Mermay 2026 Art Challenge | Mermaid Drawing, Feedback & Daily Practice

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Mermay 2026 Art Challenge – Draw Mermaids in Your Style with Jens Claessens

We promised monthly challenges, and May is a big one. This month we're joining Mermay - one of the most beloved art prompts out there. The brief is simple: draw a mermaid. Any style, any medium, any interpretation. Classic, dark, cute, terrifying - whatever your version looks like. Just show us how you'd do it.

Jens Claessens is joining us

This month is special because Jens Claessens is drawing a mermaid alongside the community. If you don't know his work yet, you're in for something. Jens is best known for his dark, dramatic pencil drawings - moody, atmospheric pieces that pull you in and don't let go. The kind of drawings that make you stop scrolling and actually look.

Artwork by Jens Claessens alongside his photo (selfie). 2 sketchbook pages. Page 1: old lady feeding a creepy goose, page 2: sketches of people and animals All done with 2d pencil

He's uploading his full demo to our Challenge of the Month section in Practice, available to all premium members. You'll see exactly how he builds a mermaid from scratch and learn his secrets on everything from construction to design - in his own unmistakable style.

Check out our practice section!

And there's more. In the middle of May, Jens will be personally giving feedback on submissions through the Feedback Tool. So if you want a real shot at having your work reviewed by him, submit early.

THE Feedback tool - All feedback in ONE place

How to enter

Submit your mermaid through the Artwod Feedback Tool. That's the only way to enter, and as a bonus you'll also get real critique from real artists on your submission - so even if you don't win, you walk away with something useful.

Submit here!

Two ways to win

1. Best artwork

2. Best feedback left on someone else's submission Both winners get a quarterly Artwod premium subscription. Don't sleep on the feedback prize - thoughtful critique pays.

Judging

Artwork is judged by the Artwod team on creativity and execution. Feedback is judged on how specific and useful it is - not how long or how nice it sounds. Winners announced shortly after the May 31st deadline.

Get drawing. See you in the Feedback Tool.

Author: Artwod team

Published: May 1, 2026