A concept sketch for conceptart.org's Deep challenge, which involves creating a deep sea world. I'm toying with the idea of the deep sea as an underworld, one as huge and complex as our own, with semi-modern cities and wilderness. The dead travel there to live out an alternate life, and they take on a form that reflects the kind of person they were in their previous life (most of them aren't mermaid-like). The entire place is ruled by the dictator god Hades, who I think I'll portray as some sort of crazy eel guy. In any case, if you know the myth involving Hades and Persephone, you'll know that Hades kidnapped her from the world of the living to be his bride. In this case, Hades saw a beautiful girl on a cruise and became infatuated. Instead of waiting for her to die and come to his world, he snatched her down before her time and formed her into the being she is now. Pretty much the same story. Anyway,
I incorporated characteristics of a sea robin and a yeti crab for this character. Most of them aren't going to be nearly as froo-froo, but of course I had to start with the pretty one.