Merle / Me

Cold White with 3 color merle    -    Warm Grey with 2 color merle
Cold White with 3 color merle - Warm Grey with 2 color merle

Merle is a large patterning that creates different colored mottled patches all around the centaurs body.
It can cover most of the centaurs base color, and the patches can layer over or under other markings.


Marking rules

  • Merle must feature at least 2 colors different to the basecolor, but MAX 3 colors.
  • If Merle is layered with other markings, please explain the layering in design approvals.
  • Merle's all layers can be lighter or darker than the designs original basecolor. The colors must fit the genotypes basecolor saturation, or it can be picked from natural slider.
  • Merle must cover at least 25% of the centaur, max coverage being about 75%. 
  • There is no max size for a merle patch, but they cannot be so small to be confused as largest possible spot size.
  • Merle doesn't need to be connected. The blotches can travel around the centaurs design. 
  • If combined with marking Hue, Hue can affect one chosen color patch in Merle. The Hue gradient must flow through these patches undisturbed (so no holes inside the gradient, no cut-offs)
  • If combined with Recolor, all presences of Merle can get affected, or only one. If all Merle colors are recolored, they must still remain same hue (meaning, no green and orange together for example).

Click the banner to enter Marking Range folder! 


Marking edge

Merle allows 1 edge type used through the whole marking design

Merle can be solid marking, but it also can have holes inside it's blotches, and it allows complex edges to it's blotches


Swipe through the gallery below to see some examples of Merle. Don't let these limit you while designing,
but if you feel stuck or confused about the gene, these might help you.


Real life examples

These examples represents what the marking is based on. Please keep the marking rules in mind when designing, and don't rely too heavily on real life markings carrying the same name. These examples can work as an inspiration, not direct references.  

Reference sources:
- https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/test/merle
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catahoula_Leopard_Dog#/media/File:Sasquachcatahoulaspurdy.jpg
- https://www.dogsplanet.com/en/adopt/merle-dog-breeds/