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This Brazilian Tattoo Artist Is Horrible At Drawing, But People Still Pay Her To Get Inked (41 Pics)
Sick and tired of the same old tattoo ideas that everyone seems to have? Come see Helena Fernandes, and she'll fix you up with the ugliest, most horrible tattoos you've ever seen.
The 26-year-old artist of Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, is the proud founder of Malfeitona, a home studio providing what she describes in Portuguese as tatuagens peba (literally "ugly tattoos") with complete honesty. The girl can't draw to save her life, but she harnesses this lack of skill to carve out a niche for herself as a purveyor of original and unique tattoos. Not only has the tattoo artist gone viral for it, but she's also managed to build a successful business with dozens of 5-star reviews from happy customers, as well as over 12 thousand Instagram followers.
Check out some of her ugly-but-cool tattoos below, and let us know if you'd book a flight to Brazil to get one of these delightfully hideous inks put on you for life by the best tattooist ever.
More info: Facebook, Instagram
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Childlike Tattoo Vibes
RELATED:
#2
Cosmic Chaos Club
#3
Not Quite Cat Art
DancingToMyself 8 years ago
My kid has this one. Oh, wait... No, someone else in his kindergarten drew it on his arm lol
#5
Close Enough, Right?
Cesi Baca 8 years ago
So who cares if the design is ugly or weird, that's just people taste......Its the crappy quality of the tattoo that a I have a problem with cause it's just taking people's money for something that isn't going to last or is going to look very different in a year.
Teija 8 years ago
Looks like a 4-year-old draw AND tattooed it. Looks like the ink didn't go deep enough and someone screwed it up.
M. M 8 years ago
I'm really hoping that this photo was taken a while after and that she did shave the area before tattooing.
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L. S. 8 years ago
I thought people had to shave before getting a tattoo done on that skin area😳
Melinda Jacobs 7 years ago
L.S. Tattoo is most likely a year old. She needs to go deeper in skin. But cute tattoo!
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#6
Dragons, But Make It DIY
#7
Surprisingly Literal Art
#8
Abstract Doodle Drama
#9
Happy Little Oops
Molly Block 8 years ago
It looks like it has some special magic glitter ink ot it, but I think that it just the shine from Neosporin or something. Still, cute!!
#10
Unicorns Gone Abstract
#11
Perfectly Ambiguous Shrug
#12
When You Try Too Hard
#13
Not Your Average Bird
#14
Doodles Gone Permanent
#16
Loop of Mystery
#17
Almost There, Barely Inked
#18
Not Your Everyday Snake
Anna Thouvenin 8 years ago
I'm not going to lie, now I kinda want to see more tattoos of snakes with a mustache.
This artist turns “bad” into brilliant with quirky, intentionally ugly tattoos. See more unique approaches to ink in our creative tattoo roundup.
#19
Happy Clouds Club
#20
Nature’s Dark Symbols
#21
Footloose and Fancy Drawn
#22
Modern Mystery Ink
#23
Ocean Vibes Only
#25
Minimalist Heart, Maximum Feeling
#26
Simply Charming Doodles
#27
Understated Ink Mood
Luna Kittenwarrior 8 years ago
Ouch. It's really bony there, can't imagine how much that hurt!
#28
Cash Flow Champion
#29
Minimalist Mystery Mark
#32
Whimsical Ink Blooms
#34
Quirky Ink Moment
#35
DIY Tattoo Vibes
#36
Low-Key Outer Space Vibes
#37
Close-Up Confusion
#39
Delicate Ink Moments
#40
Tiny Tattoo Triumphs
Ashley Roth 8 years ago
I would get that cute little creature i don't know what that word is ... ?
#41
When DIY Goes Too Far
Taryn Wallace 8 years ago
Some of the line work on some of them is actually ok....then this one popped up
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What do you think ?
John L 8 years ago
Agreed. And there's an awful lot of it being cultivated these days.
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Anna Thouvenin 8 years ago
Some of them are amazing but I wouldn't get one :D
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June Pixeld 8 years ago
Some of them are ok, but if i were to make an artistic statement i wouldnt make it on people' s bodies where i stays forever.
Brent Durkee 8 years ago
Not sure I would want a tattoo where you stay forever.
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Ruslana Pomuleva 8 years ago
So there is a post about 12 years old boy who does quite nice tatoos and some people say he isn't good enough. Clearly they haven't seen this "amazing artist" of 26. That boy found his calling and follows his passion. This girl has fun and I don't think her success will last.
S Missions 8 years ago
One of them makes money and the other doesn't. Nothing lasts forever.
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S Missions 8 years ago
Same reason why anyone would put any tat on their body.
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Lazy Panda 8 years ago
I mean some are fine but it looks like something a 4yo drew, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but if you love doing that so much, why don't you practice and improve on some stuff??? I'm not trying to sound hateful but it's kind of dumb to pay someone who can't draw when you could go to a professional and just get something with less detail. Some are cute but seriously, you could not improve at any of that? It irritates me to know that you can have very little talent and still get rich, but you can see talented people struggling to feed themselves. Just imagine walking up to someone and saying "Look at this unprofessional tattoo that I got from Trash Tattoos!" They pretty much sell you regret in the form of a tattoo
S Missions 8 years ago
See that's what people don't understand. Art is subjective. People pay for what they want. How do you "improve" art?
Load More Replies...
Victor Vakaras 8 years ago
"I got a bad tattoo on purpose." Just when you thought hipsters couldn't get any more annoying.
Laura Sherman 8 years ago
Very interesting... Some of these are truly stylistic. Like many artist, this one has her own hand and there is no shame in that. All of the people you see in these photos are probably very proud of their tattoos so I see no reason why this isn't just a new style of tattoo. No it isn't conventional but who cares that's what makes tattoos fun and interesting.
Samantha B 8 years ago
Basically, they look like she picked up a tattoo gun and just started playing with it. Whether or not you appreciate the primitive art, her actual tattooing technique is horrible. Her lines are bad and her depth is inconsistent. If I was into this style, I'd still look for a different artist.
Wanda Queen 8 years ago
Here's the thing -- it's just her style. "Ugly" is subjective. You might think they're ugly, someone else might think they're cute.
lasagna's underrated 8 years ago
I find a bunch of them adorable, and I might want a few.
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Elina Kuusisto 8 years ago
I absolutely love these! They have so much character and are really unique.
kerakova killgrave 8 years ago
next article 2 years later. "tattoo artist murdered for giving customer horrible tattoo"
Aubrie Allen 8 years ago
Art is expression. Who cares if it's technically accurate? If she likes it, and the people who get them like it, than awesome!
Leni 8 years ago
I wouldn't get one myself, but I can see how some people might find appeal with it. There's more than traditional tattooing - people are doing all sorts of styles now and it's whatever suits you best. Your body, your choice!
Master Markus 8 years ago
There's a reason the Yakuza still get traditional-style tattoos today - they got the style right a long time ago. Same with the Maori people.
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Little Menace 8 years ago
Not being funny when I say this is ingenious if she would actually sign those things. "Is this a c**p tattoo or is this an authentic Helena Fernandez"?
S Missions 8 years ago
It must be the latter because no other tattoo artist would even think of doing something like this.
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Katherine Merriweather 8 years ago
Those look painful as hell. She needs to practice more on some oranges or something. Getting scratched, yuck
Katherine Merriweather 8 years ago
Those look painful. She needs to practice more on some oranges or something. Getting scratched to hell, yuck
Liane Fleury 8 years ago
I actually like them. They look like they were meant to be that way. Some of them are actually cute
Tuncher Shefkaev 8 years ago
Holy s**t... are you people f*****g serious? There are thousands of underappreciated artists out there and you give free publicity to THIS talentless person? She can't draw, from the looks of it - can't tattoo properly either. She only has the looks and maybe a pleasant personality (i don't know her). This is exactly the Steve Jobs model on a much smaller scale. Entrepreneuring on top of people's stupidity should NOT be rewarded. F**k the people of the world, seriously. /rant
S Missions 8 years ago
You're saying "it doesn't look good" which is the exact opposite of Apple's marketing strategy.
Load More Replies... lasagna's underrated 8 years ago
I really like a bunch of those! I would so get the snake one if I could.
Alberto 8 years ago
I like some of them for their naive (ingenuous) aspect. They look fresh compared to the "same old tattoos" that you see everywhere. And frankly, if you look the draws of some very "famous" artists these ones don't look so bad…
S Missions 8 years ago
Yes, they look like something de Saint-Exupéry might have drawn.
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Torben Vladimir 7 years ago
I think the Bat, Dragon, Space Dinosaur and in particular, the Star ate excellent, the Star is almost too cute to even handle looking at!
Mary Popps 7 years ago
the problem is not the fact that she draws badly, but that she does not know how to use a dermograph xD
Gabriella Szabó 7 years ago
i wouldn't say they all are ugly, just some of them need to be forgotten. for example the humanoid creatures with scary faces. but all the animals are just in differents style than any other tattoos, what is absolutely fine. some of them is pretty cute and has her own style. unique is not ugly.
Corina Alvarez Loeblich 8 years ago
Besides your freedom to choose "the artist" and "the motive" you want to have forever... not only she really sucks, she's actually hurting skin and causing keloids. Crappy design and keloids forever. Now I wonder if she actually recicles needles and stuff and what of nasty ink she uses. She obviously doesn't suffer for any kind of respect, so I wouldn't trust the proper cleanness either.
Kuchi Kopi 8 years ago
Gives me inspiration of doing more with my doodling skills. :D Also my comment to the "future regret" comments: people have their own freaking priorities and interests. Just because those don't share yours, doesn't mean they will regret it. You're pushing your own ideas/agendas onto others.
Elle Winsett 8 years ago
incredible lowbrow potential! that demonic goat is GENIUS. i would get one in an instant!
Stephanie Donttrip 8 years ago
What i dont understand is why people would even get these tattoos because if you wanted a tattoo that looks like a 4 year old drew, you could just do it yourself and have the same outcome lol
Carol Taylor 8 years ago
actually, they are pretty good..they are pretty artistic...honestly, there are bad tattooist out there but this person is not one of them..mind you, I'm not flying to Brazil to go get one cause l dont do tattoos..
Bina Acharya 8 years ago
haha lots of tattoos regret collection might be coming after all these. some of them are really cute but i will pass on being tattooed and if she is doing good then you go girl ;) Best Wishes :)
Raynee Furlet-Simmons 8 years ago
This is a purposeful style, in some of them you can see that she can actually tattoo, she just doesn't want to, I think they're adorable.
Master Markus 8 years ago
At first glance I read the title as "But People Still Pay Her To Get NAKED" and I was thinking, "Well, that's probably a better idea than bad tattoos, but I'm not sure what her stripping career would have to do with her being a bad artist".
Melody Lanzatella 8 years ago
I see some people are just NOT feeling these tats. They have such a sweet character and simple charm tho, that I find appealing. I like them!
cristian timis 8 years ago
The human race it's going down people, we are sinking faster than the Titanic. What the actual f... these people have in their melons?
Kellie Panda 8 years ago
I think they are cool. I feel she may be pressing too hard whilst inking though.
Sasy 8 years ago
I think that her not being able to draw at all is incorrect, some of these would be impossible to draw even badly, and with a tattoo gun (whatever you call them) I cannot imagine easy at all. It's a gimmick and a good one.
S Missions 8 years ago
Yea tats are pretty hard to draw, people think tattoo guns are like pens I guess.
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Zori the degu 8 years ago
Well, those tattoos give that impression of a care-free spirit many people appreciate and try to show. So, I love them, because I'm such type of person! In fact, my motto is: "Don't bother yourself so much."
troufaki13 8 years ago
I think these are for people with a great sense of humor and who can see beyond symmetric beauty, as there's beauty in ugliness too! :)
Kristin 8 years ago
I would get one! There derpy and cute! That's what she prob going for duh. If u said u didn't like it and your a adult SCREW YOU
Kristin 8 years ago
Guys u don't know if only teens would get this since I am one but all those tats where aborbs!! The star was a kawaii potato but star wise!!
Here to Troll 8 years ago
This is why there is an age restriction on tattoos.
Load More Replies... John L 8 years ago
Agreed. And there's an awful lot of it being cultivated these days.
Load More Replies... Anna Thouvenin 8 years ago
Some of them are amazing but I wouldn't get one :D
Load More Replies... June Pixeld 8 years ago
Some of them are ok, but if i were to make an artistic statement i wouldnt make it on people' s bodies where i stays forever.
Brent Durkee 8 years ago
Not sure I would want a tattoo where you stay forever.
Load More Replies... Ruslana Pomuleva 8 years ago
So there is a post about 12 years old boy who does quite nice tatoos and some people say he isn't good enough. Clearly they haven't seen this "amazing artist" of 26. That boy found his calling and follows his passion. This girl has fun and I don't think her success will last.
S Missions 8 years ago
One of them makes money and the other doesn't. Nothing lasts forever.
Load More Replies... S Missions 8 years ago
Same reason why anyone would put any tat on their body.
Load More Replies... Lazy Panda 8 years ago
I mean some are fine but it looks like something a 4yo drew, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but if you love doing that so much, why don't you practice and improve on some stuff??? I'm not trying to sound hateful but it's kind of dumb to pay someone who can't draw when you could go to a professional and just get something with less detail. Some are cute but seriously, you could not improve at any of that? It irritates me to know that you can have very little talent and still get rich, but you can see talented people struggling to feed themselves. Just imagine walking up to someone and saying "Look at this unprofessional tattoo that I got from Trash Tattoos!" They pretty much sell you regret in the form of a tattoo
S Missions 8 years ago
See that's what people don't understand. Art is subjective. People pay for what they want. How do you "improve" art?
Load More Replies... Victor Vakaras 8 years ago
"I got a bad tattoo on purpose." Just when you thought hipsters couldn't get any more annoying.
Laura Sherman 8 years ago
Very interesting... Some of these are truly stylistic. Like many artist, this one has her own hand and there is no shame in that. All of the people you see in these photos are probably very proud of their tattoos so I see no reason why this isn't just a new style of tattoo. No it isn't conventional but who cares that's what makes tattoos fun and interesting.
Samantha B 8 years ago
Basically, they look like she picked up a tattoo gun and just started playing with it. Whether or not you appreciate the primitive art, her actual tattooing technique is horrible. Her lines are bad and her depth is inconsistent. If I was into this style, I'd still look for a different artist.
Wanda Queen 8 years ago
Here's the thing -- it's just her style. "Ugly" is subjective. You might think they're ugly, someone else might think they're cute.
lasagna's underrated 8 years ago
I find a bunch of them adorable, and I might want a few.
Load More Replies... Elina Kuusisto 8 years ago
I absolutely love these! They have so much character and are really unique.
kerakova killgrave 8 years ago
next article 2 years later. "tattoo artist murdered for giving customer horrible tattoo"
Aubrie Allen 8 years ago
Art is expression. Who cares if it's technically accurate? If she likes it, and the people who get them like it, than awesome!
Leni 8 years ago
I wouldn't get one myself, but I can see how some people might find appeal with it. There's more than traditional tattooing - people are doing all sorts of styles now and it's whatever suits you best. Your body, your choice!
Master Markus 8 years ago
There's a reason the Yakuza still get traditional-style tattoos today - they got the style right a long time ago. Same with the Maori people.
Load More Replies... Little Menace 8 years ago
Not being funny when I say this is ingenious if she would actually sign those things. "Is this a c**p tattoo or is this an authentic Helena Fernandez"?
S Missions 8 years ago
It must be the latter because no other tattoo artist would even think of doing something like this.
Load More Replies... Katherine Merriweather 8 years ago
Those look painful as hell. She needs to practice more on some oranges or something. Getting scratched, yuck
Katherine Merriweather 8 years ago
Those look painful. She needs to practice more on some oranges or something. Getting scratched to hell, yuck
Liane Fleury 8 years ago
I actually like them. They look like they were meant to be that way. Some of them are actually cute
Tuncher Shefkaev 8 years ago
Holy s**t... are you people f*****g serious? There are thousands of underappreciated artists out there and you give free publicity to THIS talentless person? She can't draw, from the looks of it - can't tattoo properly either. She only has the looks and maybe a pleasant personality (i don't know her). This is exactly the Steve Jobs model on a much smaller scale. Entrepreneuring on top of people's stupidity should NOT be rewarded. F**k the people of the world, seriously. /rant
S Missions 8 years ago
You're saying "it doesn't look good" which is the exact opposite of Apple's marketing strategy.
Load More Replies... lasagna's underrated 8 years ago
I really like a bunch of those! I would so get the snake one if I could.
Alberto 8 years ago
I like some of them for their naive (ingenuous) aspect. They look fresh compared to the "same old tattoos" that you see everywhere. And frankly, if you look the draws of some very "famous" artists these ones don't look so bad…
S Missions 8 years ago
Yes, they look like something de Saint-Exupéry might have drawn.
Load More Replies... Torben Vladimir 7 years ago
I think the Bat, Dragon, Space Dinosaur and in particular, the Star ate excellent, the Star is almost too cute to even handle looking at!
Mary Popps 7 years ago
the problem is not the fact that she draws badly, but that she does not know how to use a dermograph xD
Gabriella Szabó 7 years ago
i wouldn't say they all are ugly, just some of them need to be forgotten. for example the humanoid creatures with scary faces. but all the animals are just in differents style than any other tattoos, what is absolutely fine. some of them is pretty cute and has her own style. unique is not ugly.
Corina Alvarez Loeblich 8 years ago
Besides your freedom to choose "the artist" and "the motive" you want to have forever... not only she really sucks, she's actually hurting skin and causing keloids. Crappy design and keloids forever. Now I wonder if she actually recicles needles and stuff and what of nasty ink she uses. She obviously doesn't suffer for any kind of respect, so I wouldn't trust the proper cleanness either.
Kuchi Kopi 8 years ago
Gives me inspiration of doing more with my doodling skills. :D Also my comment to the "future regret" comments: people have their own freaking priorities and interests. Just because those don't share yours, doesn't mean they will regret it. You're pushing your own ideas/agendas onto others.
Elle Winsett 8 years ago
incredible lowbrow potential! that demonic goat is GENIUS. i would get one in an instant!
Stephanie Donttrip 8 years ago
What i dont understand is why people would even get these tattoos because if you wanted a tattoo that looks like a 4 year old drew, you could just do it yourself and have the same outcome lol
Carol Taylor 8 years ago
actually, they are pretty good..they are pretty artistic...honestly, there are bad tattooist out there but this person is not one of them..mind you, I'm not flying to Brazil to go get one cause l dont do tattoos..
Bina Acharya 8 years ago
haha lots of tattoos regret collection might be coming after all these. some of them are really cute but i will pass on being tattooed and if she is doing good then you go girl ;) Best Wishes :)
Raynee Furlet-Simmons 8 years ago
This is a purposeful style, in some of them you can see that she can actually tattoo, she just doesn't want to, I think they're adorable.
Master Markus 8 years ago
At first glance I read the title as "But People Still Pay Her To Get NAKED" and I was thinking, "Well, that's probably a better idea than bad tattoos, but I'm not sure what her stripping career would have to do with her being a bad artist".
Melody Lanzatella 8 years ago
I see some people are just NOT feeling these tats. They have such a sweet character and simple charm tho, that I find appealing. I like them!
cristian timis 8 years ago
The human race it's going down people, we are sinking faster than the Titanic. What the actual f... these people have in their melons?
Kellie Panda 8 years ago
I think they are cool. I feel she may be pressing too hard whilst inking though.
Sasy 8 years ago
I think that her not being able to draw at all is incorrect, some of these would be impossible to draw even badly, and with a tattoo gun (whatever you call them) I cannot imagine easy at all. It's a gimmick and a good one.
S Missions 8 years ago
Yea tats are pretty hard to draw, people think tattoo guns are like pens I guess.
Load More Replies... Zori the degu 8 years ago
Well, those tattoos give that impression of a care-free spirit many people appreciate and try to show. So, I love them, because I'm such type of person! In fact, my motto is: "Don't bother yourself so much."
troufaki13 8 years ago
I think these are for people with a great sense of humor and who can see beyond symmetric beauty, as there's beauty in ugliness too! :)
Kristin 8 years ago
I would get one! There derpy and cute! That's what she prob going for duh. If u said u didn't like it and your a adult SCREW YOU
Kristin 8 years ago
Guys u don't know if only teens would get this since I am one but all those tats where aborbs!! The star was a kawaii potato but star wise!!
Here to Troll 8 years ago
This is why there is an age restriction on tattoos.
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