God this was annoying.

Looking at it you wouldn't think that i spent as much time on this as i did but allow me to explain. There were two things i had trouble with in this painting.

1) Trying to get the effect of heat rising in a steamy environment without it looking half assed.

Epic fail on that.

2) The entire concept.

This painting is of a Dragon called Ryo Wo, Ryo Wo is typically known as a sea dragon or dragon king.

Okay so now you know what it is let me tell you who it is and why i wanted to paint it. The reason i wanted to paint it began like so many things do, a monkey.

The most famous story about Ryo Wo is how he made jelly fish and this is the story i wanted to paint. Ryo Wo, like many dragon gods of his day was just chillin and he says to himself...

"You know what, i'm getting kinda hungry...where the hell is my butler"

butler enters...

"Sup king, you hungry?"

"yup"

"so whatcha gonna eat"

"you know...i feel like eating me a monkey!"

"monkey? you mean like the up in a tree monkey?"

"yup"

"really? with the hair and everything?"

"no you idiot. i just want its liver"

"ooookay"

So away the Jelly fish goes to find him a monkey and find one he does, he catches the thing and drags it off to the dragon king but along the way the monkey the jellyfish get to talking. Then the conversation takes a turn for the worse when the monkey says.

"Jelly you seem like a cool dude and everything but i've got to ask, why are you dragging me across the country? i ain't done nothing to you"

"yeah look i'm really sorry about this whole mess i really am, the fact is that my boss wants to eat you."

"...huh?"

"well if he was you, you'd be a banana"

"so he wants to eat...me?"

"sorry"

"with the hair and everything?"

"Ohhhh no, he just wants your liver"

"damn..."

"yeah"

"no i mean damn for you, boy is your master gonna be pissed"

"what'd you mean?"

"I don't have a liver"

"WHAT?!?!"

"fraid so"

"HOW THE HELL CAN YOU NOT HAVE A LIVER!?!"

"Ohh no i do have a liver"

"...so what are you telling me here?"

"well my liver is kind of in a jar...like...way way back on the land"

"you keep your liver in a jar? why would anyone do that?"

"safety mostly...big demand for livers apparently"

"Well what the hell am i suppost to do with a monkey without a liver"

"I know, you head over to your king dude and i'll go get my liver and bring it you"

"wow...you'd do that for me?"

"well its not like i have a choice here, i'm just glad all you want is my liver"

"awesome, like really, really awesome dude...your just...awesome"

So off the monkey runs into the horizon and the Jelly Fish waits...

and waits...

and waits...

It then dawns on him...

"I don't think hes coming back..."

So off he goes to the Dragon King to give him the bad news. I won't go into the details but apparently the dragon king was pretty pissed because he pounded the Jelly Fish so hard that it looks the way it does today.

Thats why i had trouble with the concept, the story is just so comical i can't see a way to tell it other than in a cartoon so i ended up endless string of repaints.

Worlds longest comment? i think so...