S08.E11: Duck and Cover-Up

[thewhiteowl]

Quote

One artist cracks after a difficult Flash Challenge in which the artists try to rework tramp stamps.

[Apatee]

Sketchy leaving is really lame. Not that he was gonna win or anything, but I'd rather the artist get eliminated by their work than other issues. Wouldn't this reduce their scheduled run by one episode? I'd imagine Spike being pissed at these type of things happening.

Palm tattoos in general are bit lame to me. Small surface area where images don't last. No real standouts.

Kevin needs to put a outline already. I'd definitely say he's been better than Nate, but he might get sent home before for him because of his decisions. 

The top three clearly seem to be Nikki, Ryan, and Gian. Kelly is the outlier; she has a chance to upset one of them for sure. 

[zxy556575]

Oh, Sketchy. Couldn't hack being criticized even a little. After 8 seasons, the egos on these people continue to surprise me.

I did enjoy Nunez pretty much pleading with him not to leave. "You could win! It could be you! You have a real shot!" Also, pretty bold statements if anyone is into reality show judging conspiracy theories.

There probably aren't many viewers who thought Boneface was killing it, but I would have preferred Nikki to go first, just on a personal level. Didn't like that she got the satisfaction of outlasting him after being such a pill.

I'm not sure if I miss the canvas jury or not. The deliberations were often painful but I did like them occasionally upsetting the judges' applecart.

[AlliePK]

Sketchy realized his days of phoning it in were over when he heard that the guest judge was a very experienced tattooer.  As soon as he heard the words "guest judge" and "24 years of experience" he knew the jig was up.   He's a good tattooer, but he's not a great one.  And Robert Atkinson was never going to a soft judge.

I think that when artists walk out, that should be it.  No going after them.  No pleading with them to come back.  You can't handle it?  Buh Bye.  Don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you.

I think Ryan has it, but Kelly could slide right in there and take it.  Not sure any of the men, except maybe Gian, could possibly win this thing.

[zxy556575]

It was amusing that the guest judge called out the reworked tattoo as being the best solution for the client. Like anyone on the show ever takes that into consideration.

(Except Peck this one time because, teams.)

[qtpye]

Sketchy probably thought his exit was going to be dramatic and powerful, instead it was pathetic and a little confusing.  You could tell he had been working on that speech in his mind and yeah, he was probably intimidated by the level of talent and scared of such an experienced guest judge.

[TattleTeeny]

Random question: how do you guys feel about the term "tramp stamp"? Generally, I don't really care--whatever, I've referred to mine as such a million times. But when I think harder about it, it find it a bit gross. Even my tattooist catches himself if he refers to them that way because he doesn't really dig the term either.

For one thing, it is a very attractive spot to have a tattoo, particularly for women, IMO--and we are not necessarily tramps for it (not that I subscribe to the ides of tramp/slut/whatever)! And if someone is a "tramp"? So what, who cares? Also, that spot on the body hurts--it's no girly little "I want a tattoo but I don't" silliness (although some of the people asking for them may not realize that, haha!). I sit really well for tattoos and have a whole bunch including a "tramp stamp" I got back in 1993 maybe (I didn't even know the phrase "tramp stamp" then!); it was one of the more painful ones I've had.

I do get that there is a certain...style...of chick who asks for that spot to be tattooed, and I guess people think of the stereotypical sorority "whoooooo!" girl, maybe--I do at times, maybe because of the popularity of the spot? But arms and ankles are popular too and they don't have a sexist nickname. I don't know what I'm getting at...just musing, I guess. And I kind of think that Chris and Oliver shouldn't use the term "tramp stamp," or at least not on TV.

Edited November 2, 2016 by TattleTeeny

[AlliePK]

1 hour ago, lordonia said:

It was amusing that the guest judge called out the reworked tattoo as being the best solution for the client. Like anyone on the show ever takes that into consideration.

(Except Peck this one time because, teams.)

And he was right.  There was virtually no good way to cover that up.  Had that client walked into my shop (when I was tattooing), I would have recommended a reworking also.

[hkit]

49 minutes ago, TattleTeeny said:

Random question: how do you guys feel about the term "tramp stamp"?

I never really had thought about it before, as I've used the term myself. But while watching last night's episode, I thought it was pretty offensive. I guess I'm getting old.

Random thoughts:

Sketchy deprived me of some delicious dressing down by the judges. I'm very disappointed he left. 

Gian is talented, but there is something about his speech pattern that grates. The combination of his tone along with his pacing is bizarre. I cannot focus on anything else while he is on the screen.

I really love Kelly more than the other girls, and would like her to win. Although not my style, I thought her elimination tattoo was amazing. 

[zxy556575]

I was a little surprised that some of the canvases with lower back tattoos were men. I haven't conducted a survey or anything, but don't think that's a real popular spot for guys. A couple of them had some fatty tissue, which I imagine is a little more difficult to tattoo, just for the undulations.

Ryan's comment to the client that none of the tattooists themselves had palm tattoos was clever. Nobody could try to talk the canvases into a different location this time, but it was a good way to manage expectations.

Edited November 2, 2016 by lordonia

[AlliePK]

1 hour ago, TattleTeeny said:

Random question: how do you guys feel about the term "tramp stamp"?

I've never referred to them as tramp stamps.  I call them lower back or lumbar tattoos.  I've seen some beautiful lower back tattoos and have done some nice ones as well.  I think it not only is a misogynistic term, it's also insulting to the tattooer.

Edited November 2, 2016 by AlliePK
to shorten up the post a bit.

[AlliePK]

1 hour ago, qtpye said:

Sketchy probably thought his exit was going to be dramatic and powerful, instead it was pathetic and a little confusing.  You could tell he had been working on that speech in his mind and yeah, he was probably intimidated by the level of talent and scared of such an experienced guest judge.

Yeah.  Instead of the forceful exit he planned, he ended up kind of flouncing out like my Aunt Aggie.

[zxy556575]

It seemed bogus that Peck and Nunez were judging the palm tattoos by what they'd look like in the future. Absolutely! No question!

They do that a lot when they claim that certain tattoos will fade or bleed or whatever, but this time it seemed particularly egregious because that was their main criteria. Crystal ball judging!

[candall]

1 hour ago, AlliePK said:

Yeah.  Instead of the forceful exit he planned, he ended up kind of flouncing out like my Aunt Aggie.

Heeeee.  Right.  His "I'm goin' outta here like a ____?____"  throwdown fell a little short of the impressive power play he'd pictured in his mind.

 

As long as the work is good enough, I think ignoring the challenge can occasionally be mitigated by the canvas ending up with something first-class instead of crappy--and the artist deserves a "safe."  Does not deserve a win.

I've don't remember ever seeing a big bright tat like that on Tattoo Nightmares.  Is it even possible to cover such a thing without a bucketful of black?  Tsk-tsk, show.

 

I love that guest judge, mom; can we keep him?

[AlliePK]

7 minutes ago, lordonia said:

It seemed bogus that Peck and Nunez were judging the palm tattoos by what they'd look like in the future. Absolutely! No question!

They do that a lot when they claim that certain tattoos will fade or bleed or whatever, but this time it seemed particularly egregious because that was their main criteria. Crystal ball judging!

Yeah, but the palm is one of the places where you have to o deep and bold and not use any color that fades easily because you lose more skin cells on your palm than you do almost anywhere else.  Also the skin on your palm tends to be rougher and thicker than most places where you would get tattooed.  So it's a fair thing to judge on. it just shouldn't be the ONLY criterion.

 

For shits and giggles:  here's what Ollie was like getting a palm tattoo from the zenmaster Thomas Hooper (who has a very light and deft hand):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a8EfS-3nyo  (I linked it instead of embedding it)

[hkit]

51 minutes ago, lordonia said:

It seemed bogus that Peck and Nunez were judging the palm tattoos by what they'd look like in the future. Absolutely! No question!

They do that a lot when they claim that certain tattoos will fade or bleed or whatever, but this time it seemed particularly egregious because that was their main criteria. Crystal ball judging!

To be fair, they were pretty clear about that at the beginning of the challenge. They were looking for technique to make sure the tattoo would last. I think that compared to the average challenge, they were a little bit more forthcoming about what they wanted to see.

[candall]

3 minutes ago, AlliePK said:

Yeah, but the palm is one of the places where you have to o deep and bold and not use any color that fades easily because you lose more skin cells on your palm than you do almost anywhere else.  Also the skin on your palm tends to be rougher and thicker than most places where you would get tattooed.

 

"For today's Flash Challenge, we will again be testing who studied up before they came to the show."

[psychoticstate]

13 hours ago, lordonia said:

There probably aren't many viewers who thought Boneface was killing it, but I would have preferred Nikki to go first, just on a personal level. Didn't like that she got the satisfaction of outlasting him after being such a pill.

 

I'm with you there.  Nikki bugs the shit out of me.  And the cheese will likely stand alone but I thought Kevin's rose was better than hers, even if there was no outline (Kevin will go home, though, because he's already said he's going to do what he wants and Nunez clearly doesn't like him.) 

I've often wished that the skull picks were done via computer or something, not just because I'm tired of seeing her smirks but also because it might be more fair to the canvases.

8 hours ago, lordonia said:

It was amusing that the guest judge called out the reworked tattoo as being the best solution for the client. Like anyone on the show ever takes that into consideration.

(Except Peck this one time because, teams.)

Yes!  Maybe Gian's wasn't a cover up but Nikki's strategy of giving him the worst, or one of the worst, backfired.   He did what was best for the client, exact challenge be damned. 

6 hours ago, hkit said:

 

I really love Kelly more than the other girls, and would like her to win. Although not my style, I thought her elimination tattoo was amazing. 

Me too.  Can't stand Nikki and I'm not a fan of Ryan's either, although I'm not sure why.  I like Kelly and I agree that her elimination tattoo was great. You couldn't see the original tattoo at all.  

That said, I'm still not invested in anyone winning the season.  I'm tuning in to see Dave.

4 hours ago, candall said:

 

"For today's Flash Challenge, we will again be testing who studied up before they came to the show."

So true!  I always roll my eyes when they show the inktestants looking like they are about to be given a pop quiz they didn't know about and didn't study for.  They know the genres/types that will come up so stop looking panicked. 

[TattleTeeny]

Haha--maybe they tell them something awful, get reaction shots, and then say "Just kidding--do an American Traditional!"

 

Quote

For shits and giggles:  here's what Ollie was like getting a palm tattoo from the zenmaster Thomas Hooper (who has a very light and deft hand): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a8EfS-3nyo (I linked it instead of embedding it)

Ahahhahahahaaaa, oh man! Again, I am good with tattoo pain (it's the &%&^%^$##%$#@$#!! subsequent itching that makes me crazy) but I do not much enjoy the biceps at all! Seeing that the description below the video states that the palm is far worse, I doubt I'd ever consider it. Not that I was--I don't think I'd like having a hand tattoo of any kind; I think it would make me feel like my hands were always dirty.

Edited November 2, 2016 by TattleTeeny

[Galloway Cave]

9 hours ago, AlliePK said:

For shits and giggles:  here's what Ollie was like getting a palm tattoo from the zenmaster Thomas Hooper (who has a very light and deft hand):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a8EfS-3nyo 

That was hilarious. Peck really cried his ass off and Hooper sat there dead silent. Of my nine tattoos, the worse pain was inside right ankle, right over the bone. Second worse was upper left back. It is fine-line outline floral and it made my left foot jumpy the entire three hours. I had to actually hold my foot down. My hand tat (outer left hand) didn't hurt much. In fact, I'm planning on getting my other hand done. What I will never ever get done is my lower back. After getting a spinal fusion, I cannot imagine tattooing over the scar.

Personally, I love some of the tats that Ryan has. Some of mine are like hers- draping jewelry and scrolls. I understand what Kevin is doing but my tattoo artist says the same thing that Peck and Chris say, without an outline the colors will fade and blend as the tat ages. One of my older tats has minimal lines and the colors have faded and blended. His tats may look great now, but won't hold up over time.

[Honey]

I always thought tramp stamps got that name because that's what they guy sees when you're doing it doggy style.

[zxy556575]

Another thing some of the artists (Nikki) don't seem to take into consideration while going out of their way to make enemies is that those people will be helping judge the finale. They hold grudges, y'all.

There have been a couple other artists over the seasons who refused to do outlines; I'm starting to think it's because they can't, on a technical level. The judges constantly slam people for their outlines: shaky, too thin, too thick, incomplete.

[Sile]

8 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

Ahahhahahahaaaa, oh man! Again, I am good with tattoo pain (it's the &%&^%^$##%$#@$#!! subsequent itching that makes me crazy) but I do not much enjoy the biceps at all! Seeing that the description below the video states that the palm is far worse, I doubt I'd ever consider it. Not that I was--I don't think I'd like having a hand tattoo of any kind; I think it would make me feel like my hands were always dirty.

I'm with you on that.  The heat and the itching that comes on after a few days makes me crazy.  I keep telling myself 'don't pick the scabs!'  and then I answer myself 'but it itches!'.  I don't know if it's recommended, but spraying some Bactine is the only thing that kept me sane on a refresher last year.

There was an episode on Miami Ink where Kat tattooed an eye on Ollie's leg right under his butt and he screamed like a baby the entire time.

I would totally give Gian the cover up.  He covered up every bit of the old tattoo and the before and after split screen was amazing!  The thing was all blurry and fuzzed out and I paused the shot and still couldn't figure out how he did it without even a hint of the old one showing through.

Loved Sketchy's idea of going out like a G while throwing his little hand signs.  If by G he meant "goober", then mission accomplished!

Edited November 3, 2016 by Sile

[niklj]

16 hours ago, AlliePK said:

Yeah, but the palm is one of the places where you have to o deep and bold and not use any color that fades easily because you lose more skin cells on your palm than you do almost anywhere else.  Also the skin on your palm tends to be rougher and thicker than most places where you would get tattooed.  So it's a fair thing to judge on. it just shouldn't be the ONLY criterion.

 

For shits and giggles:  here's what Ollie was like getting a palm tattoo from the zenmaster Thomas Hooper (who has a very light and deft hand):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a8EfS-3nyo  (I linked it instead of embedding it)

If this was the Oliver we saw on the show I'd like him 100x better. That was awesome.

[zxy556575]

2 hours ago, Sile said:

There was an episode on Miami Ink where Kat tattooed an eye on Ollie's leg right under his butt and he screamed like a baby the entire time.

Kat was a nervous screamer and crier herself as a client.

This is dumb, but I scraped a fingernail around my body to test sensitivity. The ribs were about the same as stomach, arms, legs, back, head. The palms and soles of my feet were much worse.

[TattleTeeny]

Quote

I'm with you on that.  The heat and the itching that comes on after a few days makes me crazy.  I keep telling myself 'don't pick the scabs!'  and then I answer myself 'but it itches!'.  I don't know if it's recommended, but spraying some Bactine is the only thing that kept me sane on a refresher last year.

You know the people who say, "You'll regret that when you're older"? Well, my answer to them*, if they say this within a week or two of getting it, is "I regret it right now!" And it's 100% true, haha. That fades though as soon as the stupid itching mercifully goes away. Honestly, with the crazy sensitive skin I have in general, I am surprised I can even get a tattoo.

* Luckily, I don't deal with this too often (and mine are not all hidden!). I have friends who are always complaining about judgmental people approaching them about their tattoos and I am skeptical.

Edited November 3, 2016 by TattleTeeny

[AlliePK]

5 hours ago, niklj said:

If this was the Oliver we saw on the show I'd like him 100x better. That was awesome.

That's the Ollie I know.  He's freaking hilarious.  "Imagine how much more this would hurt if I had pants on."

[AlliePK]

7 hours ago, Sile said:

  I don't know if it's recommended, but spraying some Bactine is the only thing that kept me sane on a refresher last year.

 

Slap it.  Seriously.  Slap the area gently.  It will stop itching.  Another thing is to have someone stimulate your reflexology point for your adrenal glands (inner part of each foot, mid-sole, under the balls of your big toes).  That releases cortisone which may stop the itching.  And lastly, you can apply ice over a soft white towel or put a damp (barely damp) white washcloth in the freezer and use it on your tattoo

[TattleTeeny]

I am such a slapper! The minor bit of pain with the tender new tattoo is nothing compared to that infernal itch! However, my Ramones (it's sooooo beautiful!) one on my calf was a tricky one to slap at, especially in public (not that any of the slapping looked particularly normal). 

[azshadowwalker]

Two assholes gone in one show! Boneface should have been gone several tattoos ago. Sketchy made my eye twitch . Hated him so much, and he went out demonstrating why. 

The show needs to stop picking canvases whose desires don't fit the challenge . I am sick of people being allowed to get away with avoiding the challenge, but I am also sick of one or two artists getting dramatically more difficult challenges than everyone else. 

Oh, noes! Nikki gave Gian a tough tattoo. Aren't you supposed to just suck it up, because that's the way it goes? 

[Honey]

On 11/3/2016 at 2:07 AM, Sile said:

I'm with you on that.  The heat and the itching that comes on after a few days makes me crazy.  I keep telling myself 'don't pick the scabs!'  and then I answer myself 'but it itches!'.  I don't know if it's recommended, but spraying some Bactine is the only thing that kept me sane on a refresher last year.

There was an episode on Miami Ink where Kat tattooed an eye on Ollie's leg right under his butt and he screamed like a baby the entire time.

I would totally give Gian the cover up.  He covered up every bit of the old tattoo and the before and after split screen was amazing!  The thing was all blurry and fuzzed out and I paused the shot and still couldn't figure out how he did it without even a hint of the old one showing through.

Loved Sketchy's idea of going out like a G while throwing his little hand signs.  If by G he meant "goober", then mission accomplished!

This was a joke right?  Because He didn't cover it, he refreshed the old one and added to it.  I agree that he did a great job.  I can't stand Gian, but he is really  talented.

Did I hear Chris actually give a compliment to a girl?  As he was watching Nikki tattoo the rose, he asked if she was coming to Handcrafted in Fort Lauderdale.

[damnman]

When I got my lower back done my artist said "oh you want a California Bumper Sticker?" that's the one and only time I have ever heard it called that.

[Sile]

13 hours ago, Honey said:

This was a joke right?  Because He didn't cover it, he refreshed the old one and added to it.  I agree that he did a great job.  I can't stand Gian, but he is really  talented.

Did I hear Chris actually give a compliment to a girl?  As he was watching Nikki tattoo the rose, he asked if she was coming to Handcrafted in Fort Lauderdale.

Not a joke, just an opinion.  Looking at the side by side comparison, it went far beyond refreshing to me.

 

On 11/3/2016 at 2:35 AM, lordonia said:

Kat was a nervous screamer and crier herself as a client.

This is dumb, but I scraped a fingernail around my body to test sensitivity. The ribs were about the same as stomach, arms, legs, back, head. The palms and soles of my feet were much worse.

I remember her carrying on like it was the end of the world when she got her 10th anniversary (or something like that) tattoo.  Whereas Oliver seemed really genuine, Kat looked to be putting on a big show.  Full disclosure that I'm not a big Kat fan, so that could have something to do it.

[halkatla]

I really liked this episode, it was fun to watch and the tattoos were good. My favorites are the girls and I like how they support each other, without all the matcho yelling bullshit that´s been the norm in any alliance for the last seasons. Gian and Ryan are both formidable tattooers, Nikki and Kelly are strong too.

I loved seeing Sketchy leave, it was so weak of him but not that strange considering how he was. He (as well as others) had tried to make it seem like the women had some advantage just for being female, and obviously that´s the opposite of reality on this show, and then on top of that they are all really good artists (Gia as well, and she´d been unfairly sent home too early for being female basically). I think he just couldn´t take loosing to the women.

[Charlesman]

When I was in high school art class, it was beaten into me by the teacher that 'real life does not have an outline'. Any realist drawing or sketch with outlines was a fail. So I kind of see his point, and I really prefer tattoos without outlines personally for that reason.

[PepperMonkey]

HATE the term tramp stamp. Don't have one there because I have my whole back done and it pretty much stops around waist level. But I still hate the term; I think it's demeaning and perfect for Nunez to yammer on and on about.

I keep waiting for Nikki to start screwing over her girls. I get a sense it's about to happen and then, BOOM, it doesn't. But I'm telling you I get that vibe from her and I still think it's coming. She'll try to play it off as accidental, and maybe it will be, but I just don't care for her. She's been doing some good work recently, though. I remain TEAM KELLY all the way. I like Ryan okay but I like Kelly better.

Not sorry Shaky Sketchy is gone. I agree with whomever said they're mostly watching for Dave. Still hoping Josh might drop by to smoke with the current contestants.

[AlliePK]

On 11/6/2016 at 1:03 AM, Charlesman said:

When I was in high school art class, it was beaten into me by the teacher that 'real life does not have an outline'. Any realist drawing or sketch with outlines was a fail. So I kind of see his point, and I really prefer tattoos without outlines personally for that reason.

As long as you're prepared to have it refreshed every couple of years, that's fine.  I have a tattoo that looks like watercolor and I go back to Virginia every 5 years so she can freshen up the color, make sure the edges don't fade into oblivion, and make it look awesome again.

[Lemons]

Nikki repulses me.  She gave herself and the other "girls" super easy cover ups, so of course they had the best tattoos. Don't they want to win on merit?  I know I would.   And the pleasure she takes when others fail, it's not an attractive trait.  

She's not the only one that does this but she is the most obnoxious at it.

[303420]

On 11/2/2016 at 7:24 AM, TattleTeeny said:

Random question: how do you guys feel about the term "tramp stamp"? Generally, I don't really care--whatever, I've referred to mine as such a million times. But when I think harder about it, it find it a bit gross. Even my tattooist catches himself if he refers to them that way because he doesn't really dig the term either.

I don't care for the term either. The first time I heard it I found it very weird; it still makes me cringe.

On 11/9/2016 at 8:56 PM, Lemons said:

Nikki repulses me.  She gave herself and the other "girls" super easy cover ups, so of course they had the best tattoos. Don't they want to win on merit?  I know I would. 

I hear you but what else are they supposed to do? Take the harder ones on purpose and risk going home? Someone is going to have an easier time than others; it might as well be you and the people you like.

I say this as not a huge Nikki fan. She bugs me and I don't think I'd enjoy hanging out with her. Ryan and Kelly FTW, but I'd be perfectly happy having Nikki round out an all female final. 

I miss Josh. He can come to Colorado and toke with me anytime.

[Dave941]

These chicks are fuckin butt ugly with the exception of Ryan. They are so irritating like that fly that buzzes around your face and won't go away. Takes away from the value of the show.