How To Draw: The Basics

MY DRAWINGS---The Mermaid

The Mermaid is probably one of my favorite works of art I have done so far.

10 Easy Steps to Perfection

Type: Fantasy/Ocean/Zentangle

When I was reading this book, I came across the word mermaid. I hadn't done anything too amazing for a while and I decided to crack open my sketchbook. I started with a sketch: Let's go!

1. Start your drawing off with a 3H thickness pencil. Draw a circle for the head. To draw the perfect circle, hover your hand slightly above the page and do a quick circling motion.(Going too slow can lead to mistakes.)

2. Draw the torso of a women(or man if preferred.) of you are having trouble getting the shape you want, then look up pictures of people posing and get a general idea.

3. Next, draw a simple outline of a mermaid tail and fins. Remember to keep it simple the first time around.

4. Ask your self what type of hair you want your mermaid to have. Real looking, or sea themed. Your choice and your imagination. I chose to do a seaweed looking hair that comes down to her waist. Think of seaweed and draw what comes to mind. Maybe the bulbs on the end of the long, slimy strands. Or is it the tiny hair-like strings that curl around the whole thing?

5. After sketching the general idea for her hair, move onto the midsection. I covered her top with a few strands of floating hair, so I wouldn't have to add a bikini top. We are drawing a wild mermaid!

6. Look at the arm you drew and decide if you want to add a fully visible hand, or a seaweed covered mess. I drew the seaweed covered mess. Wrap the seaweed strings up her arm as far as you like and maybe add a few floating strands to add to the real affect.

7. This is a powerful mermaid, so I added spiky fins all over her body to add to the powerful feeling about her. Starting on her head, almost like a crown and a ring around her waist to separate her tail from her human top.
Also some on her arms and tail to help her move through the water fast. Every detail counts!

8. Next is the detail of her tail. This is where you can let your imagination pour onto the paper. Zentangle, in short is a bunch of lines and patterns that form a certain design to match the base sketch. Here, I drew elaborate scales and crystals all over tail. Also some seaweed twisted around the base of her tail, adds to the experienced side of the mermaid. On the fin I put more seaweed looking strands and an almost batlike 'wing' on the end.

9. Finish the drawing with detail like eyes and bubbles around the mermaid. Outline the finished sketch with a 0.06 thickness for main parts and a 0.05 thickness pen for hair and detail.

There you go! Hope you learned something! Get ready for more!

Share your mermaid drawings on my page or DM me on instagram
@erin.forstner
@sketch.colors

Thanks so much😘