Meet the Illustrator behind The Whale Wins Mural Art

A tattoo artist’s illustrations offer seashore allure at home

By Jennifer McCullum August 12, 2015

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This article originally appeared in the September 2015 issue of Seattle magazine.

Self-taught illustrator Kyler Martz started selling screen prints in local coffee shops just three years ago when one of his pieces was purchased as a holiday gift for Whale Wins’ chef-owner Renee Erickson. She liked Martz’s work so much, she commissioned him to create the 13-by-20 foot mural that decorates the exterior of the Ballard restaurant. The only problem was, he didn’t know how to make a mural. “I freaked out,” the 29-year-old says. “I have a friend whose dad is a sign painter in Boise, where I’m originally from. I drove out there, and he gave me a one-day crash course. That’s how I started doing this.”

The Whale Wins shared the mural on Instagram, and other commissions followed. Martz has created posters for local events, such as the Fremont Solstice Fair, as well as illustrated national branding campaigns for Hermès, Starbucks and Levi’s.

Word of mouth is also how Martz began working in a different kind of ink, with tattoos. After many customers brought in drawings of his work as their inspiration, SuperGenius Tattoo on Capitol Hill offered to hire Martz. Once again, he was in unknown territory: He had never even seen a tattoo artist at work, let alone created one himself. Once again, he called on a friend, who brought him a machine so Martz could practice. “I drew a whale on his shoulder in my apartment,” he says. Now working out of Jackson Street Tattoo Company in Pioneer Square, Martz has garnered a national following.

Despite the demand, he still makes time for privately commissioned works, which clients can request through his website, kylermartz.com. “People get pretty psyched about a custom piece, so it’s real hard to turn down,” Martz says.

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