Schlagwort: Mermays of the Week

Résumérmay

🇩🇪 Vier Wochen sind rum, in denen ich jeden Tag eine Meerjungfrau gepostet habe, sieben Wochen Vorbereitung insgesamt, in denen ich (fast) täglich an einem Meerjungfrauenbild gesessen habe. Im letzten Jahr hatte ich mich auf „einfache“ Monochromzeichnungen beschränkt, da ich aus 2019 noch in Erinnerung hatte, wie stressig es sein kann, jeden Tag eine farbige Zeichnung präsentieren zu wollen.

Dieses Jahr hatte ich mich trotzdem wiederum daran versucht und konnte glücklicherweise Anfang April mit den ersten Bildern beginnen und Mitte Mai knapp zwei Wochen Urlaub nehmen. Andernfalls wäre das Ganze kaum schaffbar gewesen. Aber auch so habe ich stellenweise gezweifelt, ob ich es wirklich schaffen werde, für jeden Tag im Mai ein Bild zu zeichnen.

Am ersten Bild saß ich mehr als eine Woche, das zweite hat ebenso mehrere Tage gedauert und das dritte ging gefühlt viel zu langsam voran. Dann gab es wiederum Bilder, die ich an einem Tag gezeichnet habe und die Bilder für die Tage 28, 29 und 30 entstanden sogar alle am selben Tag. Zuweilen habe ich ein wenig getrickst und das Setup der Bilder von vornherein so aufgebaut, dass ich große Teile für einen weiteren Teil verwenden konnte.

So kam es dann auch, dass ich tatsächlich gut eine Woche vor dem Maienende fertig war.

Trotz all der Arbeit hat es dennoch großen Spaß gemacht. Ich habe die Geschichten bekannter Charaktere fortführen können, neue Charaktere sind dazugekommen und der eine oder andere Ansatzpunkt für eine Fortsetzung im nächsten Jahr wurde angelegt. Auch habe ich beim Zeichnen der Bilder einige neue Techniken und Vorgehensweisen ausprobiert, habe herumspielen können und schauen, wie es aussieht, verworfen, neu ausprobiert, Erfahrungen sammeln können.

In jedem meiner Mermays gibt es außerdem ein paar „geheime Achievements“, die ihr vielleicht, vielleicht auch nicht bereits entdeckt habt. Dazu gehört z. B. die jährliche Spongebob-Schwammkopf-Referenz. Mit Bild 17 habe ich diese dieses Jahr erreicht. Nicht erreicht habe ich hingegen, das Urzeit-Meerjungfrauen-Motiv, das ihr sowohl im Jahr 2019 (mehrmals) und im Jahr 2020 (einmal) entdecken konnte. Wir werden sehen, ob ich sie nächstes Jahr wieder schaffe.

Als Dank auch an euch fürs gemeinsame Durchhalten, findet ihr auf dieser Seite heute auch bereits Tag 31 (auf Patreon seit gestern schon). Zudem habe ich die „freie Woche“ genutzt, um an einem DTIYS auf Instagram teilzunehmen (Originalbild siehe dort), das ihr hier ebenso weiter unten sehen könnt:

🇬🇧 Four weeks passed, a time I posted a mermaid day by day. Seven weeks of preparation with working (almost) every single day on a mermaid painting. Last year I painted monochrome since I remembered of 2019 how stressful the goal can be to present a coloured painting day by day.

This year, though, I tried it again. Luckily I could start with the first paintings in the beginning of April and I got a vacation from work in the mid of May. Otherwise, this output wouldn’t have been possible. Nevertheless I sometimes doubted if I will gain the goal to prepare a painting for every single day.

The first painting nearly took me week, the second one several days and the third also felt as if it took much too long to be in time. Whereas there were paintings which only took one day and the paintings for the days 28, 29 and 30 I painted on one and the same day. Sometimes I cheated a little bit by arranging the setting of the painting a way, I easily could reuse wide parts of it for a followup painting.

So, I actually finished the last picture one week before the end of May.

Albeit all this work and stress it was a lot of fun. I continued the stories of my familiar Mermay OCs, new characters turned up and the one or other sequel for the next Mermay has been indicated. Additionally, I tried some new technical features and drawing techniques while preparing the paintings. I played around just to see how it turns out, abandoned it, made new experiences.

Additionally, I’d like to tell you that every Mermay there also are some „secret achievements“ which you may have or may not have discovered already, e. g. the Spongebob Squarepants reference which I achieved this year with painting number 17. What I didn’t achieve this year is the prehistorical mermaids motif which you can find in Mermay 2019 (several times) and 2020 (one time). Will I achieve it next year? We will see.

To thank you for following me on this way through Mermay, you will find the Mermay 31 painting right now on this site (on Patreon it already it has been online since yesterday). Finally, I took advantage of the „free week“ and participated in a DTIYS on Instagram again (original painting see on Instagram) which I also present you here:

  • Mermay 24, "Weapon", digital painting, comic style, a redraw of a 2019 painting (more elaborated): A "Zora", a creature from the video game "The Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild". They are a folk of humanoids with long linmbs, fins attached to their elbows and a head resembling marine life (fish like) forms where otherwise would be the hair. This one's head and colouring resembles an orca: Face, chest, belly and parts of legs and arms are white, the rest is dark grey. She is wearing golden jewelry with green and azure gems, a bright grey collar and holding a spear. The ground she is standing on is covered with water, the center of the background ist a deep blue, white strokes are suggesting water falling from above. On the left and right a brighter blue. Title, written in the font of the title of the video game: "The Legend Of Zelda #Breath Of The Wild - Rise Of The Zorca"
  • Mermay 25, "Deep Sea", digital painting, comic style: Ceratia, a mermaid based on an anglerfish, catching Merindiana Jane (Indiana Jones based mermaid) who is wrapped as big sushi rolls and falling from above. Rice is floating upwards as well a Merindiana's whip which is made of jellyfish tentacle. The only light source is Ceratia's light bulb an a rod on her forehead. Merindiana is saying: "Don't ask!", title: "Ceratia finding a friend - finally!"
  • Mermay 26, "Cowrie", digital painting, comic style: Nema, the clownfish mermaid with short orange hair. She is wearing a red brown bra made of sea anemones and jewelry made of cowries on the head, the wrists as top and as belly skirt. Voice coming from the off: "Thought you were ready?" - "I am!" - "Suits you.", title: Changed again
  • Mermay 27, "Nautilus", digital painting, comic style: A wrecked submarine (the Nautilus) seen from far, Engineeriel and Fabricius diving towards it, a dark shadow in the foreground, title: "Engineeriel - Her Greatest Discovery"
  • Mermay 28, "Sea Horse", digital painting, comic style: a bald headed mermaid based on a sea horse sleeping with the tail around a blade of sea weed. Title: "A Good Neigh's Sleep"
  • Mermay 29, "Pearlescent", digital painting, comic style: A mermaid in a pearlescent knight's armor, the hair is white und gros out of the top of the helmet, the tail fin likewise is from pearlescent white, she wears a big chest plate, the lower body and the tail is covered with pearlescent armor segments; she is facing right, holding a big shield with the right hand an a lance with the left one, title: "The Pearlescent Knight"
  • Mermay 30, "Crown", digital painting, comic style: Nema, the clownfisch mermaid, standing behind the the big heap of golden coins, jewels and necklaces from Mermay 2. She is holding the scepter in the left hand and some coins in her right hand, looking on the sceptre with bright, shiny eyes. On her head is a crown. Dark blue rock formations in the background as well as the dark shadow of Captain Tigra Selachii approaching from behind. Title: "Nema's Gambit"
  • Mermay 31, "Mersona", digital painting, comic style: My avatar which I am usually using to represent me, a green space caterpillar with a big head and only one eye. In this form it has only two arms (holding a stylus) and a tail fin. It is seen from behind, swimming to a green vortex in the top center of the picture. Whirling in a spiral towards this vortex are all the paintings related to Mermay 2021, 2020 and 2019, title: "95 Shapes of Mermay"
  • Digital painting, comic style: A mermaid with turqoise tail and a long, bifurcated fin, there is also a smaller fin at her hip, the bra are two blue mussels. She's got red hair which is styled in a sidecut, falling straight from her right side of the head and winding along her belly to me meet likewise bifurcated with the tips of the tail fin. She is wearing a starfish, a shell and a sea snail's shell in her hair, the starfish fixed with a headband made of algae. The left hand touches her left ear, the right hand is flat under her chin, her left eye is winking to the viewer

May the End be with you

🇩🇪 Letzte Maiwoche voraus und ich kann verkünden, dass fast sämtliche Bilder für den Mermay 2021 bereits vollendet sind. Lediglich das letzte ist noch im Werden, sollte im Laufe des Tages jedoch fertig sein.

Somit werde ich mich ab nun wieder anderen Projekten zuwenden können und evtl. mich auch noch an dem einen oder anderen Mermay-DTIYS beteilligen. Für Ende Mai ist außerdem noch ein kleines Resumee des diesjährigen Mermays geplant und auf Patreon stelle ich für Patrons inzwischen die Mermay-Meerjungfrauen der nächsten 3 bis 4 Tage zur Vorschau zur Ansicht.

Und dann gibt es natürlich weiterhin die Meerjungfrauen der Woche:

🇬🇧 Last week of May and all but one paintings of Mermay2021 are finished. The last one will be ready today in the evening, so I guess.

So, I can turn towards other projects again, perhaps participate in some mermay DTIYS challenges. I’m also planning a short resume in the end of May and Patrons on Patreon will find the Mermay mermaids of the next 3 to 4 days as preview now.

Of course, there are the mermaids of the week, too:

  • Mermay 17, "Starfish", digital painting, comic style: A mermaid seen from behind, she has purple-black neck long hair and is wearing a squid as hat, her back resembles a manta ray, covering her body like a coat, in the left hand she is holding a staff in the form of a belemnite holding a white pearl. On the sea floor there is a pentagram built from stones and pebbles, above it is floating a ghostly appearance of "Patrick Star" (Spongebob Squarepants). The mermaid is looking into a book with instructions (chapter "Cønjuring") which she is holding in her right hand. In the background some dark rock formations, title: "The Little Sea Witch and the Failed Conjuring"
  • Mermay 18, "Scepter", digital painting, comic style: Nema, the clownfisch mermaid, standing behind the the big heap of golden coins, jewels and necklaces from Mermay 2. She is holding the scepter in the left hand and some coins (some of them falling down) in her left hand, looking on the sceptre with bright, shiny eyes. Dark blue rock formations in the background. Title: "Entering the Tigress' Lair"
  • Mermay 20, "Coin", digital painting, comic style: Merindiana Jane, a mermaid resembling Indiana Jones, seen from behind in a temple like setting. She is holding a coin. In the centre of the picture is a small treasure chest on a socle. The chest has got a slit and the instruction "Insert Coin" on it. Above the chest you can read the words "A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned". On the ceiling is a dollar symbol with two instead of one bars. Title: "Merindiana Jane and The Temple of Greed"
  • Mermay 21, "Amber", digital painting, comic style: Title "Jurassic Shark" - In the foreground in the centre a piece of amber with a mosquito included, on the left Engineeriel (black skin, dark brown hair, blue fish tail which merged in an overall like top, a light brown belly top beneath it, wearing hinged goggles with ear protectors and an small rod with a light bulb on its end), tickling a small prehistoric shark, on the right Fabricius, a blue fish with yellow fins but wearing an armour which covers the whole body but for the snout. The armor has got a line of a red light which currently is faced towards the shark. In the background a big shadow in front of the deep blue sea. Text: "Sharks in the Age of Dinosaurs had a body plan different from modern sharks. They also were comparatively small. There were bigger predators around ..."
  • Mermay 22, "Ship Wreck", digital painting, comic style: A view on the deck of a sunken ship. the mast is cropped. In front of the mast is a glowing green, semi-transparent mermaid. Glowing green in the backround. Title: "Ghost ship"
  • Mermay 23, "Treasure Chest", digital painting, comic style: Merindiana Jane, a mermaid resembling Indiana Jones, seen from behind in a temple like setting. In the centre of the picture is a small treasure chest on a socle which has been opened. In the chest there is one single coin. Above the chest you can read the words "A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned". On the ceiling is a dollar symbol with two instead of one bars. A small black comic cloud is floating above Merindiana Jane. Title: "Merindiana Jane and The Penny Earned"

24 out of 31

🇩🇪 Mitte Mai und die Mermay-Vorbereitungen nähern sich dem Ende, ebenso allerdings mein Urlaub. Da mein Zeigefinger heute außerdem einen Küchenunfall hatte, bin ich um so glücklicher, genug Puffer eingeplant zu haben und somit noch immer im Zeitplan zu liegen.

Ich bin dennoch nicht unglücklich, wenn der Mermay 2021 vorbei ist und ich mich auch wieder anderen Zeichnungen widmen kann (insbesondere Cedrakon natürlich).

🇬🇧 Mid of May and the Mermay preparations can see the end of the line. So can my vacation. Since my digit had got a kitchen accident today, I’m glad to have planned enough buffer to be still on schedule.

Still, I won’t be unhappy when Mermay2021 is over and I can return to other projects (Cedrakon in particular, of course).

  • Mermay 11, "Sea Weed", digital painting, comic style: A mermaid made of sea weed, emerging from a sea weed cloud under water, text: "The Weed in the Waves"
  • Mermay 12, "Body Chain", digital painting, comic style: A black skinned mermaid sitting on a green glimmering throne under water, her hands resting on crocodile skulls, she has cleopatra styled hair and head fashion and is wearing a golden body chain, green background, title: "Queen of the Nile"
  • Mermay 13, "Jellyfish", digital painting, comic style: A mermaid based on a yellifisch. She is wearing a Portuguese man o' war as hair and a box jellyfish as bra. She's got a red umbrella-shaped bell and firely red arms. She's the eyes closed, floating in the water, facing a gentle light blue light coming from the upper right corner of the picture, title: "Sea Fire"
  • Mermay 14, "Glass", digital painting, comic style: A mermaid made from glass, standing upright, eyes closed, the hands in her lap, title: "The Little Glassmaid"
  • Mermay 15, "Bracelet", digital painting, comic style: A mermay based on a royal angelfish. She's short hair built by a purple glowing fin and yelllow, black and white striped hair. The tail is striped likewise and she's got purple glowing dorsal and ventral fins. Her Bra is built of this kind of fin, too. She' looking to the right upper corner of the painting, smiling and wearing several bracelets on her arms, title: "Bracelets of Happiness"

19 out of 31

🇩🇪 … so der Ist-Stand im Mermay 2021. Es hat sich somit gelohnt, frühzeitig mit dem Zeichnen begonnen zu haben. Da nun auch noch etwas mehr als eine Woche Urlaub hinzukommt, hoffe ich, diesen Mai ebenfalls wieder ein Meerjungfrauenbild präsentieren zu können.

Die Meerjungfrauen der Woche sind die Folgenden:

🇬🇧 … that’s the current status of my Mermay2021 preparations. So, it paid off to begin very early with the painting. Because now I am on leaf for some days more than one week I am optimistic to present again one mermaid painting a day this May.

And here come the mermaids of the week:
  • Mermay3, "Coral", digital painting, comic style: Nema, the clownfish mermaid with short orange hair standing behind a big red coral in front of a lot of sea anemones. In the right corner of the painting Merdusa, the Medusa mermaid (greyisch blue skin, white snakes on her head, white tail with yellow spots) crossing arms, text: M.: "Still not ready?" - N.: "DON'T peep!" - M.: "In your dreams."
  • Mermay4, "Fisher's net", digital painting, comic style: Merindiana Jane, a mermaid with straight blueish black hair, wearing a light brown ray as head, standing behind a golden fishlike statuette on a pedestal, from behind a fisher's net is falling on her, text: "CLICK" - "Oh, F***!", title: "Merindiana Jane and the Sound of Doom"
  • Mermay5, "Driftwood", digital painting, comic style: Driftwood in form of a mermaid, floating in the sea, title: "Sleeping Woody"
  • Mermay6, "Shells", digital painting, comic style: Nema, the clownfish mermaid with short orange hair wearing a blue and green shiney belly top and skirt made of shells, title: "Nema in Shells"
  • Mermay 8, "Pebbles", digital painting, comic style: A mermaid seen from behind, she has purple-black neck long hair and is wearing a squid as hat, her back resembles a manta ray, covering her body like a coat, in the left hand she is holding a staff in the form of a belemnite holding a glowing white pearl, in the right hand there are some pebbles. On the sea floor there is a pentagram built from stones and pebbles, in the background some dark rock formations, title: "The Little Sea Witch and the Surplus Pebbles"
  • Mermay 9, "Lost Treasure", digital painting, comic style, black on a light beige background: A chinese river dolphin layingt with its head in the lap of a chinese mermaid, text: "Lipotes vexillifer - Critically Endangered, Possibly Extinct"