In last night's episode of Ink Master, balance was the key to success.

Jamie's twin sugar skulls allowed him to win his first flash challenge and the chance to assign canvases to the other contestants. Clint and Sarah found themselves at the bottom once again: Clint's freehanded dragon was sloppy, and Sarah's desert scene appeared unfinished.

The elimination tattoo was no different, testing the artists' abilities to create balanced, fluid images that conformed to the strict rules of traditional Japanese tattoos.

Tattooing legend and guest judge Mike Rubendall didn't give anyone an easy break, and his critiques landed Tatu Baby, Clint and Steve in the bottom three.

In an interesting twist, Jesse set aside his love of googly eyes and buck teeth and delivered something more serious: a samurai. Unfortunately, Clint's second dragon didn't do him any favors. The black and gray tattoo was a mass of twisted scales, making it difficult to read from far away.

Ultimately, Jesse's ability to adapt under pressure won him the top spot, and Clint was sent home.