All language subtitles for Ink.Master.S17E02.Back.to.the.Drawing.Board.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-RAWR

♪ MTV

Previously on
Ink Master: Hometown Heroes...

Oh-ho-ho!

15 new artists
entered the competition.

For this competition,

each one of you will represent
your hometown.

Let's go.

It's time to rep
where you from now.

To earn a shot,
they must prove

they have the skills
to do it all.

They really had to earn
it at the drawing board.

We're not giving it to anyone.

I'm nervous.

Seven artists earned
the chance to tattoo.

Is it even a tattoo if you're
not wiping your client's tears?

But only two artists
secured a shop.

Y'all are competing for
a quarter of a million dollars.

We're not going to let
no one slide by.

Gotta earn it.

We're looking
for the 12 best

so that we can have
the best competition yet.

The battle continues

for a shot
at a $250,000 prize...

Here we go.

...and the title
of Ink Master.

Welcome.

Each of you are here
because you think you have

what it takes to be
the next Ink Master.

- Yeah, I do.
- Hell, yeah.

Two of you impressed us in round
one and secured your shops.

- Good job.
- Good job.

You guys killed it.

13 of you remain.

But now, there are
only 10 shops available.

Can't strike out, man.

- You gonna get one?
- That's rough.

You don't know
what my best is.

Next challenge,
people are fucked.

That means three of you

will be packing your machines

before you've even moved
into a shop.

Before you get to battle it out
for the title and $250,000,

you must first prove that you
have the versatility

to excel in this competition.

Man, that's
so much fucking money.

I don't know what that is, though.

Man, I thought I proved
my versatility last time.

Whatever. It's a new round.

It's a new chance.

Your second opportunity
to earn a shop starts right now.

- All right.
- Yes.

- You must tattoo...
- Drumroll, please.

...a realistic animal
that represents your hometown.

- Yes!
- Let's go.

It can be difficult tattooing
an animal

because if you mess up
on just one little thing,

it can ruin the entire tattoo.

If you're trying to tattoo
an anteater

and you make the ears too big,

that thing's gonna look like
an elephant.

Make sure you pick
a great reference.

I want to feel like
that animal's gonna bite me.

Everything has
its own texture.

Fur on the snout of an animal
is different than this.

Create these textures
with tattoo needles.

Think about
little things, too.

The direction the fur
is going in.

Shine on the nose.

Think about all of those
little things as tricks.

And this is your
opportunity to get a shop.

Fight for that.

- This one?
- That's mine.

I'm fucked. I only do Japanese.

Japanese is here.
Color realism's there.

This is nothing what I do.

Luka's wheelhouse this time.

Oh, yeah, redemption.
That's for sure.

This is what I do.

I do realism, so I can't fail.
There's no option.

I'm gonna do something perfect.

You will have six hours
to tattoo.

We got this.

Blow us away
and you will earn a shop.

No pressure.

Fail to replicate,
and your odds of staying

in this competition
will drastically decrease.

Start designing, and we'll
send in your canvases.

Good luck.

Ooh, I'm excited.

What about you, Shee?
What you got over there?

I got one bull. I'm picking up
another one right now.

My bull represents
where I'm from.

Us Tulsans are wild,
hard to tame.

And we don't like clowns.

I feel like there's a bunch
of clowns in the building.

How do you feel
about all that black?

Because you're gonna have to
nail the texture in the black.

Yeah, hell, yeah.

This is what I do.

I do black-and-gray realism.

I'm ready for this shit.

Tulsa, Oklahoma, we in
the building right now.

I'm about to show out for y'all.

If it looks funny, then I would
change the angle a bit.

My bull is about to run
they tattoos the fuck over.

- Hi.
- Hi.

- I'm your human canvas.
- Hi, I'm Sherri.

- I'm your human canvas.
- Mike.

- Nice to meet you.
- We are doing a horse.

Fucking perfect.

So, we're going with this
chopped trout on your arm.

The fishing scene
is a big thing in Montreal.

- Awesome. Yeah.
- Are you happy?

Artists, there are 13 of you,
but there are only 10 shops.

If you want one of those shops,

you're gonna have to
earn it here.

You have six hours to tattoo.

And your time starts now.

We got this.

When it comes to tattooing,
some people can replicate

and some people
are great illustrators.

In Ink Master,
you need to be both.

These are like one
of my favorite birds.

To do a really good
realistic animal tattoo,

you need to nail the anatomy
and show us great texture.

I think this is the one.

We only awarded
two shops.

I'm seeing For Rent signs
all over the place.

These other artists
better step it up.

Oh, yeah. Sick.

They should be
thinking about this

like the Olympics of tattooing.

I want double back flips
and full twists and shit.

I want to be amazed.

All right, you ready?
Ready, Freddy?

Oh, man, I'm so excited.

- I'm so excited to do one.
- I'm excited too.

Such a cool idea, dude.

I'm really trying to go
out of the box on this one.

I want to present them
a real dead fish.

I'm gonna go
with a drop shadow around it.

It's gonna look like the fish
is just right there on his arm.

I really want the inside
of the fish

to look as real as the outside.

There's some cool colors
and texture to play with.

People know me for
color realism, so I can't fail.

I need to secure
that fucking shop.

I feel like this is what
they wanted out of you.

- Australia.
- Yeah.

Koala or kangaroo?

Kangaroos are
just fucking pests.

Are they?

Actually, I should have done
that, just--I'm a pest too.

I specialize
in realistic fantasy.

I like to take
my canvases' stories

and create them into art.

I'll probably leave these,
like, negative spacing

just to frame it
so it didn't just come to,

like, the ass of the koala.

I'm gonna make it
the most fluffiest,

cutest, most cuddly
little morsel

that those judges just want
to pick him up and hold him.

It's the koalas
you gotta worry about.

- Oh, really?
- Call them drop bears.

They just drop out
of the trees and attack you.

Hey, Matt, have you ever been
taken out by a drop bear?

- Yeah, they're feisty.
- Yeah.

This is my second
opportunity to get a shop.

It's definitely harder
than the first one,

and I fucked that up.

You fucked up on the feathers.

Right now you got
a traditional Japanese turkey.

What's up, turkey boy?

Imagine if I fuck it up

and it turns
into a turkey, though.

Dude, I don't think
you should even do the tail.

I think you should just leave
the tail out.

I'm not making my life easier
at all at this point.

It might look simple,
but I've got like 20 colors

poured out to do this thing.

Was it intimidating tattooing
for the first time here?

Oh, second. Oh, my God.

Sorry, I just didn't think
you deserved

to tattoo that first time.

Oh, you've been thinking
about that, haven't you?

There are four hours left.

Look at this.

What's up, Mike?

Ballsy doing a white horse,

because you have to make it look
white without packing it.

And this is
your normal wheelhouse, right?

- Black-and-gray realism?
- Of course, a little bit.

I'm extremely passionate
about Western-themed tattoos.

It depicts pushing the frontier,

building the West,
the ruggedness of the people.

I just think that it has
such a cool feel to it.

Quit horsing around, bro.
I'll let you get to it.

I'm doing a buffalo.

Why'd you pick the buffalo?

You think of North Dakota,
that's the main animal.

And buffaloes, they don't run
away from the storm.

They run to it.

So they can get
away from it faster.

And I really like that meaning

where, you know,
kind of just run at it.

It has a lot of meaning,
you know?

The buffalo theory.

Yeah,
the buffalo...

I chose a gator because Florida, obviously.

- You guys have alligators?
- No.

When I was younger, I always
found myself drawing women.

Now I find myself specializing
in portraits.

And I'm also
a full-time drag queen.

It's a lot of control.

In this moment,
my drag persona

would say, "Bitch,
you better come full force.

"You better wear
your highest heels.

"You better have more crowns
on your head than I've had.

And that's gonna be hard."

I feel like,
in the last couple hours,

that's where it's gonna
really come to life.

- Cool.
- Before coming here,

my partner and I
had just got our first home.

We just found our surrogate
and everything is lined up.

I have to get this money
so that I can start my family.

Two hours.

I've heard your name
around the tattoo community

for a long time.

No, get the fuck out of here.

So tell me how a tiger relates
to Pittsburgh.

My high school mascot
was tigers.

- Oh.
- Aw, that's cool.

And I got
the black and orange on today,

so I was like, "You know what?
Fuck it.

I'll just lean completely
into it."

My style is not having a style.

But my signature
is dynamic design

that you are able to read
from 10 feet away.

I'm feeling okay about it.

Not great,
but I'm feeling okay about it.

Ah, you're good for sure.

First tattoo in the shop.

It's a Persian cheetah.

- Awesome.
- Aw, that's rad.

Yeah.
The last one, actually.

Pirouz was only a cub
when he died.

He became a symbol of hope
for the Iranian people.

- It's a beautiful image of him.
- Yeah.

I want to show the life
that he deserved to have,

so I'm deciding to age him up.

You specialize
in micro realism?

I don't really specialize
in micro realism,

- but I like to do micro realism.
- Cool.

Growing up, I was obsessed
with Persian miniature.

I think that's kind of similar
to what I do.

I use, like, super tiny needles.

And I like to focus on really,
really small detail in my work.

Got to be ready
for anything here.

Yeah.

What's going on
over here?

Oh, we're doing a golden finch.

- A golden finch!
- Yeah.

The golden finch is
the state bird in New Jersey.

This looks a lot cooler
than a cornucopia.

Right?

Going from drawing
a cornucopia

on a whiteboard to this,

I feel like I just won
the lottery.

I normally do
black-and-gray realism.

Back home, I do birds
all the time.

I know where my textures go.

I feel like the world
is finally seeing what I can do.

Do you think I should add like
another toe?

Would that look weird?

'Cause in this...
it's behind the leaf.

I know I'm going
to kill this thing.

- So I am doing a mountain lion.
- Cool.

When I moved to LA,
first thing I did was to hike.

Okay.

And I was told,
"Beware of mountain lions."

And that stuck with me.

So I specialize in fine line.
I do single needle.

I mix different styles.

Thick lines, fine lines, shapes.

With this steady hand,
I believe I could be a surgeon.

Usually when I do
black and gray,

I have nine hours, 13 hours.

It's nerve-racking when you know
you have a time constraint.

I know. I'm trying to rush now.

There is one hour left.

The problem with the last time
was time management.

I was kind of rushing.

So I don't want the same thing
to happen.

Man, I'm kind of sad
to see this tattoo go.

- Really bonded with it.
- You going to finish, Kyra?

- Are you going to finish?
- I'll beat you in five seconds.

Wow, fuck. Four minutes.

- Ah!
- You have two minutes.

That last minute gets
your hands shaking.

Five, four, three, two, one.

That's it. Time's up.

No more ink.

God damn.

Today, you had to tattoo
a realistic animal

from your hometown.

A shop and your spot in
the competition is on the line.

Hopefully, I didn't shit
the bed again.

Let's see how you did.

Luka.

You took the extra time
to truly take a realistic image,

put your artistry into it,
and make it your own.

I love the way you cut it up
into these weird choppy shapes

that you take your filet knife
and cut it just like this.

I love the way you brought
that bluish gray into the belly.

It gives
that cold fish belly look.

I mean, Luka's painting
with needles.

It's beautiful.

This kind of makes me mad at
any other realistic fish tattoo

I've ever seen.

If anyone is confused
on how to bring creativity

to any of these challenges,
this is how you do it.

Thank you.

- Good job, boy.
- Thank you, guys.

OJ, you're up.

I fucking love this bird.

I love the delicacy of it.
The realism is there.

What a 180
from that godawful cornucopia.

I'm shocked.

I knew I dropped the ball
on that completely.

But then you do this,
and I'm like, "There it is."

Now I know why you're here.

I love the way the bird grabs
that branch and is hugging it.

That's a hard thing
to achieve sometimes

with any realism, is the way

components interact
with each other.

I really like your attention
to detail on the face.

It just looks alive.
The eyeball looks wet.

It's crazy.

Sometimes that goes
really south.

And I don't think this bird's
flying south.

Let's forget the cornucopia
forever, guys.

Nadia.

The cheetah is super beautiful.

I love that very powerful look
in its face and eyes.

The eyes are really delicate.
I love the contrast in them.

But I'm having a problem

with the connection
between neck to shoulders.

It's missing a little bit
of that under chin.

There's no definition at all of
where that muzzle really ends.

The chin is where I think
you got caught up.

I sucked. I sucked.

Tyler.

It's super buttery.

Great application.

But it's so buttery smooth

that it doesn't necessarily read
as gator texture.

The eyes are good, and the nose
is good.

And then, in between, it's like
you kind of threw it away.

Alligators are hard.

Boushee.

Jesus, take the wheel.

The head's beautiful.

The body's beautiful.

But then the first thing you
look down at is this leg thing.

You should have cheated a hoof
in there

so that we know that it's a leg.

Some of your techniques
in this look pretty sculpted.

It's like you're sculpting
around those bones,

and you're pulling up
over these muscles

and creating this bulbous
muscle structure underneath.

And I appreciate that.

A lot of good things
going on in this tattoo.

I'm pretty stoked for you.

Shit.
Hey, y'all, I'm still alive.

Shit.

Whoo.

Sherri.

You do have a lot
of good textures in this piece,

but they're just in
the wrong areas.

The back leg, it's got
a lot of little hairs,

a lot of little details.

I would have liked to see
that more in like the muzzle,

focus on where you want people
to look.

The left-hand side of the tattoo
is so straight and dark.

The top is missing,

and the right side
is just a blurry mid

that comes down
into a strange shape.

It looks unfinished.

Kyra.

The entire area of the muzzle,
you varied the textures

all over the place
and really created

the illusion
that this cat is furry.

But I'm not big on the smoke.

It just looks really chaotic.

Almost looks like
the cat's wearing a shirt

or something
that has stripes on it.

Yeah, the smoke
was a bad decision.

But this tattoo's got
a ton of tricks.

You got some skill.

Teneile.

When I look
at this little koala,

it makes me feel all warm
and fuzzy and cuddly.

Even the koala's expression
feels like it's staring at me.

That's a really powerful idea
to achieve in a tattoo.

Its texture.
You didn't over detail it.

You didn't under detail it.

Super cute.

Super fluffy. I love fluffy.

Thank you, guys.

I was just about to throw up.

Matt.

It's definitely a good attempt
at color realism.

The way you painted it
and built textures in the head,

it's really nice,
but you have this cape

of these flat feathers
that come down the back.

I feel like,
where the wings meet those,

it would change texture
or something.

It's like lacy, doily pattern

instead of feathers
laying on top of each one.

I could definitely tell
that you started

with the tail feathers
on this one.

I did that for you.

They're beautifully saturated.

You chose
a very complicated reference.

I just hope you set yourself up

better in this game
not to kick your own ass.

Mike.

This is
a beautiful horse tattoo.

I love the anatomy.

It shows the strength
of a horse.

I love how the front
of the face is the darkest,

along with the eye.

And you really just focus
on that.

But the rear hooves
are definitely missing.

It's almost like I got a horse
in my pocket.

It's like coming out
of a little kangaroo pouch.

I definitely wanted
to add more in the background.

It would've behooved you.

Emily.

Hello, judges.

This buffalo is really cool.

I like the goatee.

I like how it feels
like a different kind of hair.

I really like the top
of the head,

that fuzzy, open skin
of that soft fur.

But it's hard to really tell
what's going on

because you have the same usage
of tones in all of it.

If you have a really strong
black in your foreground,

don't put it in your background.

It flattens everything out.

Isnard.

The fox's eyes look cute.
The little nose is cute.

The muzzle is cute.

But every single piece of hair
in the ear

is going
in the exact same direction.

It almost looks
like the teeth to a hairbrush

instead of like a soft couple
of hairs coming out.

When you make something
too repetitive,

it takes away from
the realism aspect of it.

You did a great
illustrative kind of tattoo.

I don't think you hit realism
in this.

Seth.

All right.

It's pretty far from realism.

Oh, okay.

I don't know if anybody can look
at that

and say that's not
a "realistic"--

- I can.
- Well, I can, yeah.

Oh, okay.

You missed the mark on a lot
of shadows,

where the eye socket
would meet the snout,

those wrinkles in there.

They're all kind of the same
lighting hitting everything.

I do not like
the composition.

It's clustered. It's confusing.

You chose the most complex,
most textured part of the tiger,

and you smooshed it in between
two neo-traditional outlines.

But it doesn't
frame it beautifully.

This is not it for me.

You should
have just stopped talking.

13 artists, 13 tattoos,

but there are only 10 shops
available.

Oh, you've definitely got one.

Head to the lounge,
and we'll call you back

when we've made a decision.

We all want this shop.

- We all want a shop.
- We all want this.

It's just a shop.

But I'm like, to us,
it's bigger.

It's bigger than that.

This is so important for me
because it's for my boys.

I want to show them
that they got a strong mom.

I'm fucking diving
into this fucking ocean

of a big-ass competition.

And I need to show them,
like, ride the fucking wave.

Fucking go all in.

I feel like this pressure
kind of puts things

in perspective for us.

If it wasn't for my parents
moving to a different country,

I probably wouldn't have been
able to become a tattoo artist.

Who knows what kind
of life I would have had.

Everyone here, we're, like,
fighting for something, right?

My parents, they're based
in the Philippines,

and they're actually in L.A.,
visiting me.

And then I had to leave them.

I wanna spend as much time
with them

while they're still here.

Without their support,

I wouldn't be able
to come here, you know?

This has been, like,
an amazing opportunity for me

because, like,
for the first time, I feel like

I'm doing something for myself.

Yeah, I'm grateful to be here.
Yeah.

We are, too. It just sucks
that we have to compete

with each other.

I can't do the crying!

I feel so close to you guys.
I can't do the crying.

I know. I'm struggling so hard.

Today, you had to prove
that you could replicate

a reference with
a realistic animal tattoo.

Two artists
have secured their shops.

There are 13 of you
and only 10 shops left.

I want a shop.

The judges have deliberated,
and based on your work,

three of you have left no doubt

that you deserve a shop
in this competition.

The third artist
to secure their shop is...

Luka.

Yes!

Beautiful tattoo.

When you pull out these ideas,
it makes it really exciting

to start to follow
what you're gonna do next.

It feels good, especially
after the first round

that I shit the bed a bit.

It blew all of us away.

Thanks again, guys.

Yeah, it feels better here.

The judges have decided

the fourth artist
to secure their shop is...

OJ.

- Oh, yeah.
- That's my man.

Yes, sir.

Man, you breathed life
into this thing.

A beautiful piece with
simplicity-- killed this thing.

- Thank you, guys.
- Come here.

The judges have decided
the fifth artist

to secure their shop is...

Teneile.

- Fuck.
- Yes.

Super believable,
really well executed.

- Good on you, Teneile.
- I did all right?

- Well done.
- So grateful, guys.

Good job, mama.

Five artists
have secured their shops.

Ten artists remain,

but there are
only seven shops left.

Reckon they'll let
two Aussies in?

Unfortunately, the rest of you
left room for debate.

Judges, who do we want to see
tattoo again in round three?

Don't want to do that.

We had some debate on this one.

Sherri, it looked like a lot
in this tattoo was missing.

Almost gave it
an unfinished look.

We had to put you
on to the next round.

Sherri, you did not earn
your shop,

and you must tattoo again
in round three.

Understood, and I'm gonna
bring it this time.

You can have a seat
on the bottom row.

Seth,

it's obvious
you are a technical tattooer,

and we know there's an artist
in there.

We just haven't seen
those two combined yet.

I fell short.
Fucking won't happen again.

Seth, you must tattoo again
in round three.

Isnard,
your tattoo lacked realism.

I'm just gonna do
my best next time.

Isnard, you must tattoo again
in round three.

Tyler, we felt this tattoo
lacked a lot of texture.

It fell short, man.

I have an entire arsenal
of skills

that I'm really excited
to show you.

Tyler, you must tattoo again
in round three.

What about Emily's?

It can't be dark everywhere,

or we don't even know
what we're looking at.

I gotta bring it and show
that I deserve to be here.

It's just choices. That's it.

Little choices.

Emily, you are not safe
from elimination.

And you must tattoo again
in round three.

Welcome.

So, judges, did these
five artists earn a shop?

You all did a good job.

But this competition
isn't about good.

We're looking
for the next Ink Master.

In the same way that Emily's
tattoo was a little dark,

Nadia's tattoo
was a little light.

It's missing
that separation

between the head and the neck.

I totally respect your decision,
but my work

did not have some of the issues

that cannot be taken out
of the skin,

so I just wanted
to mention that.

If I put Nadia
versus Boushee's tattoo,

whose tattoo's better?

Boushee.
All of the contrast

is exactly where it should be.

This one's a success for sure.

- Nadia, Kyra.
- Kyra.

It's some of the best
fur texture in the room.

One of the most
beautiful portraits

that were done today, definitely.

- Nadia, Mike.
- Mike.

Mike. He pulled off
a cool trick

with making a white horse
in black and gray.

Like, it was pretty tough.

Smooth as butter.
Nadia, Matt.

- Matt.
- Matt.

Matt could have
played this safe,

and I do think swinging for
the fences should be rewarded.

I agree with that.

All right,
so then I think it's clear.

Nadia, you did not earn
your shop,

and you must tattoo again
in round three.

That means Kyra, Matt,
Mike, and Boushee,

you have each secured a shop,

and you are safe
from elimination.

Woo! That's what the fuck
I'm talking about!

Mom, I made it!

Fuck!
Oh, my God!

Woo! Thank you! Woo!

Oh, my God! Mom, I got a shop!

Congratulations.

Six of you remain, but there are
only three shops left.

Three of you will be eliminated.

Oh, shit.

Three of you will be eliminated.

Oh, shit.

You will have one final chance
to earn a shop.

For the third and final round,

you must tattoo
your whiteboard drawing

from round one.

Oh, my gosh!

You can make any changes
you want to your design.

- Oh!
- Fuck, yeah.

But your tattoos must be
the same style and subject

as your original drawing.

Fuck yeah.

Lucky you got so many critiques.

This is the fight.

You guys get one more chance
to secure your spot.

We've let you know exactly
what we're looking for

and exactly what we don't like.

You know that feeling
when you see a design

and you're like,
"I'm gonna crush this tattoo"?

That's what you should be
feeling when you redesign it.

Leave no room for debate.

Tomorrow, you will have
five hours to tattoo.

Five hours.

This is your last opportunity

to secure your place
in the competition.

Your hometowns are counting
on you.

Fuck, yeah.

Prove you can adapt
or pack your bags.

Good luck.

No matter what happen, guys,
kill it.

Yeah, do you, boo.

Good luck, man.

Oh, snap.

- Hi. I'm Sherri.
- I'm your new canvas.

- This is my drawing.
- Beautiful.

I've traveled a huge distance
from Pittsburgh.

I've put my entire life on hold.

Going home empty-handed
would be embarrassing,

and it is not going to happen.

The design that I have is me
as a robot.

You as a robotic dragon.

- But no one's gonna know that.
- No, they're not.

When I compete,
I compete for the fucking win.

Out of the six of us,
they're getting rid of three.

- Yeah?
- And it's not gonna be me.

Artists, this is
your last chance

to save yourself
from elimination

and secure one
of the last three shops.

You have five hours to tattoo,
and your time starts now.

All right,
let's fucking do this.

We got six artists now competing
for three shops.

That's a 50-50 chance.

Perfect.

These artists need
to prove to us

that they can come back swinging
with an understanding

of how to make each design
better than it was before.

Phoenixes are so hard to tattoo.

Obviously, all of these artists

want to see their name
on their shop.

But for some of these guys,
all they're gonna see

is their name
on their plane ticket home.

Just be, like, super still.

A lot of people
find this sound therapeutic.

Literally.
Put me to sleep.

Yep.

Sherri, you're extremely gentle.

My canvases back home tell me
I have light hands.

The judges told me

that my whiteboard design
is not cohesive,

so I'm simplifying this.

Where's back home for ya?

- Los Angeles. Yeah.
- Los Angeles?

But I'm born and raised
in the Philippines.

Growing up,
I was really shy, timid,

but moving to L.A. on my own

pushed me really hard
to just, like, rely on myself.

It helped me build confidence.

I can win this shit.
I will win this shit.

Quite inspiring.

You get to inspire

at least one person
in your lifetime,

then you're doing something
good, right?

Absolutely.

There's a piece of me
in this tattoo.

And I don't mean just a piece
of me

being a drag queen.

This is my soul.

I'm a character
in and of myself.

How's it going over here?

It's going good.

I really want to represent drag

because I feel like we put
on this suit, right?

So it represents who I am.

This is exactly
what we're trying to pull

out of you guys
when we say your story.

Because you're so much more
multifaceted than one thing.

It's beautiful.
It's weird. It's different.

They're gonna have no choice
but to give me a shot

based on the pure identity that
I'm putting into this thing.

Artists, you have four hours.

How's it going?

You're doing
more straight realism, though?

Yeah, like an actual portrait.

This competition
is fucking brutal.

But that's okay because I'm just
ready to fucking ride this shit.

Yeah, I did, like, a bunch
of different faces,

but tried to keep it original
to my whiteboard, you know?

I definitely get
my work ethic from my mom.

She would work three jobs
just to provide for us.

She showed me how to be strong.

I'm here to win this,

to be able to give my boys
a better life, too.

- Phoenix rising?
- Hopefully.

Oh, yeah, you did
the wings going up.

- Cool.
- Yeah.

- Changed it up.
- The head going up.

I love that you always put
your culture

and your heritage
into your pieces.

You definitely keep
that embedded.

- Gotta represent. Thank you.
- Yeah, that's awesome.

When I
first started tattooing,

there wasn't many
Iranian tattoo artists.

People actually get in trouble
for tattooing back home.

So it would be my dream
to return home as Ink Master.

It needs to represent
the fighting Irish,

but this one has brass knuckles,
so she's, like, fighting dirty.

Yes, all right.

Female form for me is,
like, a very powerful thing

because I was raised
by two wonderful ladies.

I have my granny, I have my mom.

She's gonna be with
some scratch, some bruises,

but she's still standing.

My grandma
was a really strong lady.

She's not with us,
but she's here.

I want to win this for her.

Oh, she's winning, all right.
She'll do everything to win.

You've got one hour left.

If you want a shop, this is it.

Seth, you got to remember

the only other artist doing
solid, solid color is Ish,

so you got to make sure
it's as saturated.

I went too small
with the first tattoo

and really second-guessed
myself.

With this one, there is
no room for second-guessing.

What's your plan for
when you win the competition?

- Buy my amazing wife a house.
- Hell yeah.

My wife and I,
we've been attached at the hip

for 14 years, pretty much.

She has been my constant rock.

She is everything to me.

I want a shop
more than fucking anything,

and I'm here to prove it.

Fucking 10 minutes.

Five, four, three, two, one.

Time's up. No more ink.

It's done.

- You've killed it.
- I'm so stoked on it.

It looks like a sticker.

Looks like you just slapped it
on there.

Insanity.

How do you get so much detail
in there?

I don't understand.

- You like it?
- Yes.

- Cool.
- You killed it.

Today, each of you had
to battle it out to earn

one of the last three
Ink Master shops.

Based on your work, half of you

will be packing your machines.

- Oh, man.
- Let's see how you did.

Good luck, bro.

Seth.

This tattoo
is a badass bird.

You created a new design
with the way the wing goes up

and the way it comes down.

Compositionally, you really took
this to the next level.

How you have the flower
positioned so perfectly

but not taking away
from the bird.

I put a piece of my soul
into this tattoo.

This is the kind of shit
that you're capable of.

Thank you.

Fuck it, let's go.

That's not a winner.

As long as I get further
than you, I don't care.

Whoa!

Nadia.

I like the pose way better.

Way better head.
It's a way more striking bird.

I know you went this
painterly style,

but we know,
with oranges and reds,

those are the first colors
to leave the body.

It's going
to get really light over time.

Also, you took out
my favorite part.

The wings have this cool
calligraphy with writing.

I wanted to change it up

because, clearly,
that didn't work.

It was literally
all we liked about it.

That was
our favorite part.

That was the only part.

Maybe if the tail even came down

and turned into
all your writing,

just something out of the norm
would have been more impressive.

Isnard.

This tattoo's got
a fighting chance

in this competition
because it's super sick.

The line work
was near perfect.

A lot more tricks
pulled off

because you cut out a third
of the crap.

You didn't need
all that spirally shit

that we don't want to look at.

My eyes go to the character
and all the cool little details.

The brass knuckles you added.

Her wrap unwrapping on her arm.

I love the stance.
It looks powerful.

You came in fighting today.

I'm not leaving.
I'm not leaving.

Hell, yeah. That was so good.

Sherri.

You do have a lot
of cool tricks.

Your really thin line work,
that's really hard to do.

You do have
these cool details

and textures in the head.

But I do think it gets muddy.

I wasn't sure what color it was.

The whiteboard
still looks stronger.

The other one just looks like

you'll put it on a hook
and catch a bass.

That's only because
the tail.

That's what makes this look like
a small little sea creature

versus a big crazy dragon.

The body's just a little dinky
compared to the head.

Tyler.

I love the creativity.

The eye in the middle
of the head

feels like it's a third eye.

The only thing that confuses me

is the bigger layer
of the mandala.

You don't understand
what's stopping it.

I would have almost just
continued that around the head.

Even though you found a way

to, like, morph these
three images together,

it kind of feels cut and pasty.

The eyeball should have been
pulled out a little bit more.

Like one is coming out
of each other.

It's definitely
steps ahead

of your whiteboard drawing.

It's way more creative.

Very cool concept.

Emily.

Hit me.

The face looks really beautiful.

The dark top matches
the dark hair.

And it perfectly frames in
your main focal point.

The flowers up top
are a little rushed.

They just don't have that punch.

But I really love the lighting
on her chest.

That's done really nicely.

It's totally an
evolution from your whiteboard

to the second tattoo
to this finished product.

Thank you, guys.

I love those boobs.

Six artists.

Three shops left.

Judges, it's time to determine

which of these artists
have earned a shop.

Good luck.

I see a tattoo out there
that I think is badass.

Isnard. It's super sick.

I love this tattoo.

It's clean, got so many tricks.
Killed it, bro.

The judges have decided, Isnard,
you have earned a shop.

- Good job.
- Cool piece, man.

It's time to determine the next
artist that has earned a shop.

There was a tattoo out there
for me

that was
pretty much bulletproof.

Solid. Great composition.

I think Seth deserves a shop,
no doubt.

I agree.
Seth's tattoo was badass.

Honestly, a predator.

- You fucking nailed it.
- Thank you so much.

Seth, you have earned a shop.

- Yeah, dude.
- Yeah!

Four artists remain,
but there is only one shop left.

It's time to determine which
artist has not earned a shop.

The four tattoos
that remain are all good.

It's four good tattoos.

But out of these four,

I would say Nadia's
falls the most short.

It lacks the saturation
it needed to really truly stand

that test of time.

My favorite part
was the lettering,

and to not see it in the tattoo
is a little disappointing.

What I always look for up here

is just something to tell me

that you're in a competition
for $250,000.

Does it show me anything?

I don't think so.

The judges have decided,

Nadia, you do not have what
it takes to be Ink Master.

You have a unique perspective

that you're coming from
and bringing it into tattooing.

I would love to see you
cultivate that more.

I appreciate it. Thank you.

Please pack your machines
and head home.

It definitely sucks to be
the first one to get eliminated,

but I'm proud that I got

the chance to tap back
into where I'm from.

I feel like I got closer
to my culture and my people.

It felt good.

Judges, it's time to determine
the second artist

that has not earned a shop.

Sherri, you had
some nice small details.

I wish you would have just made
this tattoo bigger

and just some bolder areas.

But the time is not for me.

But in this competition,
we need to see a competitor

that's here to really get
in that ring and fight.

Overall, muddiness
of the tattoo took this piece

in the wrong direction.

The judges have decided, Sherri,

you do not have what it takes
to be Ink Master.

You have great control
with that single needle.

Not everybody has that ability.
Keep honing.

- Good luck.
- I am really grateful.

I've learned
so much more.

And being here, for me,
it's like a win.

Please pack your machines
and head home.

I pushed myself
outside my comfort zone.

Being around
these talented artists,

I've definitely learned a lot.
I'm excited to head back

to Los Angeles
and to create beautiful art.

Two artists remain,
but there is only one shop left.

It's time to determine

which artist has secured
the final shop.

Emily's, the face is striking.

The chest, great shades,
shows control.

It's hard.
They both show a lot of skill.

Soft, smooth, gray shading.

Tyler's is more consistent.

It's the same quality
throughout the whole tattoo.

The design and the composition
of this is really creative.

Emily's has a lot more
confidence in the bold black.

Tyler's shows a lot of skill,
but I don't feel like

there's any punchy parts that
really carry that heavy dark.

My vote's for Emily
to get a shop.

She's shown her development.

Tyler had a hard ask.

It just is lacking that punch.

My vote's for Emily.

She has a more classic,
solid, bold tattoo.

It's going to be there forever.

That's two votes for Emily,
zero votes for Tyler.

These two artists had

two completely different
challenges,

and, man,
they are neck and neck.

But it comes down
to application,

confidence, composition,
all of those things.

I'm going to go with Emily.

The judges have decided,
Emily, you have earned a shop.

Thank you.

That means, Tyler,

you do not have what it takes
to be Ink Master.

I wish you would have let
the drag out of the bag sooner.

You expressing yourself,
it sets you apart.

The sooner you get
to bring yourself

to any situation in life,
especially tattooing,

the better
you're going to continue to do.

I feel like, before coming here,

I was sort
of like plateauing in my career.

And after coming here,
I do not feel the same way.

So I really do thank you.

Please pack your machines
and head home.

Thank you.

It takes so much courage
to really open up who you are

and show that through a tattoo.

I wanted to show queer kids,
I wanted to show underdogs

that you can make something
of yourself.

And that's exactly what I did.

Congratulations.

After three brutal rounds,

you've all earned your place
in the competition.

Let the games begin.

Now the real battle begins.

Oof.

In the end, only one
of you will win the title

of Ink Master
and go home a hero.

That's not going to be Seth.

Get some rest.
You're going to need it.

On the next episode
of Ink Master...

It's time to blow some shit up.

Are you fucking kidding?

You got to talk big
with your loud-ass mouth.

You guys are fucked.

Hey, shut the hell up.

There is one more thing
you should know.

Oh, my fucking God.

- We're about to find out.
- Twinkle, twinkle, bitch.

Oh, my God.

That hurts...

I didn't want to go out
on a .