Ink Master interview: Nychelle Elise on elimination and tattoos

Ink Master: Turf War started this season with a very cool premise, and some incredible artists. Before this season even started there were some people that we were beyond excited to see in the competition and unfortunately we lost one of them on night one.

Nychelle Elise didn’t have as much experience as some of the other artists, but as we’ve seen on other seasons – and even as recent as last season with Dani Ryan making it to final 2! – having less experience doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t do well in this competition. As much as we liked what Nychelle brought to the table, the judges sent her home. We recently had a chance to talk to her about her time on the show and you can check out our interview with Nychelle below.

CarterMatt: What brought you to Ink Master?

Nychelle Elise: They actually reached out to me! I always dreamed of being on Ink Master. I knew once I developed as an artist I could one day be on the show. I was humbled and honored to be a part of Ink Master Season 13.

What did you do to try and prepare for the competition?

I studied other seasons as best as I could. Practiced on a few friends on areas of tattooing that I wanted to perfect. But even with practice, you never know how the cookie crumbles on the show.

Did this turn out to be anything like what you hoped for entering the show?

I did not know what would happen from being on the show. I can say that I have become a better artist from the short time I was there with the other contestants. I’m always up for a learning experience whether things work out in my favor or not.

When you were doing your final tattoo, were you worried at all?

Honestly, I didn’t think I was going home at all. Everyone there thought I was safe and either Emac, Arlene or K Lenore were going home. Once Oliver said he loved K Lenore’s black work tattoo I knew I was probably going home!

Did you feel more deserving to stick around, especially since you had a more ambitious design than Emac?

I know I should have stayed on the show. However, that’s what the judges wanted, despite them saying it was a beautiful tattoo during filming. I’m still grateful for their feedback good or bad. This is art, which is objective! Hopefully I can come back and get another chance at the title that I am so deserving of! Hopefully next time I am on Ink Master, the judges will be different with fresh opinions on various styles of tattooing.

What did you learn from the show?

To trust myself. Most, if not all, of my mistakes were from listening to other people. If I would have trusted myself and my own skill set maybe I would have lasted longer despite the possible biased opinions.

How can people reach out to you for tattoo appointments?

I have a private licensed shop in Plano TX. I do travel with the ladies of ink tour throughout the year. My tour dates are listed on my website nychelleelisestudio.com. Also can be contacted on Instagram: @nychelleeliseart

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We want to give a special thanks to Nychelle for her time!

Let us know in the comments below if you were disappointed to see Nychelle go home and be sure to tune in on Tuesday for the next new episode of Ink Master: Turf War!

This article was written by Jessica Carter.