WOW Mary, this is beautiful. I think this is one of my favorite things you've drawn yet. I love the tanuki, especially---you draw them really well, it's adorable (especially the shorter fur on the legs). The background is gorgeous, as well. The waterfall is especially well-rendered, but the whole background is gorgeous. It's so pretty and colorful.

I hope you don't mind a small crit, though, but I'd suggest doing something to make the background near the characters blend in better---it seems like a hind of harsh contrast of the cartoony characters and branch, and the painterly background.

Don't mind a critique. :) I agree with you. It's probably going to sound like a cop out excuse, but for this one the file size was giving me trouble (delayed brushstokes like crazy), and it was on a deadline so I had to go with it. In retrospect, I should have handled the background similar to the characters and drew it by hand, especially as it got closer to the foreground. This is something I will keep in mind for if I work in this painty style again.

Thank you for your input, I appreciate it. :)

No problem! Lovely work, regardless. :) You're very talented with backgrounds, I'm excited to see more work like this from you.

Agreed! Looks amazing! Keep up the AMAZing work! I really like how the raccoon character just fits in there when i first saw this i almost broke into song "oh, i just can't to be king" anyway. Looks amazing, love it. No doubt its a favorite.

That is just unbelievably sweet. Awesome work as always Mary.

I love your lions! Very sweet!

Raccoona Matata!

beautiful :)

Caaaaaaaan yooooouu feeeeeel the looooooove tooooonight

exactly what i thought too at first lol

aaaawwww they look so great )
love the lion's look hehe

*a small perky-eared tanuki pads in*

Thanks again, Mary! This came out spectacularly... From the colors, to the background and composition, just, wow! It truly captures the wonder, beauty and magic of the actual place and provides a great memory to treasure...

Thanks, yet again! ^_^

This is a really delightful piece. :)
I love the lion's expression & the background is so LUSH! Well done!

+9000 points for accurate tanuki tail!

CUTE!!

That's adorable.

Love how this came out so much! The expressions are wonderful and the blossoms look just like I remember :)

too cute.