The Mesmerizing Tattooed Watercolor Girls of Heather Mahler : Noda Luka

The Mesmerizing Tattooed Watercolor Girls of Heather Mahler

Illustrator Heather Mahler paints fun and fearless girls with tattoos and animal companions in dreamy watercolor.

at Nov, 25 2016

Utah-based Heather Mahler loves many things: Nintendo, old cats, tattoos, and watercolor. She also happens to love putting them together in her art work. Her illustrations feature her favorite Pokémon, fuzzy cats, an assortment of tattoos and piercings, and of course, pastel hair to match her own. They're all drawn in Heather's lovable style and painted in resplendent watercolor.

The Mesmerizing Tattooed Watercolor Girls of Heather Mahler

Poké Trainer illustration by Heather Mahler.

Heather is kind of a celebrity in the local arts scene of Salt Lake City, Utah, having appeared in art shows and comic cons every year since 2008. She told City Weekly that drawing first became a portal for her to communicate with her frustrations. From there, her works really developed and came to life. Aside from being an illustrator, she also dabbles in printmaking. Cassie has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Printmaking and also holds an Associate Degree in Fine Arts.

Tattooed girl with a lion illustration by Heather Mahler.

The pastel-haired artist also quips that the line between her and her creations is often blurred, as many keep pointing out similarities and asking whether most of her works are self-portraits. But in fact, Mahler revealed to SLUG style that it's actually the other way around - that she is for the most part emulating her characters!

Painted in dreamy watercolor, Heather's badass ladies are all gloriously tattooed and possess strong personas. All of them seem to be the type of girls who won't think twice of raising their middle fingers a foot above their heads if someone ever thought of crossing them. Now that's more like it!

Tattooed badass illustration by Heather Mahler.

Inspired by many films and manga, Heather is also continuously inspired by pop culture favorites which she sometimes features in her works. So get ready to spot a little Pokémon and Sailor Moon here and there!

Tattooed girl with horns and cats illustration by Heather Mahler.

‘Art is a form of communication, and I have been drawing longer than I have been able to speak,’ she told blogger Cranberry Deer. ‘It is hard to focus on a moment when I decided I loved art, for I've always needed to make art. it takes a kind of madness to be an be an artist, for we have to create.’