Is This Artist a One Trick Pon-y?

Last week on Ink Master, veterans Nikki Simpson and Josh Payne returned to the competition to coach the teams. Creepy Jason won best tattoo of the day during the coverup challenge and Janelle was sent packing.

This week, the remaining seven artists were tested on marketability. Each artist was given a five minute interview with the canvases, allowing them to select the artist of their choice. But that’s not all. After doing these tattoos, another group of canvases was brought in to select their artist solely based on their most recent pieces. However, there were only four canvases and the artists not chosen would automatically be up for elimination.

Creepy Jason, Jake, Dani and Holly were picked to do a second tattoo. This meant that Pon, Laura and Cam were automatically up for elimination.

First up, the judges appreciated the cleanliness and smooth shading of Dani’s day one tattoo.

For her day two tattoo, Peck thought Dani’s piece had an unfinished feel because it was tonal and needed more contrast with black. From these two tattoos, Dani was deemed not safe from elimination.

Next up, Holly was knocked on the wonky architecture of her house tattoo.

The judges on the other hand did appreciate her day two tattoo. However, because of her first tattoo, she was not safe from elimination.

Nunez thought the shading in Jake’s first tattoo was very tonal and there wasn’t enough separation between the different parts of the design.

The judges found issue with the lack of fur texture on the Koala’s lower half and he was not deemed safe from elimination.

Navarro and Peck appreciated the color application in Creepy Jason’s day one design.

The judges loved the choices Creepy Jason made in his second tattoo and he was the first artist to be saved from elimination.

Peck was not surprised that Cam didn’t get picked to do a second tattoo from a legibility stand point and he was not safe from elimination.

Navarro was shocked that Laura was not picked for a second tattoo based on her first design.

Nunez knocked Pon for tattooing a very similar design to last week and was clocked for being a one trick pony. To determine who would be eliminated, the artists were tasked with facing off with two tattoos in different styles.

For her face-off tattoos, Dani created a traditional Japanese severed head and an American traditional pin-up. The judges loved each of her tattoos and appreciated the simplicity applied throughout each piece.

Laura created a traditional Japanese severed Geisha head in a bowl of ramen, which Nunez appreciated.

For her second tattoo, Laura made a black-and-grey chickadee and Peck appreciated the details she included, as well as her variety of styles shown.

For her first tattoo, Peck appreciated the simplicity and legibility of Holly’s koi fish.

Peck appreciated the unique approach to Holly’s second tattoo, but he did note that the black-and-grey shading was a tad overworked.

“Simple, bold, clean, solid,” Nunez said of Jake’s first tattoo, an American traditional panther.

Nunez appreciated the color saturation and technical application of Jake’s second tattoo, a Japanese traditional cat.

Peck liked the drawing of Pon’s first tattoo, as well as the creativity it took to create it.

Nunez appreciated the traditional approach to shading and line work in Pon’s second tattoo, a fine-line black-and-grey sacred heart.

Peck liked the technical approach to the fire in Cam’s torch and Nunez noted that he nailed application when it came to the fine lines.

For his second tattoo, Peck liked the simplicity and boldness of Cam’s piece but remarked that the styles did not show diversity.

When it came to deciding who would go home, Cam and Holly were on the chopping block. However, it was Holly who was sent packing this week.

What did you think about this week’s episode? Did Creepy Jason have the best work of the week? Did Holly deserve to be sent home? Let us know your thoughts on this week’s episode in the comments section.