Designing your dream tail -- what tools and principles do you use?

[Ransom]

I'm sadly a bit of a perfectionist, and take very seriously the fact that every mer's tail needs to be as unique as possible. Unfortunately that means when a blank template is thrown at me, I freeze up and can't think of any new pattern I haven't seen already.

When I do try to get one out, it ends up messy and poorly done -- I don't think I've the knack for designing one that's both unique and that people want to see.

I've some questions I hope can be answered:

- What principles need to be kept in mind for a great, unique design?

- Is computer software a help, and what are your recommendations?

- What's the design process you use for conceptualising your tail, from sketch to finished product? I'm worried that committing to one pattern will lock me out of another -- and that colours I thought would go well together don't.

- How helpful are tailmakers like the Mertailor, Mernation, etc. in taking customer designs and refining them?

Maybe I'm overthinking this, but any advice on how a dream tail design can come together would be appreciated. After all, it only gives you one shot

[Mermaid Cetea]

Hi! so, I don't have my tail yet, but I got the completed pictures of it yesterday from the Mertailor. Its a spellbound triton. Here's my experience:

To come up with my tail design, I looked at a lot of videos and pictures of fish. I finally settled on one that lives locally to me, and set to work on figuring out what I wanted to use from it's pattern. I drew my design in colored pencil, and had about 10 different drafts. My friend sent one in around the same time, and he did his in watercolor.

From what I gathered from my completed tail pictures, my tail looks identical to the picture. this is both a good thing and a bad thing, as he didn't clean up any area I didn't get perfect on my design at all. I knew I was slightly off symetry with some things, like some dots I did, or the orange I put on the edge of the fluke in the picture wasn't perfectly straight, but he really exagerated those slight imperfections... so, when you settle on a design, really take time to get your lines straight. See attached pictures.

[Ransom]

Thanks Blue Joy! Congrats on your tail too, it looks amazing @_@

When the time comes I'll add a note to ensure symmetry and cleaning up of the patterns, though. I'm horrible at drawing, so it'll be more than needed.

[SleepySiren]

Hi! So i honestly have no experience with designing and ordering a tail as im new to the community... however i do have some experience with digital art and designing in general

Id definately suggest that you use a digital art program.. youll be able to get sharper colors, softer gradients, more precise symmetry, and also use the glorious undo button.
If you have a smart phone or tablet id recommend getting the app "infinite painter"
I think its only like $5 USD for the pro version and honestly its what i use for all my artwork right now.. it may be a bit confusing at first but its definately one of the most user friendly art apps out there so a bit of fiddling with it should be enough to figure it out
Whatever program you use make sure it at least offers multiple layers and the symmetry tool.. ms paint wont cut it hahah

As for designing the tail itself id recommend making a Pinterest board where you can compile pictures of fish, scenery, rocks, plants, animals... basically anything from nature that youre drawn to the look of. You could also throw in some images of other mers tails but dont blatantly rip off anyone elses design, just take note of what you like and dislike about them
For color schemes this website is absolutely phenomenal
https://coolors.co
It basically generates color schemes for you.. or if you already have a couple colors in mind it can recommend colors to go with them which is amazing for me because i suck at color schemes hahah.
Another thing to consider might be your skin tone and whether you have warm or cool toned skin... heres a little article on skin tones and the colors that work best for each
https://www.google.com/amp/www.theli...-tone/%3famp=1
Dont treat this as a rule though, you definately can ignore this and still have a tail that looks beautiful on you, it just might be something to keep in mind if you're having trouble with colors

I wish you the best of luck in designing your dream tail!

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[Ransom]

Thanks Sleepy! I'll definitely check it out. I've already got a general colour scheme in mind, but not yet sure how it'll all come together.

I've already got more design ideas than I can decide on. Can anyone advise how you narrow down your drafts to just the one you'll have the tailmaker do?

[TybeeMermaid]

I use Photoshop for all of my digital work but there's a great (free) alternative to Photoshop called Krita that you can also try. I used it briefly in between renewing my Photoshop subscription and it worked pretty well.

[SleepySiren]

Thanks Sleepy! I'll definitely check it out. I've already got a general colour scheme in mind, but not yet sure how it'll all come together.

I've already got more design ideas than I can decide on. Can anyone advise how you narrow down your drafts to just the one you'll have the tailmaker do?

Why dont you upload pictures of some of your designs? Get some opinions from the community

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[Ransom]

Why dont you upload pictures of some of your designs? Get some opinions from the community

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Yup, will share more once I've sketched them out. Thanks again!

[Ransom]

I use Photoshop for all of my digital work but there's a great (free) alternative to Photoshop called Krita that you can also try. I used it briefly in between renewing my Photoshop subscription and it worked pretty well.

Thanks Tybee! I'll have a look, though it'll take a while to learn the ropes. Will share more when I'm ready

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[Mermaid Jaffa]

Erasable colored pencils, erasers and artbook. Because, sometimes I don't like to sit in front of computer, rather lie in bed and doodle! When I say lie in bed, I live in a small cramped apartment, sofa space is very limited, not to mention quite small sofa! Bed is spacey and comfy! In Summer, when the blanket is folded up, I stack my two pillows on it and lean on it. Very comfy!

[gay-mermaid]

i use firealpaca for my digital art! its free and absolutely wonderful! super simple and easy to figure out

Sent from my Shell Phone

[Lorrytorry]

Interesting decisions. I don't always have the stamina to work on such meticulous creations. That's why I often use stock photos, albatross images. I always find the visual content I need on the professional resource Depositphotos.

[RobertWalker]

For a beautiful tail design, you'd better use the illustration.

[Littery]

In tail design, I rely on a blend of creativity and functionality. Understanding the principles of balance, proportion, and aesthetics is crucial. Tools like Adobe Illustrator and Sketch aid in visualizing ideas, while principles like color theory and typography contribute to a cohesive design. Additionally, for AI-driven marketing and design tasks, Midjourney proves invaluable. Its advanced capabilities streamline ideation and enhance creativity. I often find inspiration through prompts midjourney, leveraging its extensive tutorials to refine my skills. The integration of AI tools like Midjourney not only accelerates the design process but also opens new horizons for innovative tail designs.