The Big Picture
- The intense process of becoming an Ink Master human canvas can take years, involving rigorous casting and lengthy waiting periods.
- Human canvases may have limited input on tattoo designs, but negotiations can include accommodations like travel expenses and hotel stays.
- Despite the drama showcased on the show, artists and canvases often maintain respect, with judges only appearing briefly for camera shots.
Ink Master is a reality competition series that originally premiered on Paramount Network (formerly known as Spike) in 2012 and features a group of contestants who must demonstrate their skills in different tattooing styles and techniques. The show has spanned 15 seasons, featuring various tattoo artists competing in different challenges, and was hosted by Dave Navarro, alongside Chris Núñez and Oliver Peck, before the series' revival saw the judges' panel filled out by Ryan Ashley Malarkey, Nikko Hurtado, AmiJames, and lead singer of Good Charlotte, Joel Madden (luckily, Dave Navarro still pops in here and there). The show tests the artists’ creativity, precision, and versatility as they compete for the coveted title of 'Ink Master.'
Over the years, Ink Master has branched into four spin-offs, including Ink Shrinks, Ink Master: Redemption,Ink Master: Angels, and Ink Master: Grudge Match. Additionally, the series has aired several special standalone episodes themed around events or holidays, like Halloween. However, what the audience doesn't get to see on the show is the perspective of the "human canvases" who volunteer to get tattooed by the competing artists — it all starts with a long and rigorous casting process! Here's a brief, unfiltered behind-the-scenes look at all the wizardry that goes on with folks who volunteer to get tattooed on Ink Master.
Ink Master (2012)
TV-14
Tattoo artists from across the nation compete in a series of intense challenges to prove their skills and creativity. Under the scrutiny of expert judges, they must deliver exceptional tattoos while navigating high-pressure situations, aiming to earn the title of Ink Master.
- Release Date
- January 17, 2012
- Cast
- Dave Navarro
- Main Genre
- Reality
- Seasons
- 15
- Network
- Paramount
- Streaming Service(s)
- Paramount+ , Prime Video
Becoming a Human Canvas on ‘Ink Master’ Can Take Years!
Potential human canvases typically apply through a casting process and, as one of the initial steps, are asked questions about their tattoo preferences, pain tolerance, and any previous tattoo experiences. Based on their answers, the producers select individuals they think could be a good fit for the show. A former human canvas told Business Insider that they started off by sending cold emails to the casting team. However, the opportunity for them to become part of Ink Master didn’t come until the producers opened online applications for human canvases.
The application features a list of questions about the style of the tattoo the potential human canvases would want, which parts of their body they would want to get tattooed, and the longest they’d be able to sit for the whole process. To become a human canvas, applicants had to live in the tri-state area since the show filmed in Newark, NJ (applicants must now be local to Canada per the Ink Master Human Canvas application website). After applying, one might receive a call for a brief interview and be asked to send in photos showing available tattoo space. Over the following weeks, the casting team takes applicants through several phone interviews regarding episode themes and potential artwork. One insider on Reddit revealed that they were chosen after they had agreed to sit for a 12-hour butt tattoo.
However, once the application is submitted, the producers might take their sweet time before they reach out to you. In the same interview, a person revealed that they were chosen to be a human canvas on Ink Master Season 14, four years after they had sent in the online application.
The Participants on 'Ink Master' Aren’t Guaranteed Satisfaction
Once a human canvas is selected, they are told upfront that there is a possibility of receiving unsatisfactory work. The participants even sign a consent form that prevents them from discussing or posting about their experience before the episode airs. However, according to the same insider on Reddit, most of the human canvases are happy to get a free tattoo and don’t have any qualms about signing the consent forms. But there are a lot of people who get their first-ever tattoo on the show, and for them, the conditions are bound to be a big deal.
However, participants can negotiate certain accommodations. An individual in particular, for instance, successfully arranged for the show to cover their gas, hotel, and tolls for the trip from Boston to Newark, which took about six hours. The human canvases might also be provided with a hotel for a certain number of nights, which is an added perk with the free tattoos. While some participants, living nearby, opted to drive home each day, a Reddit user and former contestant revealed that most stayed in hotels during their time on the show.
In the absence of these negotiations though, participants are generally expected to handle their own hotel and travel expenses, with the show only providing meals and the free tattoo. The meals range from bagels, coffee, and donuts in the morning to pizzas, sub-sandwiches, and salads for lunch and dinner.
A Lot of Tattoo Drama Is Manufactured for the Cameras
Once the filming starts, the participants aren't directly encouraged to argue. But there is an unspoken understanding that creating drama will attract more camera attention. The insider reported that EmilyElegado was their artist on day one during Ink Master Season 5. While the show made Elgado look like the villain, she was extremely kind when the cameras weren't rolling and while the competition is definitely cut-throat, at the end of the day, the artists get together to admire each other’s work and offer advice.
Before they start filming, the human canvases hang out in one room so they get to know each other. However, the producers don’t encourage a lot of conversation between the human canvases and the tattoo artists. The human canvases are restricted from asking any personal questions or giving any personal answers when they are talking to the artists. In fact, the insider on Reddit shared that they were actually approached by the producers in the middle of filming to stop talking when the conversation started getting too deep. The canvases also have to be willing to get a tattoo with limited input on the design, especially when the challenge dictates the style or theme of the tattoo.
The Participants Do Have Some Control Over Their Tattoos
However, the human canvases are allowed to talk to their artists about their tattoos and clear out any confusion. In the same interview, one of the volunteers went on to reveal that they were assigned to tattoo artist Holli Marie during Ink Master Season 12 and had a lot of say in their tattoo design. The insider added that they originally wanted the design on their stomach, but after talking to Marie, they agreed that the process would be too painful. In the former human canvas’ exact words: “Her concern about my comfort showed the importance of the connection between the artist and canvas, even when the stakes are high in a televised competition.” The participants could also take as many breaks as they wanted, as long as their artist was okay with it.
Once the tattoo is done, the judges critique photos of the work before deciding which artist to eliminate. However, the human canvases don’t get to be part of the critiques. They have to wait till the episode airs to hear how their tattoo was received. One of the volunteers implied that once the tattooing process is over, it's possible for the judges to not be particularly fond of the newly created tattoo, for something as little as the lines being a little off. However, the participants don't particularly mind, because it's often the overall experience that matters. In the insider’s exact words:
“For me, it wasn't about the tattoo itself but the memories that came with it. It was an emotional roller-coaster, from the initial nervousness of being on the show to the surprising sensitivity of my thigh as I got it inked.”
What You See on 'Ink Master' Isn’t Always the Real Deal
But what’s really surprising is that none of the judges are ever on set for long! They apparently only appear for about five minutes, walking around from booth to booth, so it can be edited to look like they are there the whole time. However, the Reddit user revealed that they got to meet Dave Navarro, who seemed extremely down to earth. The user also shared that the jury process was heavily influenced by the producers for shock value and to heighten the drama.
Not just that, a lot of the aspects of the show are just for the cameras! The headphones you see people wearing while getting tattooed are strictly promotional. The Reddit user revealed that the producer puts them on their head, hangs the cord down, films them for a minute, and then moves on to the next person. The human canvases are also not allowed to have any phones, music, books, or anything else in the room. According to the producers, this is done to make sure that there are no distractions for the artist and no risk of leaking information on social media.
Ink Master Season 16 is expected to premiere in late 2024. All seasons of the show are available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.
