Mermaid/fin tutorial

Fin tutorial request 🙌💖 sorry I only finished this after MerMay, but I hope it helps

A- When drawing a tail that overlaps itself, I like to work from the back forward, even though it means erasing/covering part of my work. So first green, then red, then blue for reference

B. Technically speaking your mermaid tail wouldn’t have any joints, but to make the body look more natural, I make from the hip to the “knee” still function like a humans. So it won’t bend as much and also allows them to sit properly. Of course this is all up to artist interpretation, so you don’t have to follow it cause it’s fantasy lol. However, if you feel like your mermaid is looking unproportional, try this and see if it helps. I know it helps me

C & D. The top are of the fins are usually smoother. With the bottoms being where most of the skin would bunch up. Think of it like your shoulder. The top area of your skin is smooth and doesn’t fold much even when you lift your arms. But underneath it in the armpit, it folds and the skin stretches far more than other areas. Also, as shown in D, (most) fins come out the sides of the tail, not from the top or bottom. So no matter the angle, the connecting part of the fin should meet in the middle

E. This is just a trick I like to use if my Mermaids body is looking wonky. I draw a normally human body and just smooth the outline of it so make it look more flexible, then just add fins lol

——-

The last page is to help you decide which type of Mer/fin you’re going for. Keep in mind, these are not 100% accurate as I’m only explaining the Caudal fin’s function. As almost all fish average 5-8 different types of fins, they can vary. But their tail fins are usually the most important, so here’s what I drew for them

1. For fast swimmers that are always on the move/hunt

2. Fastest swimmers

3. Slow swimmer. Normally a bottom feeder or near shore type

4. Speed is decided based on how forked the fin is and how wide they are. But these types of fins are for fish that travel long distances

5. The rounder the tail, the easier it is for the fish for maneuver and make quick turns. Round tails are kinda like “sprinters”, and can swim fast but on for short stretches and rely more on their maneuverability to get away from predators

6. Everything 5 is, but a slower swimmer