Merman Hair (For Fun)

OpheliaRevived · Jun 14, 2011

I love a TDH man, what can I say? I'm just wondering if the black hair thing is too done.

Help me decide on a hair color for my bad ass merman. So far he has black eyes, a la a shark or other mean aquatic thing.

thebloodfiend · Jun 14, 2011

I don't think black hair is overdone. That's my first choice. Of course, I haven't read any books with mermaids...

How about silvery white like Steve Martin?

OpheliaRevived · Jun 14, 2011

I'm afraid my potential readership will instantly think of grandpa if I use silver. (Which was my first choice.) But white could be an option...

OpheliaRevived · Jun 14, 2011

I see him with black hair, too, btw. When I started my plot sketch for this book, I saw him that way. His tail's black, too.

Cyia · Jun 14, 2011

Green, like seaweed. Or even black with green shine in the light.

thebloodfiend · Jun 14, 2011

A black tailed mermaid. Now that is cool.

btw, I like your latter suggestion Cyia.

eventidepress · Jun 14, 2011

you could do it by thinking how he would have evolved for best survival? I mean... ok, fish are dark on top and light on bottom so that to predators looking from above, they blend in with the dark ocean floor, and to predators from below they blend with the sky. Could do something like that with him?black... or dark blue? since the hair is above him, so... um...
Maybe that's weird for mermen. Or I'm putting too much technical thought into this >.>

Sage · Jun 14, 2011

I don't see how a normal hair color like black, brown, or blond could possibly be "overdone."

I like egoodlett's suggestion, and I've yet to see a merperson use that bit of science.

Now I'm picturing like the front half of the tail as light and the back as dark. Light skin in front, and long dark hair trailing behind and hiding the light skin in the back when they're swimming. It even world builds itself, as a culture of merpeople might traditionally grow their hair long for just that purpose.

Becca C. · Jun 14, 2011

What if his hair looked black, but in the light it shifted to green, purple, pink, like gasoline in puddles? That would be gorgeous, plus it would be a survival technique for camouflage.

OpheliaRevived · Jun 14, 2011

I like the "pearlescent" black hair idea a lot. His scales are like that. And egood: I like the scientific explanation. I use a lot of science in this one. I hate doing things "just because".

;-)

OpheliaRevived · Jun 14, 2011

<------ This merman represents the female mc's brother, who was taken and changed. Their whole family is blonde.

niknicnac · Jun 14, 2011

You might want to take a close look at dominant and recessive genes. If the whole family has blond hair, it's not likely and maybe not even possible to have a black-haired child. I know that two blue-eyed parents can't have a brown or green-eyed child. Anyway if you haven't checked already, it might be a good idea to take a look.

OpheliaRevived · Jun 14, 2011

nik: Finn is unrelated to the female mc. It is the female mc's brother that has the blonde hair, not the merman in question.

Cyia · Jun 14, 2011

niknicnac said:
I know that two blue-eyed parents can't have a brown or green-eyed child.

Yes they can. It depends on whether or not the blue gene is recessive or dominant; not all blue eyes are created equal.

cherita · Jun 14, 2011

Cyia said:
Green, like seaweed. Or even black with green shine in the light.

Becca C. said:
What if his hair looked black, but in the light it shifted to green, purple, pink, like gasoline in puddles? That would be gorgeous, plus it would be a survival technique for camouflage.

I second both of these suggestions!

OpheliaRevived · Jun 14, 2011

Said merman is not the blonde brother

flarue · Jun 14, 2011

Oceans have sand. SANDY blond?

flarue · Jun 14, 2011

Becca C. said:
What if his hair looked black, but in the light it shifted to green, purple, pink, like gasoline in puddles? That would be gorgeous, plus it would be a survival technique for camouflage.

Love this idea.

niknicnac · Jun 14, 2011

OpheliaRevived said:
nik: Finn is unrelated to the female mc. It is the female mc's brother that has the blonde hair, not the merman in question.

My bad!

OpheliaRevived · Jun 14, 2011

Becca C. Wins flattery and rep points.

Windcutter · Jun 23, 2011

I like the unpopular blue version.

Like on my userpic, but more dark navy.

Marzipan · Jun 23, 2011

Green or blond. I'm such a skank for blond dude hair.

Windcutter · Jun 23, 2011

Ah, forgot to add: I like silver, too, but I don't know what the readers would think about it. I'm an old anime fan, so I'm used to silver hair meaning mysterious & attractive (and often supernatural), not old. The color of seafoam on waves...

I also want to say that blond hair is cool but I'd call it something else (golden, ash, whatever), because aquatic creature + blond hair = dishwater blond jokes.

OpheliaRevived · Jun 24, 2011

Lol @ thekidd's use of the word skank.

Purple Tulip · Jun 24, 2011

There are some fish that change color based on their moods, like if they are scared or stressed. Google chromatophore. Now that could be embarrassing!

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