Interesting, you used the traditional "legs fusing into tail" approach.


Have you considered an alternative (maybe more anatomically correct) tail grows out of end of spine - while legs shrink to become belly-fins and/or eventually disappear sequence?

The latter is hardly ever seen anywhere, yet to me it feels like the more "natural" transformation type - especially when you look at how sea vertrebrates are usually built (with the exception of seals)

It's a commission. I do what they tell me. Though to me, considering this is a transformation, that changing existing matter is more 'realistic' than creating a whole new conduit for the matter and absorbing the old as it goes along. It would be 'easier' for the legs to change into the tail and grow out the inner anatomy within the matter, than to grow out the tail and build everything around it while the legs atrophy.

of course, with commissions the client is always right I was just curious what you thought about the concept.

I'm not one of these nasty people trying to tell random artists that what they draw is in some way "wrong" - far from it. All I'm trying to do is messing with your mind by giving you alternative viewpoints to look at the same matter ;)

If you look at existing transformations in nature (or rather metamorphosis, as its usually non-magical but a slow growth process) - for example caterpillar to butterfly, or tadpole to frog/toad, or larvae to full grown insect, its actually the growth + atrophy that happens. the tadpole slowly grows legs while the tail slowly disappears (sort of the reverse of your transformation)

While you are of course right regarding the mass distribution, if you think about the internal features that have to be formed in the tail - mainly a spine and muscles alongside it, it would be a quite radical change from the internal structure of legs. to that of a tail. elongating the existing rudimentary tail-bone into a fish tail would be morphologically easier (especially since the necessary DNA for it is existing but dormant in the human genome all you'd have to do it is activate it - and maybe add some magic to speed the process up from months to a few seconds)

One interesting question is - what would the transformation feel like, and how would that new tail feel like - if it was fused out of legs, would you still feel it as legs? but then how would that new belly fins feel? or would the belly fins feel like stubby legs, and the tail feel - well - like a tail?

For me the latter is somehow easier to grasp for my mind - once you brought your brain to imagine what a tail would feel like, but that you need for any furry transformation ;)

When people bring up DNA and 'natural processes' when it comes to Transformations, I remind them that the subject would be dead. That's the true natural process.

Hey, that's a bit of a "killer argument" isn't it? ;) *scnr*
But you are right, that would be "mutation" - not "transformation" - please strike that DNA referral then, I didn't wanna harm the poor mermaid over the question of how her tail'd feel like -besides she has enough other troubles already right now - like how to get of the floor and to another room. Or how to get to work. And how long until that change reverts itself - if it does so ;)

You know what, maybe I should stop bothering you with my scene over-thinking and instead write a cute mermaid transformation story :) Thanks for the inspiration

Well, I don't mind talking about it. But sometimes people get really defensive about how the TF works and they try too hard to make it realistic when the most realistic is "It doesn't happen". Like the tadpole example is a poor one because, not only does the change still take a very long time for such a small creature, but the tail dies by apoptosis. There's not a whole lot of mass involved either. It works on that small scale but it wouldn't work out as well on a large scale with an already developed organism. For me, most of these TFs are magic, so I look at it from a purely energy point of view. Which is more energy conservative? Now when I draw my TFs of this style, I have them start merging from the top down, that's more realistic to me. The legs are still getting absorbed but their muscles and mass are getting changed to fit the new form (That IS the essence of a transformation). To me this is the most energy efficient method, where you're using and changing what's available instead of letting it atrophy and die via apoptosis events (Which requires more energy).

People can do what they want with TFs but when it comes down to it, it's all fantasy. There's no 'right' or 'wrong', there's just 'consistent' and 'inconsistent' within their own works. All I ask for is a better explanation than "It just does" and a sound suspension of disbelief.

I can fully agree to that For the story I'm planning now less of a magical transformation but some sort of alien virus caused rapid mutation. Drawn out over the cause of several hours. That should still be 'realistic' as in 'consistent and plausible'

But let's not forget the most important lesson to be taken from your image sequence:

When you slip in the shower (for example because your legs are fusing into a mermaid tail) it's a very bad idea to try to hold on to the shower curtain. It generally can't hold your weight and you will end up toppling out of the shower.
Landing on the floor wrapped in said curtain - flapping the floor helplessly with your newly acquired tail - is actually one of the more fortunate outcomes, you could as easily hit your head on the sink or something nasty like that

The shower did not cause her to gain a tail. She gained it from a work accident and forgot you cant stand on a mermaid tail.

so it appears every time she gets wet? slightly inconvenient, imagine going shopping in town and you forgot your umbrella ;)