
So in my last Fanart Friday (A Butter MerMay) I said I’d show my other MerMay paintings in the next week…and now three weeks later here we are. Oops! It’s been really busy these days with getting my first COVID vaccine, finding a new place to live (I’m relocating soon), preparing a presentation on my Master’s research…whew. Lots to do.
Anyway, without further ado:
‘Celebrity’ Mermaid!IU

“Don’t forget among the cloudy dark/You’re a star painted with a left hand/Can’t you see how beautiful a true uniqueness can be?/You’re my celebrity”
This was inspired by one of the scenes in IU’s ‘Celebrity’ MV! I just love this song and MV so much, it’s so uplifting and sweet with great lyrics and of course her incredible voice and visuals. I’m so so so glad I listened to ‘eight’ (BTS was my way into K-pop) and she now one of my favourite artists.
Before this painting, I was still having a bit of a crisis with lineart and watercolour, but I thought I’d try using my Pentel brush pen for the lines to keep it looking ‘flowy’ and oh my god. I love doing lineart so much. Why do I create unnecessary worries for myself? I keep complaining to myself, ‘ugh I don’t know what my art style is’ but I think I’ve figured out that lineart makes up at least part of it.
Barbie Mermaidia: Elina and Nori

This was my first watercolour painting in god knows how long! I’m trying to remember the last time I used watercolours…I think I did a couple for my ‘Carry On’ (by Rainbow Rowell) themed Inktober in 2019? I didn’t really understand how to use them though so it was nice to look up tutorials and try and figure things out again with this Barbie one.
I don’t know if any of you are familiar with the 2006 ‘Barbie: Mermaidia’ movie (sequel to 2005’s ‘Barbie: Fairytopia’) but basically Elina (the fairy) and Nori (the mermaid) start off as somewhat rivals (most of the animosity comes from Nori) and they grow closer. Obviously in the canon storyline they’re platonic but to me (and a lot of other people on the Internet, it seems) I always thought they made a better romantic pairing than the one in the actual movie. I was a kind of obsessed with Nori when I watched it as a kid…which makes a lot more sense once I grew up and discovered straight is not the default 😂

Also! Fun fact, I realised halfway through the painting process that in bluebells symbolise ‘humility, constancy, gratitude and everlasting love‘ and are apparently closely connected to fairies, being known also as the ‘fairy flower’.

Thanks for reading, I hope you liked these! Were you a Barbie kid like me? What new music artists did you discover from collaborations with your faves? What art mediums do you find most fun/would like to try? Let me know any thoughts below!
