MerMay '25

This is a 5.5x8.5-inch PDF copy of my MerMay '25 zine, a collection of 31 mermaid-themed illustrations.

“MerMay” is an annual month-long challenge that takes place every May, where for each day of the month, one draws a mermaid.

I’ve been wanting to do the MerMay challenge for years now, but every year that rolled around found me either too busy, too unmotivated, or having missed the “window” for the event. It’s ultimately not important when the art gets made, but I really wanted to do one of these challenges “on time.”

In 2025, on a plane ride, I realized it was as good a time as any to try to get this project done. I’d been itching to do some creature and character design that wasn’t tied to a specific project or person, and to use my watercolors again. I knocked out a few of the pages during the plane ride, and spent the next couple of weeks finishing the rest of the set, while experimenting with my watercolors in a way I hadn’t before.

I hope you enjoy the characters in this zine! They don’t have any stories, names, or places tied to them, but I hope they inspire you to come up with your own interpretation of the work!