Upfront-If you are an artist on this show, you are an amazing artist and much better than many other people. The worst artist on Ink Master is still fantastic at their job. I also get the impression that Ink Master is somewhat controversial in the tattoo world because it shows a romanticized and idealistic side of tattooing. I understand that-as much as a person who isn't a tattoo artist can-which I admit isn't much.
My favorite artists:
Cleen Rock One-Most artists can usually do a little bit of everything and perhaps have one specific type of tattoo (American Traditional, Trash Polka, Realistic) that they specialize in. It's not unheard of but it is less common that an artist can do all types of tattooing at a spectacular level. Cleen Rock One is an artist who can do all types of tattooing at an extremely high level. No matter what style you want he can create a piece of artwork that is on par with people who master at that specific style. Combine that with the time frame you are under on this show and you'll begin to see how Cleen Rock One is among the very best tattoo artists around. He's one of the few who could be a judge on the show along with Chris Nunez, Oliver Peck, and Dave Navarro.
Joshua Hibbard-Tattoo artists need many skills. They don't just need to be good at drawing, they need to be good at applying that drawing to the skin-which is a complex skill in itself. They need to be good at sales and dealing with people. Like it or not, that's a huge part of tattooing that is overlooked because the artwork side is more interesting and hip. Important to remember though-few people want to get tattooed by someone who acts like a jerk. Also since the majority of people who get tattooed are not artists (myself included, for sure) you need a certain sales ability to get them to agree to a good looking piece that they might not be sure of getting. Because Hibbard was not that great at actual drawing (he was underrated in that too though) and was viewed as an arrogant guy, he was written off as someone who was not at the level of everyone else. That's nonsense, of course. The guy was a great artist and an excellent tattooist.
Christian Buckingham-He was the grizzled old man on last season. This guy was in tattooing for the long haul, as evidenced by the tribal tattoo on the face that he had. That alone is dedication to the lifestyle and I admire that. He was a great artist who much like Cleen Rock One could do basically anything that would come into the store. His artistry was surprising - like everyone else I didn't expect him to be so good at all types. I thought he'd just be great at old school. That's not an insult, most of my tattoos are old school. This guy was great and I can't wait to see him on another season of the show, if he's invited back and comes on.
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