This season centered on the long-standing rivalry between veteran contestants and Christian Buckingham , who returned as coaches to lead teams of 18 new artists.
For a deep dive into Ink Master Season 11 (also known as Grudge Match ), provides a sharp, detailed Season 11 Premiere Recap on Medium that captures the shift in tone and format for this season. Season 11 Breakdown Ink Master - Season 11
: Tony's winning back piece featured a bold, warrior-inspired design with exceptional color saturation, while Teej impressed judges with a detailed Japanese-themed back piece. This season centered on the long-standing rivalry between
: Cleen's final 35-hour piece was a massive cobra and skull chest-to-thigh design, while Christian countered with a new school-style gothic pinup leg sleeve. : Cleen's final 35-hour piece was a massive
: In a series-first "double win" for Team Cleen, Tony Medellin took home the title of Ink Master and $100,000, while Cleen Rock One finally secured his first win (and another $100,000) by defeating Christian in their personal grudge match.