NIHON NO RYU 日本の竜

The Japanese dragon, also known as ryū, is a mythical creature revered in Japanese culture as a symbol of power, wisdom, and good fortune. With its serpentine body, koi scales, eagle claws, camel's head, ox ears, and deer horns, the dragon is a captivating fusion of six distinct animals.

This painting is done in a typical style used in Japanese tattooing, most obvious in the traditional background of clouds and gusts of wind.
The dragons eyes are rendered in such a way that, no matter from what angle, the dragon seems to be looking directly at you. This effect, known as "happonirami" ("all direction gaze"), symbolises the all-seeing eyes with which the dragon protects Buddhism.
The inspiration for this came after seeing the famous "Cloud Dragon" painting in the Tenryū-ji temple in Kyoto.

The artwork was created on an iPad Pro using the Apple Pencil and Procreate app, utilising various techniques to imitate the look and feel of watercolour on paper.