of this canvases (who all seemed on the young side) understand the repercussions of their choice.

 

Also, it is one thing to get a throat tattoo, it is a whole different can of worms to get a bad throat tattoo.

 

Matt seems like a nice guy and is usually a pretty competent artists.  However that dark tattoo on that girl was actually kind of horrifying.  I hope she can get it corrected.  She should have never come on this show for a tattoo that was going to be that visible and impossible to hide.

[TattleTeeny]

I remember when former contestant Josh (who many people love and others consider a total jerk) talked about how he refused to face tattoos.  I think consenting adults have the right to do whatever they want to their bodies, but I hope some of this canvases (who all seemed on the young side) understand the repercussions of their choice.

 

I think there are many places that refuse face work, and sometimes anything below the wrists and ankles too. The place I go has a "no neck/face" policy for anyone who has no other tattoos. On one hand, I get the "give the paying customer what he or she wants" side, but I can actually see why the shops have their policies as well.

 

What I really hate is shops that refuse to do a tattoo that they deem upside-down. I mean, OK, explain to the client that the work could be construed as upside-down but if that's what he or she wants, just do it -- especially if it's not a flat-out fact that it is indeed upside-down.

 

ETA: I loved Josh!

Edited September 17, 2015 by TattleTeeny

[Hana Chan]

I loved the flash challenge... we need more challenges like this that force the artists to get their heads from out of their own assholes.

 

My first response at seeing that the theme would be throat tattoos was that they canvases should bid farewell to whatever chances they had of mainstream employment opportunities. Because fairly or not, those tattoos are going to be a huge roadblock. I have visible tattoos, but these just go very well outside of what a lot of even permissive workplaces will accept. It's one thing if you're a rock star, or a professional tattoo artist where it just won't matter. For the average person, it can kill a lot of professional opportunities.

 

Having said that, there were a few good ones, and a couple of serious clunkers. Duffy definitely deserved the win for the level of detail she was able to incorporate as well as give the client exactly what she was asking for. No one else even came close. Kruseman's birdcage was nice, but he definitely played it safe. And I very much liked Tyler's harp and filigree work. He could have given others (*coughErikcough*) a lesson in how to take an element that we normally associate with being feminine and macho it up a bit.

 

Everything else was wonky as all hell. Craig didn't have a smooth line or clean edge in his whole design. As for the bottom group... Matt would have been my choice to go home just for that mess he put on that poor woman's throat. It was so dark and from two feet away you couldn't see any of the details. There were no folds that would give the impression of fabric being draped around her throat. It was extremely unpleasant to look at and I'm totally at a loss at how she's ever going to get that fixed (beyond a lot of laser treatments in her future).

 

Erik's had a lot of flaws and when you start really nitpicking at the elements, he really missed the mark. He didn't grasp Victorian elements and unlike Tyler, didn't seem to figure out how to translate filigree into a masculine design element. As for Chris... he had a serious uphill battle in that his canvas's skin was resistant to the ink, which makes getting a clean tattoo done nearly impossible. There are several skin creams and medications that can cause this - I remember an episode of Tattoo Nightmares where they had a similar problem because the customer had been using a tattoo-fade cream and it changed how her skin took ink and made doing the cover up difficult. Unfortunately for Chris, the quality of his tattoo really suffered and I'll agree that it looked awfully scratchy in places. On the plus side, his tattoo will be easily fixed to make it look the way Chris meant it to. Give her six months and let her skin fully heal and it would only take one sitting to clean up the lines and smooth the color.

 

And unlike Matt's, Chris's tattoo was well designed and fit the woman's throat nicely. I wasn't overly surprised that when the judges were debating who to send home that Chris's name didn't come up. He did manage some finesse in being able to manage (as well as he did) against a major complication as well as keeping his canvas from quitting on him. I would have preferred Matt going home this week because his tattoo was really beyond salvaging, but frankly either of them could have gone and I would have been more than fine with the results.

 

This, to me, is the stage of the competition where things can get really interesting. The top contenders are starting to make major stumbles and the less viable contenders are starting to hit their stride. It's going to be interesting to see how this all shakes out.

[TattleTeeny]

That's exactly what got me about Matt's; I am by no means an expert but I cannot imagine anyone being able to do anything to correct it! I've heard about some techniques that can at least improve blurred or faded black work, but when I paused the TV to look at that mess, I couldn't see how even those would do much. I just felt such a wave of empathy or something when I saw it. I don't even know if that lady is as upset as I was about it; I can't explain it but just putting myself in her position made me tense!

[AlliePK]

Matt's piece WILL fade with time, but I hope she doesn't have the type of skin that will turn the black greenish over time.  The only thinkg I can think of to "fix" the piece is to try to pack some white into it (good luck) and add a lace border to the top so it's not so harsh.

[LoneHaranguer]

 

My first response at seeing that the theme would be throat tattoos was that they canvases should bid farewell to whatever chances they had of mainstream employment opportunities. Because fairly or not, those tattoos are going to be a huge roadblock.

OTOH, I think there are areas and jobs where a tat like that would cause people to give you some respect you wouldn't otherwise have gotten.

[Fex]

My first response at seeing that the theme would be throat tattoos was that they canvases should bid farewell to whatever chances they had of mainstream employment opportunities. Because fairly or not, those tattoos are going to be a huge roadblock. I have visible tattoos, but these just go very well outside of what a lot of even permissive workplaces will accept. It's one thing if you're a rock star, or a professional tattoo artist where it just won't matter. For the average person, it can kill a lot of professional opportunities.

 

I imagine it depends a lot on where you live, as well as what kind of job you have. I work in a hospital, and the dress code just says to cover tattoos that could "reasonably be considered offensive" - this dress code applies to everyone (doctors, maintenance, cafeteria staff, office, etc). I have a co-worker whose skin is 90% tattooed (uh, he says, I haven't actually seen all his skin!), and we do have some interaction with patients. I'm certain there are plenty of hospitals that wouldn't allow that!

 

I really hope Matt's canvas' tattoo fades a bit with time. As AllieP noted, some detailing along the top, so it isn't a straight line, could go a long way to improving it, too!

[psychoticstate]

I don't have any issues with Matt but I think Erik got gypped in getting the pink slip.  I'm not a fan of throat tattoos in general but Matt's was terrible.  Much too dark.  The lady looked like she had a big black ink spot on her neck, like a walking, talking Rorschach test.

 

This is where I think if the judges did not know who did what tattoo, the judging might be more fair.  They clearly gave Matt a pass for this one, as well as Craig, truthfully.  Chris was brought down for shock value IMO. 

[TattleTeeny]

This is where I think if the judges did not know who did what tattoo, the judging might be more fair.  

 

I think that's a really good point. Would be good for Project Runway too.

[Kromm]

I wonder if Tyler even calls his Mama a "bitch"?  He does every other woman.  You could tell he was doubly disgusted that the judges dared to let a "bitch" win for the day too.

[hatchetgirl]

I think Matt's tat can be saved. He did use a lot of grey, which is what gave it that dark look, but it all cool down. Black is easy to either laser or cover with lighter colors so I'm not concerned. To resolve the top, someone can come in with scallops. I have a feeling she asked for black and grey. Seriously, you want Victorian lace, get cream or sepia.

Chris' tat wasn't Victorian at all, period! His white looked like shit and last minute to try and fix his black I don't believe here skin was the worst ever, if so, it would not have taken that faded people.

Chris and Tyler cannot get off my TV fast enough. I love Craig, Matt, Duffy and Kruzman. Kruzman isn't going to win though. He's too quick to not trust his work and tell people "nope". I think he could have given the birdcage a slight hourglass shape to it, but it would have looked like an incomplete corset.

Why don't these people being in some reference work? I love my artist and give him free reign, but I always bring in reference material.

[candall]

Well, color me horrified.  These people are so young to be--let's face it--limiting their options with giant neck tattoos.  And I don't necessarily mean professionally.  In my life, I've been nude beach nature girl, courtroom litigator, paint-spattered artist, country club member, carnival worker, churchgoer, hippie, private investigator, bartender, part-time postmistress. . .ETC.   Don't hang a big sign around your neck (literally) about yourself in your 20's!

 

 

 

The whole flash challenge was charming--the people, the message, the tattoos.  The "Picasso-esque" person needs a marketing team.

 

 

 

ETA:  Agree with above posters that only showing the tattoos with the necks stretched out was a misleading representation.  In the jury room, they all look like they got hit with paintballs of black ink.  Shouldn't some of these "ink masters" have taken the client's standard posture into account?

 

.

Edited September 19, 2015 by candall