We are in May already!

In the little illustration world, May is the month of mermaids and sea creatures. If you are on social media, have a look at #mermay to discover new artists and get inspired by all things mermaidy.

For the occasion, I did my homework too.

I dived into an A3 mermaid painting. It has been a bit of a journey, and even if I did not fully enjoy every step, I still had fun and, most importantly, I learned a lot.

I wanted to make another feathered mermaid (remember my “Mother of Chicks” from last year’s Mermay?), and this time using a kea as a model.

I also really love the underwater aesthetic. I am myself quite scared on a boat, even though I grew up between a lake and the ocean. Despite that fear, the mystery of it always draws me back to painting it.

Here is my process and the final painting!

As I do not like working with a screen, I printed my references: kea birds and under the ocean elements.

After exploring a few composition ideas, I picked one and moved on to the colour palette.

I used a blue pencil for the drawing, which I realize I didn’t like that much. I will remember for next time. It was A LOT of scales to draw

I often use drawing gum to cover areas that I do not want to paint yet. I have a dedicated paintbrush for this specific use.

To have an interesting background texture, I use a paper towel and pat on the fresh paint.

FULL PROCESS ON THE ORIGINAL POST ON PATREON JUST HERE 👇👇