Comment 21598

First thing- texture- the water should be fluid, and quite often it will have waves going horizonally. If its close to the suface, you'll see diffused light. Having your shading going in one directing like this is good for some things, but not water. my suggestion is poppin over to the stationary, or an art store and picking up a softer pencil that smudges easier, and use that, or a bigger pencil- you can get them in art stores. They're what... 4 times the size of a normal solid pencil?
Second- Shading. With pencil drawings like this, its not the form you want to convey more, but the lighting difference. I'm assuming that light is from above? if you shade under the tail and various other places, it'll look 3D, and like the picture is all together. Do the same with white too
Lastly- with drawing the tail, compare it to a dolphin, cause that is the closest I can think of to a mermaid. Their tails don't 'bend' as such, but they have a gradual flexability. The flipper looks great, but the body before it needs a softer angle. Its easier not to thinkof it as human, but as a dolphin.

On the lighter side, you've vaguely got the rule of thirdsin place here, which is why the seahorse creature looks interesting- if you divide the picture into 1/3 horizonatally and vertically, the main focus should land on these lines. Which it is And its got some nice emotion. I'm not sure why its sad, but I do feel for it.

I hope this all helps