What can I say? I got inspired to paint

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Changed his design a little more based on critique I recieved. He looks alot less glowey and sparkley now but he seems a bit more believable and aesthetic to me now x3

To those people who advised me to change/get rid of the background I don't understand you. Despite it being a creature/elemental design contest environment can play a crucial role in bringing out the design of a character. If you can pull off a design interacting and fitting in well with its environment you have made your design BELIEVABLE. Its supposed to blend in somewhat. I think a huge chunk of white space or contrasting colour would just look ugly and take alot away from the design.

What changed:
-removed white curly undermane, replaced with more water-weeds
-Removed podcat fins/gems
-added shoulder fins and re-did the dorsal fin
-made the bulrushes smaller
-added scales to the leg
-totally re-did the backscales to look more integrated

Heres the previous design if you want to compare: [link]

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this is my entrance to =PearlEden and =kankakanka's elemental contest. I know alot of wolf lovers are watching those insanely popular people so im trying to steer clear of wolf and do something a little more unique. Hes a feline/canine/foo dog looking guy but hes really nothing set.
I had so many ideas what to do for the water element so I tryed to incorporate all those things into him, I hope that dosn't make him too busy.

A little description of this elemental incase everything isn't clear:
The large beast is about the size of a liger with long curved bottom canines protruding from his lower jaw. His pelt shimmer-shines with smooth moistness to the short flat fur covering the majority of his form. He remains perpetually wet, puddles forming under his hulking body when he stays still for a time. His haunts and loves are the moving waters and waterfalls. His own tail is a flowing miniature waterfall that cascades down from his tail bone leaving behind miniature streams and rivulets wherever he might go.
The top of his mane consists of tangled water weeds of varying types. His thick paws are webbed in between the toes with surprisingly grippy pawpads. Long finlike fans sweep down from his ears forming a ruff around his face, while more of these raise down the creature's smooth back. Breaking up the fur several more fishlike fins protrude at the shoulder set with luminous smooth gemstones. Protectivly covering his back is a sweeping saddle of fishscales which reflect the light with their colors.
yes those are bulrushes coming out of where eyebrow whiskers should be on a big cat x3.

I am so happy with the background.

Wish me luck i'll be going against alot of ridiculously talented (at character design) people xD

Elemental creature © Holly Hindle. Do not use or re-distribute this artwork without permission.