‘Ink Master’ exclusive: ‘Tuff Tito’ Velez on elimination, working with Chris Nunez, and more
On Tuesday night’s new episode of “Ink Master,” we saw artistry be the name of the game as Chris Nunez’s team battled it out in order to make it to their final five. Unfortunately, Tito Velez, otherwise known as Tuff Tito on the show, couldn’t quite get there. His new-school tattoo inspired by the Statue of Liberty left him eliminated from the competition over Nikki and Kevin, who were down in the bottom with him.
Following the episode, we had a chance to send Tito over some questions — take a look below at his take on his exit, struggles during the competition, and working with Chris over the course of the season.
CarterMatt – Were you surprised that you went home over Nikki or Kevin?
Tuff Tito – I wouldn’t say I was surprised more than I was expecting it. My landmark was easy to understand and readable. I’m sure if you ask somebody, they won’t know what Nikki’s tattoo was. Kevin’s tattoo was unfinished and for that reason a lot of artists are out for this competition. I know my talent and skills are just as good as theirs, if not better. They’re both amazing artists just as I am.
What do you feel was your biggest struggle with this competition?
To me, my biggest struggle was pleasing the client more than looking out for my own well-being on the show. My first instinct is to make sure the client leaves happy with exactly what they wanted and in doing so, I left myself vulnerable to the challenges. In this competition the idea is to change the mind of a difficult canvas and be sure they don’t stand up and walk away.
If you had a chance to come back into the game, what would you do differently?
I’d definitely play the game a lot smarter. I don’t listen to anybody and I always do my first instinct. My technical skills and overall knowledge of tattooing is there. Now I know to play the game.
What was it like working with Chris Nunez as a mentor?
Chris is a legend in the industry. We both come from a very Japanese-style oriented skill of tattooing so that was definitely a leg-up to my advantage. It was a pleasure to be a part of his team.
Was there a style of tattoo you wanted to show but didn’t get a chance to?
I wish I could’ve shown a lot more of my black and grey. I do a lot of black and grey work, along with Japanese, and I just wish I could’ve shown my level of talent with that. On the show, I was given the most difficult canvases and wasn’t able to fully display my level of talent to my liking.
If clients want to contact you for a tattoo, what’s the best way to do that?
They can go on Instagram (@tufftito) and message me at [email protected]
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