Ink Master (season 8)

Judges, guest judges, and special appearances

The judging panel consists of three primary judges. During the final decision, the judges will vote for one of the bottom artists and the artist with two or three votes will be eliminated from the competition. Same rules apply to when choosing the winner of Ink Master.

Judges

The judges for season eight are host Dave Navarro, and team captains Chris Núñez and Oliver Peck.

Guest judge

Guest judges for this season were Von Miller (Episode 10), Robert Atkinson (Episode 11), Tim Hendricks (Episode 14) and Chris Garver (Episode 15).

Special appearances

Donovan Smith NFL player (Ep. 7 Canvas)

Judging and ranking

The judge listing types are:

Judging Panel

Jury of Peers

Elimination Challenge progress

    Legend      The contestant is on Team Peck.      The contestant is on Team Núñez.  INKMASTER  The contestant won the competition and was named Ink Master.  RUNNER UP  The contestant was the runner-up on Ink Master.  3RD PLACE  The contestant was 3rd place on Ink Master.  WIN  The contestant won best tattoo of the day.  F/O  The contestant won the face-off.  IMM  The team was immune from the elimination tattoo.  (IN)+  The contestant won the Head to Head Challenge.  (IN)-  The contestant lost the Head to Head Challenge.  HIGH  The contestant was given an honorable mention by the judges.  HIGH  The contestant was considered to be among the top.  LOW  The contestant was among the bottom group in the judges recall.  LOW  The contestant was voted worst by the jury of peers.  LOW  The contestant was considered to be in the bottom.  OUT  The contestant was eliminated from the competition.  OUT  The contestant was voted worst by the jury of peers and eliminated from the competition.  OUT  The contestant won the flash challenge and was eliminated from the competition.  OUT  The contestant won the flash challenge but was voted worst by the jury of peers and was eliminated from the competition.  QUIT  The contestant quit the competition.

Episode 1: Weeding Out the Weak

First aired August 23, 2016

Tattoo marathon - day 1: 30 artists face a grueling two-day convention style elimination where they have to tattoo the style each captain is known for. However, not every artist will finish both marathons as one artist will be eliminated if they don't impress either Peck or Núñez. The first day has the artists tackling American traditional, a specialty Peck is known for.

Tattoo marathon - day 2: The 26 artists, who survived the first day, have five hours to tattoo Núñez's specialty which was a Japanese Geisha. In addition they must use a live model as their reference.

Team picks - part 1: The remaining 22 artists arrived at the loft where it became a heads or tails game between the two captains but Núñez ended up with the first pick after he picked tails. One by one, he and Peck go back and forth with their pick until it went down to only four spots remaining on both teams.

Tattoo marathon - day 3: The last 12 artists have one more chance to impress Peck or Núñez while tattooing their own style and subject of their choice for six hours. Four artists will be eliminated if not chosen by either team.

Team picks - part 2: Oliver received the first pick this time despite not receiving it first.

Episode 2: The Games Begin

First aired August 30, 2016

Skill of the week: Composition

Flash challenge: The teams have seven hours to work with three different canvases to create one interlocking back piece at the same time with Team Núñez working with three firefighters and Team Peck working with three police officers. An immunity will be rewarded to the team who wins this challenge.

Winner: Team Peck

Elimination tattoo: Team Núñez must use composition when they are tasked to tattoo a Medusa for six hours.

Tattoo critique:

Best tattoo of the day: Kelly Doty

Jury of peers: Tito "Tuff Tito" Velez

Bottom three: Tito "Tuff Tito" Velez, Carolyn Elaine and Kevin La Roy

Eliminated: Carolyn Elaine

Episode 3: Ruffled Feathers

First aired September 6, 2016

Skill of the week: Precision

Flash challenge: The tables have turned this week when Dave announced that Team Peck will be put up for elimination. Each member of Team Núñez must consult with a member of Team Peck to help them create a "personal beach" sand sculpture while using Corona products. In addition, due to her win in the previous elimination tattoo, Kelly chose two artists to sculpt two beaches for her.

Winner: Dave Robinowitz

Elimination tattoo: Team Peck had six hours to tattoo a peacock.

Tattoo critique:

Winner: Gian Karle Cruz

Jury of peers: Geary Morrill

Bottom three: Geary Morrill, Ryan Ashley Malarkey and Gia Rose

Eliminated: Geary Morrill

Episode 4: Put Your Armor On

First aired September 13, 2016

Skill of the week: Texture

Elimination tattoo: A double elimination jeopardizes both teams where one member from each team will be eliminated. The teams must work in pairs of two to tattoo shoulder armor on both canvases' shoulders at the same time for six hours with Team Núñez tattooing metal armor and Team Peck tattooing leather armor. They will then be judged together. In addition, each captain decided on the pairs of their respective members.

Tattoo critique: Team Peck was judged first followed by Team Núñez. The worst tattoo of the day were Dave and Nate on Team Peck, and John and Sirvone on Team Núñez. Each team will give a style and subject to the bottom pair from the opposing.

Face off tattoo: Team Núñez tasks Dave and Nate to tattoo a black and grey animal that shows realism while John and Sirvone were also tasked by Team Peck to tattoo the same style and subject as Dave and Nate. Both pairs had six hours to tattoo against their respective teammate.

Eliminated: Dave Robinowitz and John Collins

Episode 5: Sparks Fly

First aired September 20, 2016

Skill of the week: Legibility

Flash challenge: Team Núñez had five hours to use electricity, consisting a 12 volt battery and electric wire, to create a style that was given to them by Team Peck. Team Peck tasked them to create an underwater marine life design.

Winner: Kevin La Roy

Elimination tattoo: Team Núñez had six hours to create a watercolor tattoo that shows legibility.

Tattoo critique:

Best tattoo of the day: Nikki Simpson

Jury of peers: Sirvone Smith

Bottom three: Sirvone Smith, Tito "Tuff Tito" Velez and Kevin La Roy

Eliminated: Sirvone Smith

Episode 6: Sticky Situation

First aired September 27, 2016

Skill of the week: Contrast

Flash challenge: Team Peck had five hours to create a high-contrast image on a plexiglass canvas, using only brown packaging tape. Team Núñez assigned them to create a face.

Winner: Gian Karle Cruz

Elimination tattoo: Dave puts Team Peck to the test when they had six hours to tattoo an outter space tattoo that shows contrast.

Tattoo critique:

Best tattoo of the day: Ryan Ashley Malarkey

Jury of peers: Gia Rose

Bottom three: Gia Rose, Anwon "Boneface" Johnson and Matt Murray

Eliminated: Matt Murray

Episode 7: New School, Old Scars

First aired October 4, 2016

Skill of the week: Artistry

Flash challenge: Each member of Team Núñez worked with a former smoker that was assigned to them by Team Peck to cover up their scars.

Winner: Nikki Simpson

Elimination tattoo: The artists on Team Núñez fight for a spot in the top five when they have six hours to turn a famous landmark into a new school tattoo. Donovan Smith was one of the canvases in this elimination tattoo.

Tattoo critique:

Best tattoo of the day: Kelly Doty

Jury of peers: Tito "Tuff Tito" Velez

Bottom three: Tito "Tuff Tito" Velez, Kevin La Roy and Nikki Simpson

Eliminated: Tito "Tuff Tito" Velez

Episode 8: Bent Out of Shape

First aired October 11, 2016

Skill of the week: Ingenuity

Flash Challenge: Using grinders and welders, Team Peck manipulated metal rods into a dynamic sculpture out of lines. In addition, Team Núñez assigned the pairs.

Winner: Ryan Ashley Malarkey and Gia Rose

Elimination tattoo: A spot in the top 5 is on when Team Peck had six hours to turn a canvases' significant other into a pinup.

Tattoo critique:

Best tattoo of the day: Gian Karle Cruz

Jury of peers: Mike McAskill

Bottom four: Mike McAskill, Nate Beavers, Anwon "Boneface" Johnson and Gia Rose

Eliminated: Gia Rose

Episode 9: Head Games

First aired October 18, 2016

Skill of the week: Adaptability

Elimination tattoo-day 1: Both teams faced their biggest task of doing of 12-hr tattoo on the forehead with each day consisting six hours. The first day has them tattooing the left lobe while the second day has them tattooing the right lobe.

Elimination tattoo-day 2: One artist will pick a skull that has a number on the bottom that determined the order of which artist goes first. Each artist will pick the opposing artist's canvas they want to tattoo. Kevin got a new canvas after his canvas, who was previously tattooed by Kelly, withdrew from the elimination tattoo.

Tattoo critique: Each pair were judged head to head on which forehead they tattooed.

Best tattoo of the day: Ryan Ashley Marlarkey

Bottom three: Mike McAskill, Nate Beavers and Jason "Sketchy Lawyer" Lawyer

Eliminated: Mike McAskill

Episode 10: Like Sand Through the Hour Glass

First aired October 25, 2016

Skill of the week: Detail

Flash challenge: Both teams had six hours to create powerful designs on a Dodge Charger with thousands of sharpies.

Winner: Team Peck

Elimination tattoo: Team Peck and Team Núñez had six hours to show detail when they are tasked to tattoo an hourglass.

Tattoo critique:

Best tattoo of the day: Ryan Ashley Malarkey

Jury of peers: Eric Gonzalez

Bottom three: Eric Gonzalez, Kevin La Roy and Kelly Doty

Eliminated: Eric Gonzalez

Episode 11: Duck and Cover Up

First aired November 1, 2016

Skill of the week Technical Application

Flash challenge: The teams must show flawless technical application by tattooing the palm of the hand.

Winner: Nikki Simpson

Withdrawal: Before Dave announced the guest judge for the elimination tattoo, Sketchy Lawyer, still feeling the burn from being criticized in the flash challenge, walked out. Dave and Núñez tried to convince him to stay but it didn't go well for them.

Elimination tattoo: The artists had six hours to cover up a canvas's tramp stamp

Tattoo critique:

Best tattoo of the day: Nikki Simpson

Jury of peers: Anwon "Boneface" Johnson

Bottom: Anwon "Boneface" Johnson, Kevin La Roy and Nate Beavers

Eliminated: Anwon "Boneface" Johnson

Episode 12: Road to the Finale

First aired November 8, 2016

Dave interviews the final six artists featuring never before seen footage. Each contestant has their own view on the competition and openly expresses it

Episode 13: Heavy Lifting

First aired November 15, 2016

Skill of the week: Accuracy

Flash challenge: Each pair had six hours to create a larger image out of colored bricks without misplacing one.

Winner: Nate Beavers and Kevin La Roy

Elimination tattoo: Each pair faced off in a head to head battle when they tattooed the same toddler portrait tattoos.

Tattoo critique: Kelly, Nate and Ryan won their head to head battle.

Best tattoo of the day: Nate Beavers

Jury of peers: Kevin La Roy and Nikki Simpson

Bottom three: Kevin La Roy, Nikki Simpson and Ryan Ashley Malarkey

Eliminated: Kevin La Roy

Episode 14: Bio-Mechanical Failure

First aired November 22, 2016

Skill of the week: Consistency

Elimination tattoo: The teams tattooed their canvas at the same time for six hours by turning them into a cyborg. In addition, the artist must pick up where their teammate left after each hour passes by. Team Peck received the canvas pick first after Nate picked up the skull that has the x mark on the bottom.

Tattoo critique: Because Team Núñez didn't incorporate the subject into their tattoo after Kelly and Nikki didn't listen to Núñez's advice, this made picking the winner easier for the judges.

Best tattoo of the day: Team Peck

Face off tattoo: Núñez is torn that he had to watch the last two members of his team fight for a spot in the top four as Team Peck tasks Nikki and Kelly to tattoo a Gypsy woman for four hours.

Eliminated: Nikki Simpson

Episode 15: No One is Safe

First aired November 29, 2016

Tattoo marathon: round 1: The final four artists must survive a 15-hour tattoo marathon with each day consisting a total of five hours. They must tattoo a style each team did not do when they acted as the jury of peers but were previously critiqued by the judges. The artist who wins best tattoo of the day for each day will earn a spot in the live finale while the other artists continue tattooing. The first five hours featured Team Peck tattooing a Medusa and Kelly tattooing a peacock.

Best tattoo of the day: Kelly Doty

Tattoo marathon: round 2: Team Peck tattooed a watercolor design.

Best tattoo of the day: Ryan Ashley Malarkey

Tattoo marathon: round 3: For the final hour, Nate and Gian tattooed a New School landmark.

Best tattoo of the day: Gian Karle Cruz Eliminated: Nate Beavers

Episode 16: Peck vs. Nuñez Live

First aired December 6, 2016

Dave welcomes the audience to the live finale while performing a body suspension stunt.

Finale tattoo: Ryan, Kelly, and Gian had 24 hours to tattoo a chest piece in the style each team was given to them by the opposing team. Team Peck assigned Kelly with an American Traditional that showcases a ship, anchors and mermaids. Kelly challenges Ryan to design two huge 90s-inspired New School dueling hot rods with big outlines, despite their alliance throughout the competition, while Gian was given a watercolor coral reef. However, only the top two artists will get to show their master canvas.

Live tattoo: The final three then had seven hours to tattoo a style each artist was assigned to by the viewers. The audience will also get to tune into their progress online. Kelly worked on a New School tattoo while Gian designed a Japanese tattoo. Ryan finally gets to tattoo the style she is known for which was a black and grey tattoo with fine line. Two artists will advance to the top two with one artist picked by the judges and the other who receives the most votes by Twitter users.

America's pick: Ryan Ashley Malarkey

Judge's pick: Gian Karle Cruz

Eliminated: Kelly Doty

Winner: Ryan Ashley Malarkey