Transformation CHALLENGE

Well this is a fun piece of work! I love new challenges, and hope it goes into serious consideration! 
Lets begin with the questionnaire shall we?

1. What program/medium was used in the making of the piece?
I started out by sketching several different ideas on paper with pencil (nothing fancy). I researched japanese myths and looked within myself to find something meaningful. When I finally came to this idea, I knew it was the one. After the sketch was done, I scanned it into the computer and moved to Adobe Photoshop to complete it. Thankfully, I have a tablet.

2. What inspired you for this entry?
I have a bit of an ugly duckling syndrome and a fascination for myths. When we are young, we all strive to be beautiful, but what if we already are? In my painting, i drew a fantastical mermaid/sea monster who, upon breaching, becomes an elegant young maiden. Proving that no matter how difficult it is to see past our skin if we simply break the surface of our own self esteem, we can find beauty that lies within. 

3. (last question ) How long did this entry take to create:
If I calculated all of the time it took to come up with the idea, then about a week and a half. (I had a lot of ideas) But, if you're just wondering about the time it took to draw it out, scan it in, and paint it, then it took relatively three days. Painstakingly long hours into the night. It was still so much fun though. > 
Thanks for reading all of this, and I hope you enjoy my little sea monster.