S06.E14: Active Duty

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Artists fight for a spot in the top four and must tattoo portraits of active military and their loved ones before they are separated for deployment.

[thewhiteowl]

A disaster of Pin-up proportions.

[Guest dutronc]

Yes, what could possibly go wrong? It does seem a little late in the season for portraits, but it's probably better this way. Even Chris's portrait was a mess last week.

[BigBlueMastiff]

I would never let some random tattoo a portrait. This is something that requires specialization, can't wait to see these guys on tattoo nightmares.

[Monty]

Guys in the military? Gosh, I sure hope Chris mentions that he was in the Marines!

[Hana Chan]

This had all the markings of a train wreak and didn't disappoint. One of two standouts and a whole lot of meh to round it out. I have no clue what Kruzeman was thinking about with the skull picks because he totally screwed himself and Duffy.

Chris might be a pretentious and obnoxious turd, but his tattoo was pretty damn amazing. I liked the high def illustrated look, which to me was an artistic choice rather than a technical flaw and the portrait he did was absolutely gorgeous. Matt's portrait was very recognizable, but the it did look like he aged her 10 years with the shading that he did. I didn't totally love Craig's, but it was very recognizable.

There was no question to me that Kruzeman and Duffy belonged in the bottom and I have no issue with the criticisms. The detailing on the uniform in Kruzeman's tattoo was lovely, but the face was a complete mess. Duffy's portrait was almost unrecognizable when compared to the woman herself, but at least Duffy's tattoo didn't look like the portrait was someone from a burn unit. Either one of them could easily been sent home and for me, it was basically a coin toss over who could have been eliminated. Sending Duffy home was more than fair.

I feel for the people who got a bad tattoo this week because it was going to be so meaningful but this venue is a real crapshoot. And I'm glad that the judges gave some ideas about how to fix Duffy's tattoo so that it would look recognizable.

Edited September 30, 2015 by Hana Chan

[WickedTuna]

I didn't like Chris' portrait at all. I thought he made the guy look soft and girlish looking. I thought the eyes were alot bluer than they should have been.

The nail murals were amazing. It would have taken me forever to do that. I did think Kruzeman's was a little off. The top wing looked shorter than the bottom.

[Muffyn]

I really dislike portrait tattoos.  They are so easy to screw up.  Kruseman did a great job on the uniform, but that face was totally jacked up.  They talked a lot about the nose which was a complete disaster.  The lips were also odd.  It looked like a lizard being from Futurama.  

[niklj]

Kruseman definitely should've went after making that poor dude's dad look like he had a noodle for a nose.

[Hana Chan]

My biggest issue with Kruseman's tattoo is that he focused so much on all the other elements - the helmet, the uniform, buttons, etc. - that the actual face was treated like an afterthought. He picked a tattoo with an old photo were the facial features weren't well defined and it showed in the final work. But this has been an ongoing issue with Kruseman for several weeks now. He's been content to do just enough to get by to the next round instead of pushing for the win the way Chris, Matt and Craig are. He's been hitting doubles when everyone else is swinging for the fences.

 

And he totally hamstrung Duffy with his pick for her. The woman's face was very soft, with gently rounded features and this was going to be very difficult for someone who does not have a lot of experience doing portraits. She would have been much better off with one of the subjects with more distinctive features to give her something to focus on. She totally failed with the shading and it made the portrait look completely different from the woman herself.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I love well done portrait tattoos because they are so difficult to do. Unfortunately, I didn't see anything even close to that tonight. Kat Von D is one of the few people I would allow to do a portrait on me. Hers look like actual photos, unlike what these jokers did this week.

 

I wish the judges had declared no winner again. I thought Chris made his look too much like a cartoon character. When I hear portrait tattoo, I expect photorealism. Not only did Chris make his look like a cartoon but I don't think the face resembled the original photo enough. Yes, there was a resemblance but I don't think the face was similar enough.

 

Matt's shading ruined his for me. He did a decent job with the hair but the shading on the face definitely aged that poor woman. He also made her look cross eyed and her lips were not the same.

 

Surprisingly, I thought Craig's looked the most similar to the original photo.

 

Kruseman and Duffy both did terribly. I would have have been fine with either of them going home. She made that poor woman look older and fatter but Kruseman gave his a melting face with a triple chin.

 

I was rolling my eyes at Chris trying to buddy up to Matt and later advising Kruseman to throw Duffy under the bus, as if Kruseman would ever take any advice from Chris. But it was more that Chris was acting like he was trying to help Kruseman. STFU.

 

I liked the flash challenge. I didn't realize at first that they were given more than one kind of nail so I liked the different textures and shading they were able to create with the different nails.

[Demented Daisy]

I would have given the win to Craig.  It may not have been perfect, but at least it didn't look like a generic Navy recruiting poster.  I agree that Chris made his portrait look more feminine.  As a tattoo, it was fine.  But an accurate representation of the subject?  Not even close.

 

Doesn't mean I think he should have been eliminated, just that he shouldn't have won.

 

Kruseman should have gone home weeks ago; that he still hasn't been eliminated annoys me more than I can say.  

 

Shockingly, all the ladies are gone and the only "apprentice" left is Craig.  I wonder who will make it to the finale.  *eye roll*

[sofaslug]

I really dislike portrait tattoos. They are so easy to screw up. Kruseman did a great job on the uniform, but that face was totally jacked up. They talked a lot about the nose which was a complete disaster. The lips were also odd. It looked like a lizard being from Futurama.

I thought maybe it was just me who saw the mouth as...odd. It, to me, appeared to be an afterthought.

I don't understand why some of these "artists" go on a show like this. You know you're going to have to do work outside of your comfort zone or expertise. Whether it's Ink Master, Project Runway, Top Chef, etc., there is always someone who moans that a particular challenge isn't what they do. Yeah, but you know that challenge is going to appear at some point, you might want to work on those skills. <sigh>

[AlliePK]

Kruseman should have gone home.  I hate to say this about Oliver, since I know him and have always found him to be a great guy and supportive of women in the field, but I got an uncomfortable misogynistic vibe from him that I have never gotten before with this decision.

 

Duffy's portrait wasn't great, but with time it WILL fade and soften a bit.  The hairline is a very easy fix and the back teeth are an easy fix too.  The front teeth were actually fine - she has a slight overbite.  And hey, the woman can always gain some weight to look more like the tattoo...

 

Kruseman's was a melty paraffin looking mess.  I actually visibly shuddered when I saw it.  The swoop shadow across the nose and down the cheek was out of place and he had no definition on the bridge of the nose.  Sure, the uniform and details NOT on the face were good, but a portrait is ultimately about catching the face and he completely failed on that.  Some of the shading will soften and fade, but the placement of the shading is problematic.

 

Chris:  it was technically good.  But the face was too smooth and the eyes too blue with pooling toward the bottom, giving the portrait a slightly feminine, decidedly illustrative look. If they were looking for photo realism, they needed to look elsewhere.  But it was definitely not a tattoo he would or should go home on, even though I find his ego slapworthy.

 

Matt's portrait was OK.  He aged her a bit with some of the more harsh shading, but again, shading generally softens and fades, so by the time she catches up in age to her portrait, it'll all be good.  Over all, though, it was a pretty decent portrait.

 

Craig's was middle of the pack.  Not awesome, not bad.  I'm struggling to remember some of the details, though.  I actually thought his hit the most points on photo realism.  He did over emphasize the bumpy ridgy wrinkles on the subject's nose.  Play those down.  Always play down wrinkles and slightly soften really harsh features.  It does wonders for the piece.

 

And over all:  STOP MAKING TEETH LOOK LIKE CHICLETS!!!!  You do not have to outline every individual tooth.  If you do a suggestion of teeth, with more definition in the front and way less in the back, you will end up with a much better portrait.  It's a basic lesson from portrait painting 101.  Also, the suggestion Nunez made about treating a portrait like basic shapes is spot on. I learned that in art school.   He was actually really on point with most of his critique tonight,

[Diane Mars]

100% agree with your post @AllieP !

 

I just want to add that Chris portrait was a little cartoonish, BUT that I was totally stunned by the banner, and, most of all, the stars ! Wow ! It was not as in the picture, but if I loathe the guy, I praise him for that stunning banner !!!!

Edited September 30, 2015 by Diane Mars

[TattleTeeny]

And over all:  STOP MAKING TEETH LOOK LIKE CHICLETS!!!!  You do not have to outline every individual tooth.  If you do a suggestion of teeth, with more definition in the front and way less in the back, you will end up with a much better portrait.  It's a basic lesson from portrait painting 101.  Also, the suggestion Nunez made about treating a portrait like basic shapes is spot on. I learned that in art school.

 

Yes! This was one of the most valuable lessons my life-drawing prof taught me in art school. I'm pretty good at drawing people but I always saw something slightly "off" in my faces, and it was the teeth. My teacher taught us that a swift, simple flick/twist move with a sharp pencil was enough for most teeth--and also that noses usually need far less shading than you think they do. 

 

I loved Chris's but I suppose I could see why someone might not if he or she were looking specifically for a photorealistic portrait. That said though, I loved it for--not in spite of--its retro-poster vibe. And that flag looked crazy good. As for Matt's, OK, not great, and that he aged her was the first thing I noticed. But it was recognizable and maybe she'll look like that in a few years anyway...

And, yeah, I would never get an "important" tattoo on a show like this, especially a portrait! I would much rather pay the money and allow the artist to have as much audience-free time as s/he needs to get it right without the ulterior motive of winning a contest, thank you. 

My BF was impressed to learn that an inner-upper-arm portrait is a tough spot; I have a photorealistic one there of my late cat (RIP; I love you!). Ugh, that spot, man--the only one that hurt on my body so far!

Edited September 30, 2015 by TattleTeeny

[AlliePK]

The one sacred heart I have on my inner forearm hurt so much.  And my shin area hurt.  The inner upper arm is a tough spot because it can distort shapes.  It's also hard to sit for.  I hated doing the upper inner arm.  And the butt.  I hated tattooing butts.

[TattleTeeny]

It's like someone sneaking up and repeatedly pinching hard with the fingernails!

Not too long ago, I had...well, not really a coverup so much as an addition that was designed over an existing upper armband. My tattoo guy, who knows I hate that spot, asked me if I even wanted to bother with the inside part. I didn't--because ouch--and it's still there. It's pretty unobtrusive though--thin black lines, so whatever. 

[Honey]

I was blown away by how good Craig's tattoo was.  It looked exactly like the photo.  I can't imagine why he didn't win.

[leighdear]

I love well done portrait tattoos because they are so difficult to do. Unfortunately, I didn't see anything even close to that tonight. Kat Von D is one of the few people I would allow to do a portrait on me. Hers look like actual photos, unlike what these jokers did this week.

 

I agree 100%.  And in addition to looking like photos, she always "softens" a tiny bit some less attractive features.  They are always the very best version.  But I don't know if Oliver would say that about his ex wife!  ;)

 

Chris's was good, I agree it just looked more cartoonish than photo realistic. Thank jebus that my remote has that "mute" button, because I hit it every single time he's on camera.  Idiot. 

 

I was sad to see Duffy go, as I thought she really had a shot to be the first female Inkmaster.  Not this time, though.  

Edited September 30, 2015 by leighdear

[Charlesman]

I was blown away by how good Craig's tattoo was.  It looked exactly like the photo.  I can't imagine why he didn't win.

 

 

Fully agree. Chris's tattoo made the face look like Alfred E. Neuman from MAD Magazine. Guy drew a cartoon. Craig nailed the face.

 

I also think they got the Flash Challenge wrong too. The tools & flames were much better... especially the way the flames seemed to get stronger or fade as the camera changed angles.

[azshadowwalker]

I watched very little of this, because I expected flag-waving and "I was a Marine" for an hour. Even the end was annoying, because Chris got his military nonsense in when I just wanted to see the results.

 

Sorry to see Duffy go. I had no problem with her being in the bottom, but her tattoo wasn't worse than Kruseman's and she's actually been trying (and sometimes winning) this season. He has not. I would have much rather have seen her stick around. 

 

I'm sure I'll end up watching bits and pieces of the rest of the season, but it's been completely underwhelming. I'm not looking forward to the end, especially with Chris in full-on smarm mode now that his minions are all gone.

Edited October 1, 2015 by azshadowwalker

[Jenkins]

Just wanted to say DEAD ON post by AllieP.

 

And you aren't the only one who gets the misogynistic vibe, not only from Peck, but from the judges in general.

 

Now, I don't think they are the "you should be barefoot and pregnant and make me a sammich!" type...but I personally don't think we will ever see a woman win Ink Master (unless they have an all woman season, which might be kind of nice).

 

Overall, Kruseman should have went home. That face was right up there with the hula girl...ATROCIOUS. Duffy's tat you could at least tell it was a non deformed/burned/scarred human...

 

Wow, that face on Krusemans tattoo....nightmarish.

 

Is what it is and we all know Chris is going to win anyways...

Edited September 30, 2015 by Jenkins

[Kromm]

There was always a script to send all the Apprentices home, and there's usually a casting imperative to get women they inevitably send home, so no shocks here. Even if her portrait wasn't the worst, Duffy going home seemed inevitable. Kruseman's was far worse, but he was never going.

 

And Matt's seemed more like a caricature. Am I the only one who saw that?

[TattleTeeny]

Overall, Kruseman should have went home. That face was right up there with the hula girl...ATROCIOUS.

 

Oh my god, that is the reason my BF came in to watch the rest of the show with me (he sometimes watches if he's in the room when it starts, but it's not appointment TV for him). He heard me yell, "Oh, no, no!" when I saw Kruseman's portrait and came a'runnin'. 

[thewhiteowl]

There was always a script to send all the Apprentices home, and there's usually a casting imperative to get women they inevitably send home, so no shocks here. Even if her portrait wasn't the worst, Duffy going home seemed inevitable. Kruseman's was far worse, but he was never going.

 

And Matt's seemed more like a caricature. Am I the only one who saw that?

 

 No, you are not. I thought the poor woman needed only a pointy hat to complete the witch look. I thought Duffy was going and thought it terribly wrong when it wasn't a "uniform" challenge. At least hers was recognizably human. Good looking uniform is the nicest thing I can say about Kruzeman's. Chris' was a good looking tattoo but I didn't think it resembled the guy. I didn't think Craig's looked like the guy either but it wasn't horrible. Unlike Kruzeman's.

[Apatee]

A bit disappointed that Duffy got sent home over Kruzeman. He botched what little face there was in the tattoo, whereas Duffy had a much more difficult reference and at least made it look human. She's at least shown that she can do great tattoo's at times, Kruzeman's been pretty meh the whole competition.

 

As for a female winner of Inkmaster, it's hard to say really if it will happen. Being completely honest, Sarah Miller was the only one I feel could compete with past champions. She only came in second because Steven was one of the best in the shows history. Tatu Baby could put out some great images at times, but she would consistenly screw up and convince the judges to keep her another week somehow. I would've liked to see what Duffy could do with an open canvas though.

[AlliePK]

I know several female tattooers who could kick ass on this show.  They just wouldn't apply.

[Apatee]

I know several female tattooers who could kick ass on this show.  They just wouldn't apply.

 

For sure. I didn't mean to imply that woman artist are weak in general, but the level of talent they've had from female contestants hasn't been the best representation. The best tattoist I've met in person is a woman and she's pretty amazing. You're right though, in that a show like this doesn't exactly appeal to many top tier artist, further diluting potential female participants. A lot of the ones they get are fairly new artist, making me believe they'll just take what they can get to cover the demographic.

[fifty8th]

Sarah Miller was the only one I feel could compete with past champions. She only came in second because Steven was one of the best in the shows history. 

I've always wondered how Sarah could do against some of the other Ink Masters. I liked her in her year though but in appearances since not so much, she seems different.

[Honey]

 No, you are not. I thought the poor woman needed only a pointy hat to complete the witch look. I thought Duffy was going and thought it terribly wrong when it wasn't a "uniform" challenge. At least hers was recognizably human. Good looking uniform is the nicest thing I can say about Kruzeman's. Chris' was a good looking tattoo but I didn't think it resembled the guy. I didn't think Craig's looked like the guy either but it wasn't horrible. Unlike Kruzeman's.

Were we watching the same show?  Craig's tattoo looked identical to the picture.

[thewhiteowl]

Were we watching the same show?  Craig's tattoo looked identical to the picture.

 

 I believe it was the same show, I can't say how it looked to you but I didn't think it looked like the guy. *shrugs*

[TattleTeeny]

Were we watching the same show?  Craig's tattoo looked identical to the picture.

The judges clearly, IMO, addressed what the issues were with Craig's tattoo. I did think it was a good job and that the tattoo was generally recognizable as the guy, but also could see that it was far from an exact duplicate of the photo.

[Honey]

 I believe it was the same show, I can't say how it looked to you but I didn't think it looked like the guy. *shrugs*

So odd.  How people see things so differently.  Oh well.

Duffy's tattoo is fixable. Kruseman's isn't. He should've been sent home for that.

Totally agree.  His nose is pointing the wrong way on his face.  Hard to fix that.

The judges clearly, IMO, addressed what the issues were with Craig's tattoo. I did think it was a good job and that the tattoo was generally recognizable as the guy, but also could see that it was far from an exact duplicate of the photo.

Thank you for that.  I think I must have been letting the dogs out, and I missed their critique of his tattoo.

So odd.  How people see things so differently.  Oh well.

Totally agree.  His nose is pointing the wrong way on his face.  Hard to fix that.

Thank you for that.  I think I was letting the dogs out, and I missed their critique of his tattoo.

[TattleTeeny]

I was struck dumb after seeing Kruseman's, so I was probably staring blankly at the TV and thus witnessed everything.

[candall]

Kruseman's could be greatly improved with just a couple of things--darken the upper lip so it doesn't look like a big white papa bear mustache, line in some chin definition, and a highlight near the bottom of the black streak would make the nose point in the right direction.  Question:  Is it possible to tattoo a lighter shade of ink on top of black ink to alter contours?

 

The portrait of the blonde woman was hideous--not really any better than Duffy's.  Chris's looked like a generic pastel, without enough character lines to make it the face of a specific person.  (Which, to be fair, were also airbrushed out of the photo.)

 

I thought Craig's was awesome.  Really the only flaw was just that the shading on the right (my right) was a little bit too emphatic, but it had exactly the identifying detail Chris lacked.

 

Co-sign the Chicklets issue.

 

Kruseman should have had points deducted for making such poor choices with the assignments.

 

 

 

 

[AlliePK]

Kruseman's could be greatly improved with just a couple of things--darken the upper lip so it doesn't look like a big white papa bear mustache, line in some chin definition, and a highlight near the bottom of the black streak would make the nose point in the right direction.  Question:  Is it possible to tattoo a lighter shade of ink on top of black ink to alter contours?

 

It's possible, but not really recommended.  It usually takes several applications to avoid overworking the area and the best you can really hope for is light gray.  That technique actually works best if you are planning to cover up the area with other color.

 

 

Were we watching the same show?  Craig's tattoo looked identical to the picture.

The biggest I had with Craig's tattoo was that he over emphasized the odd wrinkles the subject had on his nose.  He needed to make them LESS obvious, soften them a little.  Sometimes you don't want to look exactly like the photo - you want to make the subject more pleasant to look at than it might actually be.  Soften hard edges, leave out some wrinkles, soften the shading... But Craig's was a decent piece.

[candall]

 He's too uncomfortable with human anatomy to be "Ink Master."

I agree, and think he self-defeated because of that.  The light spot on the curve of that nostril was right there in the photo. 

 

But. . .

 

I don't know anything about tattooing [obv'ly.]  Maybe tracing a sketch onto skin makes marking the small specific spots to highlight a nightmare, or at least a process that requires lots of practice.  When you paint oils over a soft charcoal sketch on canvas, you can change anything just about anytime--piece o' cake compared to this.

 

Sidenote:  Kruseman could really improve his portraiture by reproducing some upside down photographs.  On a sketchpad.

[Jenkins]

Kruseman should have had points deducted for making such poor choices with the assignments.

 

You know, that is actually a good point.

 

Not only did he create a portrait that looked like a burn victim (not making fun of burn victims, just saying I have seen someone with severe burns on their face that looked similar), but HE chose the damn skulls!

 

While I don't think Duffy would have beat Chris in the end (being honest, he probably is the best overall artist there...hate even admitting it), she should have got the chance.

 

I really wish Ink Master would quit casting douchebags like Chris. I can appreciate talent and especially art, but it is hard when it is coming from a guy like him.

 

I know Craig isn't overly popular on these forums, but I kind of like him and hope he wins. He has phoned in a couple of tats, but he does have talent and he seems like he would be a genuinely nice guy in person.

Sidenote:  Kruseman could really improve his portraiture by reproducing some upside down photographs.  On a sketchpad.

 

That is actually how we learned to draw portraits in Jr High.

 

Our art teacher had us turn the photo upside down and then divide it in to four. We would then draw each quadrant separately. Then at the end you would turn your picture right side up and more often than not, you were pretty damn surprised by how good it looked.

 

Guess it is all about tricking the brain in to only looking at basic shapes.

[BigBlueMastiff]

 

I thought Duffy was going and thought it terribly wrong when it wasn't a "uniform" challenge. At least hers was recognizably human. Good looking uniform is the nicest thing I can say about Kruzeman's.

This is why he should've been sent home. He straight up said he focused on the uniform rather than the face. This is an effen portrait challenge, and his "portrait' is deformed, much worse than Duffy's.

[Demented Daisy]

It's what Kruseman does.  How many times has he not wanted to do the challenge -- mostly because he couldn't -- and did what he wanted to instead, hoping that it would be good enough to get him to the next round?

 

It worked for him every time.  And of course it did.  They're going to keep an older, male artist over a younger (sometimes female) artist.  

 

My husband and I are about *thisclose* to giving up after this season.  The art isn't what it used to be and the drama isn't entertaining.

[Jesse]

All I could think of when I saw Kruseman's "portrait" was this: http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/media/images/62428000/gif/_62428393_frescopic.gif

[Janet Snakehole]

I also watch on Hulu, not sure why they are so late in posting episodes.

I have never disagreed more with the judges than on this one. Craig did the only good, realistic portrait in my opinion. Chris's looked nice, but more like turning a photo into an old school Uncle Sam type drawing. Cool for a military challenge, but not really a realistic portrait. I actually thought Duffy's was adequate, it did not do the woman too many favors, but I could easily recognize it was her. Matt turned a lovely photo of an attractive woman into a crone. I would be so insulted if I were her. Kruzeman turned the guy into a zombie, and was probably one of the worst portraits I have seen. The work on the uniform was great but he should have been eliminated for the face. All in all, it just reinforced that I hate portrait tattoos.

Chris is unbearable. I can't believe he felt the need to point out to everyone that the one portrait was the Navy guy wearing his dress uniform. Yes, Chris, we can see that.