Neela, the Indian Mermaid

see the full image here
https://www.behance.net/gallery/97303375/Neela-The-Blue-Mermaid

Description: Neela, the Indian mermaid. ( A new digital painting, for mermay2020, an event by Disney animator Tom Bancroft where artists all over the word draw Mermaids in the month of May.

Process

Wanted to create a blue mermaid princess, inspired by an Indian model, Venus paintings, Sandro Botticelli, Disney's the little mermaid movie, Newzealand beaches, Aquatic lifelike sea turtle, swordfish, Aaron Blaise art, and a Model )

Watched a few documentaries on aquatic life to get the mood, and songs of the little mermaid, saw a lot of mermaid drawings and old masters paintings, took the shell concept out of Botticelli paintings, jewelry themed after sea materials like Pearl's and starfish. Used the skeleton of a swordfish as the weapon. The mermaid is made based on a fish called Tarpon.

Made her like seated on a throne of a seashell with a sea turtle underneath supporting it. Depicting her as powerful and beautiful. A sword made of swordfish bone shows she is a warrior and not a girly princess.