Lake Dweller Creature Design

My goal of this design was to create a creature that would fit into a fantastical medieval setting inspired by the soulsborne series. 

My first few concepts explored several avenues. 
The first design was heavily inspired by the tragic human turned beasts typical of FromSoftware. A former king turned beast by some cruel fate, heavily injured by warriors and knights who once served him. A bell on a stake stabbed through him signals his arrival should he wander anywhere.

The second and third design were both inspired by the idea of camouflage. The second design was inspired by the stonefish and I wanted the creature to be large enough to be mistaken for a cliff or even a large boulder in the water.

The second design was inspired by the sand viper, a snake that burrows away in the sand. It would 'swim' in the sand to chase down larger prey. 

The third design was inspired by the false eyes on the wings of butterflies. This creature uses its tendrils to smell and see, much like a snake. The hood also functions as the pinna (shell of the ear), making it's hearing quite proficient. It's tail is prehensile and acts as a flexible and can act as a hand to grip objects and so on.

I chose the 2nd design and explored different avenues of design. The first leans towards the idea of an underwater cave and the third has an anglerfish-like quality. It's tongue mimicking the form of a precious and rare bloom to lure prey to the water.

I went with the 3rd design and started modelling in Zbrush. After which I start the final 2D render.