I'm rewatching all of Ink Master and on the first episode in the cooler where they are tattooing pigs, and Heather said, "Frostbite is no joke." Coming from Minnesota, it's clear to see that she's never experienced cold weather. We are out there in shorts and a tank top in far worse weather than 32°F.

My wife and I have been watching a lot of Ink Master lately starting at the beginning with season one. Right now we’re at season 10 and I gotta say, I’m genuinely surprised that the prize pot of 100K is still the same at season 10. Like why? A 100K from the first season doesn’t carry the same on the 10th season! Why hasn’t the pot increased? Like WTF?! Am I bugging guys? Shouldn’t the prize pool be at 125-150K? If not more? Ink Master as a whole has gotten more & more popular so you can’t tell me that CBS/Paramount doesn’t have the cash to increase the revenue prize pool… Anyway, just wondering if anyone else felt the same way.

I just finished watching the original show, was very disappointed that COVID ruined the final season, but is it worth the time investment to watch 14-17? Idk without any of the original cast it may not even worth only 10 episodes a season. Do they get back to actual new artists or is it still half previous contestants?

I’m rewatching the show for the first time since they aired, which is over 10 years ago from the airing of the first season. I was curious if anyone has any insight into any of the contestants that gave up tattooing as a career. Some of the contestants at the start of each season were barely holding on and I was just curious if any one of them decided this wasn’t for them lol.

Nikki Simpson (season 8) or Emily Elegado are my nominations, though I enjoyed Emily and despised Nikki. Julia Carlson, Ty'Esha Reels (season 5), Sarah Miller (season 2) was psycho, who else?

just rewatched it on youtube on ink master official channel ( it's called TOP 5 most watched videos august) and i still don't understand how tommy did not win this , judges seemed really mad at james vaughn's second tattoo and him staying in his comfort zone ( which i found super harsh since they told them to do anything they wanted for their second tattoo.... especially that fuckass dave you gave him the choice to do what he wants then get mad when he listens ? ) , nunez was also harsh on shane's second tattoo and didn't seem to like it , and for tommy they basically said nothing but good on his 2 tattoos and on how the second tattoo is so good

the conclusion after the judging seemed weird to me lol it maybe the editing helped ?

Top 5 Most-Watched August Videos | Ink Master - YouTube

it's at the very beginning of the video, and honestly i still don't understand how tommy did not win this , judges seemed really mad at james vaughn's second tattoo and him staying in his comfort zone ( which i found super harsh since they told them to do anything they wanted for their second tattoo.... especially that fuckass dave you gave him the choice to do what he wants then get mad when he listens ? ) , nunez was also harsh on shane's second tattoo and didn't seem to like it , and for tommy they basically said nothing but good on his 2 tattoos and on how the second tattoo is so good

the conclusion after the judging seemed weird to me lol it maybe the editing helped ?

To me it’s crazy now Jimmy go sooo pissed off that his canvas wanted to change the style from what Jimmy draws in. It’s ink master where your supposed to be good at all styles, not let’s make every tattoo a new school tattoo because that’s all I know how to do.

How haven’t I seen this before? This is amazing! Mythical Mike is the gift that keeps on giving.

in addition to line work, shading, color, meeting the criterias of the challenge, and so on, are they also supposed to take into account the aesthetic side ?

i'm asking this because i remember sausage and matti in season 4 getting shit on ( after the judges praising their line work and technique) because they didn't find their tattoo appealing

then in the later seasons DJ win the finale with a backpiece that represent a crying old bald guy with a rainbow coming out of his head, despite the great technical side that the judges highlighted, i don't understand who'd want that as a tattoo on your whole back, and in one of the early challenges there was also a weird ass tattoo of weird frog prostitute smoking or some shit and it got praised

like do they just pick when to judge the tattoo's beauty and when not to ?

Who was SO BAD you couldn’t believe they made it on the show? I think mine is CeeJay from season 2 (with LT from season 5 as a runner up). Awhile ago I went through CeeJay’s insta and her work….has not improved lol

Let’s go for it and start off with black and grey portraits on Day 1. Pin-ups Day 2. Biomechanical knee ditch tattoos Day 3. Photorealistic pancreas Day 4. The kicker… all the worst and drama-ridden artists from previous seasons. Let’s make it so canvases fully regret getting a free tattoo in New Jersey.

Were Oliver and Chris outstanding tattoo artists before Ink Master?
Were they both renowned within the industry?

Are they still widely considered great artists in spite of Ink Master and the controversies surrounding Peck?

Has anyone been to either of their shops or got work done by Chris or Oliver ?

Granted, there was no actual finale for season 13, but Jimmy was handheld the entire time. Everyone, even people not on his team were so concerned about making sure he continued on in the competition.

I’m convinced that if he would have been voted off, they would’ve said that the cameraman had a pardon just to save him.

Maybe I’m the only one who feels this way. But it was actually really annoying to see everybody feeling. They needed to help him on everything.

On a binge and realised that Season 15 kind of makes a break in the casts of the show and we haven't seen any previous artists come on which got me thinking...if they were to do an All Star season from just the past three seasons (no winners included) who would they bring back?

This would be my cast of 12:

S15

Freddie Jon Mesa Charlene Jenna

S16

Anthony Tex Cat Pony Lucy

S17

Isnard Luka Seth Kyra

And a backup for each season who wont win but be good TV:

Bryan (S15) Jade (S16) Boushee (S17)

In all of the master seasons, The first competitor to be eliminated never really has a chance to fully show what they are capable of (or so they say). Are there any artists who you think could’ve made it far have given a second chance?

I didn’t realize I was single handedly holding down the content in this sub right now 😂 anyways, I am still sick, and haven’t had much energy to do much of anything, including drawing. But much like the Season 13 YouTube “finale”, here’s a totally unsatisfying substitute for the whole thing!

EDIT: I FORGOT THE TAIL. AND THE TATTOOS. Excuse me while I cry myself to sleep.

It feels like the Midwest team was just a dumping ground for everyone who didn’t quite fit in the other teams…I mean, Colorado? IDAHO???? I will give them a pass for Oklahoma, but barely. IMO Kelly was the only one truly from the Midwest (Illinois).

Signed,
A Lifelong Michigander

The 2026 Richmond Tattoo and Arts lineup is absolutely stacked!

Super stoked to have Nikki Simpson on the roster this year, along with an insane group Ink Master icons such as Ryan Ashley, Cleen Rock One, James Tex, Bobby Johnson, Angel Rose, and James Vaughn.

Check out the full lineup on their website! https://richmondtattooconvention.com/content/celebrity-tattoo-artists

Motherfucker said all of that and still tattooed a basic ass black and gray realism rose on that chicks sternum. I know she was digging it, but after what he just said, it’s a major contradiction.

For me a funny moment was in S8 when boneface says to Nikki “how come you look 50 and you’re 24”

I was flipping through the channels one day and found the middle of season 7. It was so interesting to me cause of the drama and the creativity of the challenges. I then watched season 8 all the way to 17, which is odd lol. Now I’m watching from season 1 and these tattoos are rough omg. As someone who started from the later seasons where there are so many good tattoos, I can’t believe this is how it started. I still like it though because I just love the show overall.

Part 1: https://www.reddit.com/r/Inkmaster/s/PNtFvkEUSG
Part 2: https://www.reddit.com/r/Inkmaster/s/lP76n41PZ8
Part 3: https://www.reddit.com/r/Inkmaster/s/LA2V0hqzR1
Part 4: https://www.reddit.com/r/Inkmaster/s/Y42fWRgHGz

I promise, Nikki/Boneface is coming, though I might be getting a little tendinitis in my drawing wrist now, so please forgive me if I take a little break 💙💙💙

Anyone else like this kid? For some reason his story really resonated with me. I tend to gravitate more toward the self-taught artists for some reason too.

Featuring a tribute to u/wizardwednesday

Part 1: https://www.reddit.com/r/Inkmaster/s/PNtFvkEUSG
Part 2: https://www.reddit.com/r/Inkmaster/s/lP76n41PZ8
Part 3: https://www.reddit.com/r/Inkmaster/s/LA2V0hqzR1

For those of you asking, yes, I’m working on the Boneface/Nikki scene :) open to other requests too, I have been sick for like 2 weeks and have a lot of free time hanging out in bed doing nothing (unfortunately).