In high school, D’Angelo worked in a sign shop that made New Orleans replica street signs, and he fell in love with both the Crescent City and its pirate lore. Once out of high school, he decided to forgo art school for a tattoo apprenticeship and now has a pirate-themed tattoo shop. He’s the young gun in the competition, with a specialization in ...

Skin and eye candy is what Ink Master is all about, and Flores’s looks certainly complement her work. She admits she’ll attempt to use her sex appeal to her advantage, but don’t judge this contestant strictly by her appearance alone: She’s got talent and a portfolio of well-crafted black-and-gray tattoos to back up her swagger.

Yunda is one of the first generation of tattoo artists in his native country of Colombia and believes that communication is what makes a good tattoo artist a great tattoo artist. He collaborates closely with his clients in creating his designs and specializes in what he calls “magical realism,” a specific style of tattooing that blends magical elements with the real world.

Halvorsen is an alpha male of the group. He’s got a colorful past of serving as a sniper for five years in the U.S. Army and being professional comic book artist for both Marvel and DC Comics before dipping into tattoo art. He says that tattooing is the hardest of all art forms since the canvas moves, screams, bleeds, and sometimes even cries.

With india ink and a sewing needle wrapped in thread, a 12-year-old Givens gave himself his first tattoo. To say that he’s come a long way is an understatement. After an eight-year stint in prison, he chose not to return to a life of crime—and he credits tattooing, specifically photorealism, with keeping him on the positive side of society.