First screened in 2012, Ink Master is much like other reality TV talent shows like Top Chef and Pop Idol, except that the Paramount series is looking to find the best tattoo artists in the US.
A show like this doesn’t just need a cast of talented tattooists; it also needs dozens of willing clients who are known on the show as human canvases. These canvases put themselves in the hands of a tattoo artist that they have never met and who have to perform under pressure and within a set time limit. As would obviously come from such tense situations, there have been some controversial and heated moments on Ink Master and its spin-off shows.
Poor Spelling
Some of the worst “bad tattoos” that you see on the internet are those that are riddled with misspelled words, so it was only a matter of time before one of the competitors on Ink Master made a spelling mistake. In season two, artist Cee Jay was eliminated from the competition for her biblical error, misspelling “Corinthians” as “Cortnthians.” The canvas had wanted a permanent reminder of the famous Bible verses about love, but this tattoo ended up being memorable for all the wrong reasons.
Prison Tattoos
Prison tattoos in the conventional sense of the word are generally of a much poorer quality than the tattoos you will get from a professional artist, not to mention the gang affiliations and hidden meanings of jailhouse ink.
The season three Ink Master contestants were thrown in at the deep end when they were taken to jail to accomplish the task of tattooing a real prisoner using a single needle machine. Luckily for the artists, the criminal canvases all loved their ink, though it must have been an intimidating session.
Two Right Feet
Spelling mistakes are bad enough in tattoos, and Cee Jay could at least argue that “Corinthians” is not an everyday word, but, when Ink Master contestants get basic anatomical details wrong, the judges are much less understanding.
When the artists were given the task of inking a pink-up on their canvas, award-winning tattooist James Vaughn created a great 50s-style design. There was just one problem; the glamorous lady had two right feet! Vaughn finally got the chance to fix his mistake on a later episode of Ink Master: Redemption.
Bad Attitude To Women
More and more girls are becoming involved in the tattoo industry, which matches an increase in the number of women who want tattoos. However, Ink Master has never had the most enlightened attitude to female contestants or canvases. Fans had to wait until season eight to see Ryan Ashley become the first woman to take the Ink Master crown. The makers of the show were even sued by a former employee after she claimed she was fired for complaining about sexual harassment behind the scenes.
Naked Clients
Of course, tattooing involves getting up close and personal with another human being, and, often, they have to reveal quite a lot of skin to the tattoo artist. One season four episode threw a curveball at the contestants, when they were presented with a group of completely naked human canvases, for a challenge that was designed to test their skills in tattoo placement. Some competitors were more comfortable with nudity than others, with some of the men feeling very uncomfortable that they were expected to work on naked women.
Canvases Can't Take The Pain
If there is one thing that all the Ink Master competitors have in common, it is an aversion to working on people who are having their first ink—or tattoo virgins, as the show refers to them.
Not because they don’t want more people to get tattoos, but trying to work on first-timers in a competitive environment is not an easy task. Many of these tattoo virgins underestimate just how painful the process is going to be, and human canvases have been known to throw up or even pass out while being inked.
Kyle Dunbar Blows Up At Returning Canvas
Kyle Dunbar has certainly been one of the most controversial artists to ever appear on Ink Master, and his anger issues made him the villain of seasons three and four. He didn’t get the point of Ink Master: Redemption, either, which was supposed to provide an opportunity for unhappy canvases to get their tattoos fixed. Instead of listening to what his canvas wanted, Dunbar simply exploded in anger at his client in one of the most shocking Ink Master scenes.
Acid Cat Tattoo
The concept behind Ink Master: Redemption is that canvases unhappy with their tattoos can come back for a second try. Not all of these tattoos were bad; they just weren’t what the canvas was looking for.
That isn’t to say that there haven’t been some truly terrible tats on Ink Master over the years. Perhaps the worst and certainly the most memorable was the Roland Pacheco creation that judge Oliver Peck dubbed “acid cat." It looked more like roadkill than a real-life cat, but, apparently, the canvas loved it!
Oliver Peck Leaves Under A Cloud
One of the most controversial Ink Master moments came off-screen when judge Oliver Peck announced that he would be leaving the show after 13 seasons after photos emerged of him in blackface. The network was quick to condemn Peck’s conduct, and, after he quit, there was a great deal of speculation as to who would take over from him on the judging panel. In the end, Paramount decided on behalf of the show’s producers, by announcing that the thirteenth season would be the last when it canceled the series.
Kyle Dunbar Confronting Judge Chris Nunez
Ink Master bad boy gets his second entry on this list, thanks to his unwise decision to try and challenge judge Chris Nunez to a fight. The two had not seen eye to eye throughout season four, but Dunbar took it too far when he shoved Nunez, leading to the two men heading outside to try and cool down.
The judges took the view that they could not condone his behavior and decided to send the tattoo artist home. This was his second outing on the show, having finished as a finalist in the previous season.