How can I add more personality and unique character to my mermaid illustration?

This is a packaging design project for an ice an ice cream brand as part of my studies. The fictional brand, Elysir, would offer ice creams inspired by legends and folklore from around the world, with each flavor representing a different story or cultural background. My task is to create illustrations that reflect these themes, bringing the myths and tales associated with each flavor to life through visual design.

My teacher approved everything except the illustration. She suggested adding more personality to it, but I'm not exactly sure how to achieve that.

I suggest starting by discussing this with your teacher. Ask what exactly they mean by “more individuality.” How do they envision it? What specifically bothers them about the current version of the mermaid, and why do they find it insufficiently unique?

Why is it important to discuss the feedback first? Often, clients give feedback in general terms without explaining the core issues. You could make adjustments based on this, but the result might still not meet their expectations. A direct conversation, with detailed questions, helps uncover the client’s real concerns.

If you’re confident in your solution, sometimes you can address their doubts and demonstrate the value of your approach. Alternatively, during the discussion, you might discover that the issue isn’t with the mermaid itself but with the overall design concept, and that changes to a single element won’t resolve the underlying concerns.