Inspired by a love of the ocean, this mermaid mail art came together with careful sketching, inking, and watercolor layering. Today, I’ll take you behind the scenes of the creative process and share printable templates so you can try it yourself.
Jordan Lambley was the project art editor and jacket design coordinator for The Calligraphy Book. Among many other special touches, it’s because of her that the book has gold foil on both covers (generally, only the front gets the gold treatment)! This week, I wanted to send her a piece of mail art that would surprise and delight as a thank you for all her hard work on the book. When she told me she loves the ocean, I locked in on my theme: mermaids. Today, I’m sharing how it all came together, from the first pencil sketch to the final watercolor touches. You’ll also find free printable mermaid mail art templates!
Any project benefits enormously from a pencil draft, and mail art is no exception. In this case, I used a pencil to play around with the mermaids’ placements and overall look.
A pencil draft is great for spotting gaps in a design plan. At first, I intended to include only two mermaids on the envelope, but once they were drawn, it became clear that something was missing. To connect them visually, I added a few currents, some tiny fish, and a starfish.
Then, of course, it’s important to ensure that a recipient’s address works with the overall theme. I wanted to be able to infuse some color into the recipient’s name, so I drew thick serif letters with flourishes. Then, I sketched out the DK Life corporate address using clean, neat cursive with just a hint of flair.
At this point, I decided that the pencil draft was finished. No area looked too empty or too crowded, and all elements worked together harmoniously. I had some thoughts about possibly adding scales to the mermaids’ fins, but I decided to revisit that idea during the inking phase. This is a good approach for any mail art project—your pencil draft doesn’t have to include every tiny detail. Instead, focus on making sure the composition feels balanced and cohesive. If certain embellishments or textures come to mind, you can always refine or add them when inking.
I always use waterproof ink to trace over my pencil drafts, which ensures that I can add watercolor later without any smudging. Even if you’re not going to use watercolor on your envelope, waterproof ink is a good idea! It helps protect your artwork from unexpected spills, humidity, or damp conditions during transit.
And yes! I love to use an oblique pen when making intricate illustrations like these mermaids. It’s totally a personal preference, but I find that the offset angle helps me see my work more clearly and trace the pencil draft with better accuracy.
After tracing over all of the draft lines, the mermaids’ tails looked a bit blank to me. So, I added in a few “U” shapes to represent scales. Much better!
Adding color will enhance any illustration, but thoughtful inking helps create depth from the start. To achieve that, I used crosshatching to introduce shadows on the mermaids’ bodies. This technique prevents elements from looking flat and gives the artwork a more dynamic feel.
I favor watercolor in general, but it especially makes sense to use watercolor on an envelope that depicts sea creatures! To start, the mermaid on the left got several hues of purple plus metallic green streaks in her hair.
This first mermaid served as a test for tail colors, fin colors, hair technique, and skin tone variations. From painting the first mermaid, I learned:
I applied what I learned while painting the first mermaid to add color to her sister. This mermaid got a shock of pink hair with gold streaks, plus pink and gold infused fins. After I finished painting both mermaids, I added some blue watercolor to the background to signify a wave.
One of the best things about watercolor is its flexibility—you can keep layering and adjusting until the colors and shading feel just right. At first, the water looked flat, and the mermaids didn’t stand out enough. To fix that, I built up depth with a mix of blues, greens, and a touch of silver, making the wave more dynamic. Then, I used crosshatching behind the mermaids to help them pop. The final detail that brought the whole piece together was infusing the recipient’s name with rich purple and pink hues.
This mail art has an international destination, so I had to use a larger postage stamp than normal. My first choice would have been a small, unobtrusive stamp to show more of the right mermaid’s hair. That said, the poinsettia actually complements her vibrant pink hair nicely.
Again, because this envelope has an overseas journey ahead of it, I decided to write my return address on the front. I did this just to the left of the purple-haired mermaid using teeny-tiny sans serif letters. And, of course, once the stamp was affixed and the return address was finished, I waterproofed the envelope with MicroGlaze.
It probably won’t surprise you to hear that this mail art took me two full days to create. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love every second of it … a project like this definitely takes you into that creative flow state. But, I want to be able to use this design again and again without drawing it from scratch. So, I scanned the illustration upon finishing the ink phase. Then, I used it to make two mail art-friendly printables.
The printable pictured above on the left features two 5″x7″ (12.7 cm x 17.78 cm) versions of the mermaid artwork. You can use this printable for decoupage, or slip it into an A7 clear envelope. The printable on the right folds into a 6-1/8″ x 4-3/8″ (15.6 x 11.1 cm) envelope; just cut it out and fold in the flaps!
Every time you create—whether it’s an intricate project like this mail art or a quick doodle—you’re bringing something unique into the world. If you’d like a head start, the mermaid mail art printables are here to inspire you. Don’t be afraid to experiment and make them your own! However you choose to create, keep going, keep exploring, and most of all, enjoy the process.
Warmly,
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