Nel Riott

[She/her] Put a spell on you-with pencil, paint and fangs Traditional and digital freelance illustrator ✨🔞🔮

[nelriott]

Day 27 of Mermay — “Iridescent” ✨🌊

For my final Mermay piece this year, I created a warrior inspired by seahorses and ancient mythology.

His armor and shield are decorated with seahorse motifs, and his helmet was designed to resemble the shape of a seahorse’s head. He carries a trident, while his iridescent armor and tail shift with different colors like light moving beneath the ocean surface. For his face and body, I took inspiration from classical Greek statues because I wanted him to feel timeless — almost like a forgotten figure from an ancient underwater legend.

This is also the last piece I’ll be making for Mermay this year. I had such a lovely time participating, discovering beautiful mermaid art, and meeting incredibly talented artists along the way. I’ve loved mermaids for as long as I can remember, so being part of this challenge meant a lot to me 🌊

I really hope I can join again next year ✨

[nelriott]

Day 17 of Mermay — “Collection” 🐚🌊✨

For this piece, I painted a mermaid adding a small stone to her growing collection of treasures from the sea.

Around her are shells, polished rocks, pearls, and old navigation artifacts that were probably recovered from shipwrecks resting at the bottom of the ocean. I loved imagining her as someone deeply curious — quietly gathering fragments of forgotten stories and preserving them like precious memories.

I was heavily inspired by Victorian fantasy illustrations while working on this piece, especially the dreamy and delicate atmosphere those artworks often have. I wanted it to feel soft, magical, and a little nostalgic, like an illustration from an old fairytale book.

[nelriott]

Day 13 of Mermay — “Totally 80’s” 📼🌊✨

For this day, I imagined two teenage mermaids from the 1980s spending time together in their underwater room, surrounded by cassettes, colorful decorations, and music.

They’re listening to songs through their headphones, with little walkmans attached to their waists — completely living their best 80’s life beneath the sea. One is painted in warm red tones, while the other glows in shades of purple.

I wanted this piece to feel nostalgic, playful, and a little dreamy… like a memory from another world 🌊

[nelriott]

Day 11 of Mermay — “Mer-thology” 🌊🪶

For this piece, I wanted to create a mermaid inspired by different mythologies rather than following just one interpretation.

She carries elements from multiple legends: the fish tail from the more familiar medieval and European depictions of mermaids, and feathered arms inspired by older mythological creatures connected to birds and sirens of ancient folklore. I wanted her to feel like something caught between stories — a creature that could belong to several forgotten legends at once.

I gave her a melancholic expression because I’ve always loved the more mysterious and tragic side of these creatures, especially in older myths and medieval imagery.

I really enjoyed experimenting with this one and blending different inspirations together ✨

IG @mermay_official

[nelriott]

Day 4 of Mermay — “Star Wars” ✨🌊

For this piece, I drew a mermaid version of Padmé Amidala, inspired by a concept sketch by Iain McCaig — one of my favorite illustrators. His work has such a strong sense of character and elegance, and I really wanted to capture a bit of that spirit.

This time, I tried to keep things simpler. I let it stay a bit sketchy and worked mostly with base colors, because details are usually where I get stuck and end up overworking everything. So this was me trying to step back a little — keeping it simple, but still making it feel beautiful.

Also, I finally added a label with the name of the piece this time! I didn’t do it in my previous “Handmade” post… I got too excited to share it and completely forgot 😅

[nelriott]

For Day 3 of Mermay — “Handmade” 🪡🌿

I created a mermaid inspired by medieval manuscripts. She’s sewing quietly, nestled inside a cradle of algae that she wove and decorated herself — a small, personal world made by her own hands.

I’ve always loved drawing mermaids, and last year I missed Mermay completely. I found out too late and was left wishing I had joined. So this year, I wanted to do it differently — without pressure, without trying to keep up with every single day. I chose only the prompts that truly inspired me, and I’m letting myself enjoy the process.

There are so many beautiful pieces out there, and it’s been really inspiring to see them while working on mine. I also decided not to stick to just one style this time — I want to explore, experiment, and let each drawing have its own identity.

IG @mermay_official

[nelriott]

My OC Velimeera

Velimeera, just after her wedding, in the quiet embrace of her husband’s hands.

Her traditional Ugro-Finnic attire and the conical headdress mark this moment as sacred, a glimpse of joy and love before the challenges that history may bring. A celebration of heritage, intimacy, and the tender rituals of her world.

[nelriott]

Lantern Fae — Faebruary 2026 🕯️✨

For the final day of Faebruary, I imagined a lantern glowing softly in the dark — and within it, a fae curled in quiet rest.

She floats peacefully inside the glass, wings gently extended, wrapped in warmth and golden light. Serene and still, she becomes both the source of the glow and its guardian. A small being of comfort, illuminating the night not with brilliance, but with gentle presence.

This challenge has been a beautiful journey. I have followed Brett Manning’s work for quite some time, and taking part in Faebruary felt both inspiring and welcoming. As someone who often struggles with long monthly challenges, I truly appreciated the shorter format.

Through this experience, I also discovered many talented and imaginative artists, which made the journey even more meaningful.

Thank you, Brett, for creating this space and encouraging creativity through these themes.

Host: @brettmanningart

[nelriott]

Being of Light — Faebruary 2026 ✨

Not all fae are bound to forest, water, or stone. Some belong to light itself.

This ethereal figure emerges in a quiet swirl of brightness — colors blending and dissolving into one another like a living current. Minimal in form yet luminous in presence, she feels less like a body and more like a manifestation of energy.

Though created in a shorter time than the others, this piece carries a sense of clarity and ease. Sometimes light does not demand complexity. It simply moves, intertwines, and exists.

A reminder that not all power is rooted in shadow — some shines.

Host: @brettmanningart

[nelriott]

Moss Imp — Faebruary 2026 🌿

Imps in folklore are often small, mischievous spirits tied to a place — woodland clearings, ruins, or hidden corners of the earth. While not much is recorded about moss imps specifically, it is easy to imagine them as guardians of damp forest floors and ancient stones softened by time.

For this illustration, I envisioned a tiny creature formed almost entirely of moss — a round body of green softness with big ears, little hands and feet, and wide, curious eyes. Gentle rather than malicious, it feels like a quiet forest companion, watching from beneath ferns and fallen branches.

Not every spirit of the woods is fearsome. Some simply grow where the earth is kind.

Host: @brettmanningart

[nelriott]

Member of the Gentry — Faebruary 2026 🍃✨

In fae folklore, the Gentry refers not to human nobility, but to the high-ranking folk of the Otherworld — beings of status, power, and old authority rooted in nature itself.

For this illustration, I chose to portray a female fae of quiet elegance. Her presence is refined, but not human. Her gown is formed from vivid leaves, shaped with care and intention, while her jewels are made of branches touched with a soft patina of gold.

She does not rule through crowns or stone halls, but through lineage tied to forest, season, and land.

This is a nobility of the wild — dignified, ancient, and bound to nature rather than thrones.

I think my fairy looks like Keyleth from Vox Machina☺️

Host: @brettmanningart

[nelriott]

Willow Tree Spirit — Faebruary 2026 🌿

Tree spirits appear across folklore as guardians of memory, place, and time. They are not creatures of movement, but of endurance — rooted in grief, protection, and quiet observation.

The willow, in particular, has long been associated with sorrow, water, and remembrance. In this illustration, a willow tree spirit takes the form of a woman fused with the tree itself. Branches fall from her head like heavy strands of hair, while her lower body dissolves into trunk and roots. Her posture is bowed, hands held together, carrying a deep sense of nostalgia.

She does not mourn loudly. Like the willow, she bends, survives, and remembers all that has passed beneath her shade.

Host: @brettmanningart

[nelriott]

Kelpie — Faebruary 2026 🌊

The Kelpie is a water spirit from Scottish folklore, most often appearing as a horse that dwells in lochs and rivers. Beautiful and calm at first glance, it lures the unwary toward the water, where its true nature is revealed.

In this illustration, the kelpie emerges only partially — its head rising above the surface, watching in silence. Intense greens and cyan tones blend with the water, while a soft yellow background suggests deceptive calm.

Like the creature itself, the scene feels still, inviting… and wrong.

Kelpie tales warn against trusting what waits at the water’s edge. In the old stories, danger does not always rush — sometimes it simply waits.

Host: @brettmanningart

[nelriott]

Faebruary 2026 Day 7: Selkie — 🌊

Selkies belong to the folklore of Scotland and the northern seas — seal folk who can shed their skins to walk on land as humans.

Between shore and tide, they live divided lives, never fully belonging to either world.

In this illustration, a selkie removes her seal skin, caught in a quiet moment of hesitation. Her expression is soft and distant, touched by longing. Perhaps she misses the sea while standing on land, or perhaps she already aches for the life she leaves behind each time she returns to the waves.

Often told as tales of love and loss, selkie stories are woven with themes of captivity, choice, and longing. To be a selkie is to carry the ocean in one’s heart, even when far from it.

Host: @brettmanningart (Instagram)

[nelriott]

Glaistig — Faebruary 2026 🌿✨

The Glaistig is a figure from Scottish folklore, often described as a beautiful woman hiding the legs of a goat beneath her gown.

She appears as a gentle maiden of the woods or streams, yet many tales warn of her dangerous nature — a fae being who lures, protects, or punishes depending on her will.

For this illustration, I chose to lean into her deceptive grace. She wears a green dress with soft pink details, her features delicate and inviting, her true form only partially revealed through her goat legs.

In folklore, beauty is often a veil, and the Glaistig embodies that contradiction: kindness and threat bound within the same figure.

She is not a monster to be feared at first glance, but a reminder that the fae are never what they seem.

Host: @brettmanningart (Instagram)

[nelriott]

Cù Sìth — Faebruary 2026 🐕🌿

The Cù Sìth is a creature of Scottish folklore: a great green hound said to roam the Highlands and the liminal edges of the world.

Often described as silent, otherworldly, and enormous, it is believed to belong to the fae realm and to walk between life and death.

I first encountered the Cù Sìth through this challenge, and in learning about it, I chose to focus on its most striking and symbolic form — a green fae hound, simple and watchful.

Sometimes, the most unsettling creatures of folklore do not need to be monstrous. Their power lies in their presence.

This illustration reimagines the Cù Sìth in a stylized, gentle form, balancing beauty with the quiet unease carried by old tales.

Host: @brettmanningart (Instagram)

[nelriott]

Day 4: Faerie of the Mounds — Faebruary 2026 🌑🌿

Ancient mounds rise quietly from the forest floor, ringed with old stones and older memory.

These places are not abandoned — they are watched.

Two woodland faeries stand guard. One upon the mound, arms raised in a gesture of protection and warding, calling on the old powers bound to the earth. The other kneels before a standing stone, keeper of vows and silent offerings.

In fae folklore, mounds are thresholds: homes of the hidden folk, burial places of the ancient, and sacred ground where the worlds brush against one another. To disturb them is to invite misfortune. To protect them is a sacred duty passed through ages.

Here, the faeries do not rule — they keep.

Host: @brettmanningart (Instagram)