Ep 2. Targeted

Ink Master: Grudge Match season 1 episode 2, titled Targeted, invites six former Ink Master contestants to face each other in a series of tattoo challenges. The tension is high as the artists are coming in hot and ready to prove themselves to the judges, including Ink Master legends Dave Navarro, Chris Nunez, and Oliver Peck.

In the first challenge, the artists are tasked with creating a cover-up tattoo on their canvases to hide their past mistakes. To add some drama to the mix, the canvases are individuals who have been victimized with bad tattoos in the past. The artists have to use their skills to transform their canvases' past into something beautiful, and at the same time, erase their own mistakes from their career.

The artists have different strategies in tackling this challenge. Some of them take the approach of blending the old with new elements, while the others opt for a full cover-up by designing a tattoo that matches their canvas' personalities and style. The judges look for technical proficiency, creativity, and how well the artists have covered up their past work to pick a top and bottom performer.

The second challenge demands the artists to work with an unusual canvas - fruits and vegetables. Each of the artists randomly picks a bag that will determine their canvas. They have to create a tattoo design that can translate well on the chosen fruit or vegetable. The judges humorously comment on the difficulty of creating a tattoo on a squash or pumpkin!

The artists who are still in the running show some innovative techniques, such as creating a second skin on the fruit with black ink to make it look like a real tattoo. Others try to utilize the natural shape and texture of the fruit as an element of the design. However, there are also a few artists who struggle with the challenge and fail to execute their idea.

In the end, the judges pick the top and bottom performers, and they proceed to the elimination round. In this round, the two artists who have been deemed the worst by the judges have to face-off in a head-to-head tattoo challenge. The judges give them three hours to create a tattoo design on a common theme - the surreal world.

The artists' skills and versatility are tested to the max in this challenge, as they have to create something that is not just technically proficient, but also features a unique and artistic surreal element. The losers of the challenge go head to head, and the stakes are high because one of them will be going home.

Overall, Ink Master: Grudge Match season 1 episode 2 offers an exciting and tense look into the world of tattoo artistry. It showcases what it takes to be a successful tattoo artist, including the ability to think creatively, adapt to different canvases, and produce quality work under pressure. All of the artists who are featured in the episode demonstrate incredible technical skills and artistic inventiveness, and it's clear that they are all in it to win it.