Mermaid Marionette unstrung!

 A piece by piece project, I have wanted to make a Mermaid Marionette for some time.

 I wanted to make it in segments that would facillitate a more natural movement.

Luckily, all the pieces I designed fit together nicely, though I did have to modify some pieces.  When I was designing this figure, I had seen something on Pinterest and was struck by the exagerated length of the fingers, which lent an eloquence to the figure that I liked, so I am trying to put it in this prototype.  I didn't quite get there, but I will keep trying

Then slipped on the casing over the body, and added the tail.

Great flexability and nice shape!

.

Next - the face.  I drew in the eye shape, and wanted to give this faceto be looking up, so that if her head was down, she would still be looking up. I  marked in the Iris colour first, with green Prismacolour pencil, then put the white halfway around it, leaving white under the iris.  Next, I put in the pupil at the top of the eye shapein the centre of the iris.  I used the head pattern I have in my Needlesculpting, drawing and colouring expressive faces Tutorial, on my Etsy page, https://www.etsy.com/nz/shop/SFMClothDollPatterns?ref=seller-platform-mcnav

 On this head, I did use a different technique for sculpting the lips, but everything else is standard.  Here I have now placed black marks on top of the pupil, and the base of the lower lid.  this is how I work out if the eyes are the right size and if the pupil is centered correctly.

 I finished drawing in the eye shape to the corners of each eye with black gel pen, then overpainted the top eyelid and feathered the edges, to look like lashes.  I used silver gel pen on each side of the eye to create the eyelid crease, and went over it while it was wet with the same green as the eyes, to creat depth and contour.  Also a little lightly under the eyes.  Drew in the eyebrows, and highlighted the eyes with white fabric paint.

I outlined the lips with Micron pen in brown, and coloured the lips with Crimson Lake red prismacolour pencil.  Drew in her nostrils - keeping the nose subtle, because the eyes and mouth are the important features.  A little white highlight on one side of the lower lip.  Her cheeks have Faber Castel flesh chalk pastel rubbed on, and the brushed off with a blending brush, to give that softly blushed cheek.

So here's the Drama Queen 

 Showing off all her moves

 Life in a fishbowl....

 Is so boring!

 Waiting.....

To be strung up!