Ok, here's some basic information about the image, and some close-ups.
Yes, I did the 'vector thing' and vectored over several stock photographs to create this image. Those pictures can be found here-> [link]

The entire image was created in Adobe Illustrator 10.0, with an Intuos 3 Wacom tablet. If you're wondering why I'm entering a contest where I already own the prize, it's because I felt like it. There's heaps better artists, career artists, who already have all the toys in this contest too.

It took about 12 hours, on and off, and could take another 5 to make it perfect.
My favorite part is the scale highlights on the snake, and the butterflies. That face still bugs me, but I think it's about as good as it will get. Flowers, leaves and butterflies got duplicated here and there to fill space.

There is NO inherit meaning behind the presence of a Shinto shrine, or that the western-style buildings are greyscale and merge with the snake. Originally I wanted to use recognizable icons from several cultures, but ran out of time.
The space needle was swiped from my previous picture, City of Light- [link] because at the end tonight I was too tired to vecter a new cityscape.