This is for SaxGirl's fan art contest ^_^ (details can be found here)

I was really scared that I might not make the deadline, so I hurried up and finished it today! I hate making a promise and breaking it. This time I avoided submitting it in the last few days and here it is!

It's completely painted, no digital manipulation whatsoever. All I used was Koh-I-Noor paint and 5 different sized brushes. I hadn't painted anything in years so this was also a challenge for me ^^ I hope it's good enough!

The sketch in pencil took about 10 minutes, while the coloring almost 3 hours. I just woke up this morning and though the a mermaid would look nice in this pose, so I began drawing her. At first I wanted her breasts to show, but then I thought it wouldn't be accepted and I covered them with locks of hair. Honestly, where's the freedom of expression for the artists?!

Critics are greatly appreciated! If this is well-received, I might continue painting ^^ Thank you in advance!