How to digitally draw/paint a realistic Dragon in Photoshop

Learn my techniques for creating dragons digitally in photoshop by using real photos of an alligator. I begin by taking you though my process and inspiration on how (and why) I draw my dragons the way I do. (Inspirations from the past combined with modern studies of anatomy in dinosaurs and real animals.) The actual painting itself is a new frontier for me, as I challenge myself to go another level beyond the typical way that I have always illustrated dragons up until now. Not only do I explore intricate detail for both the creature and this surroundings, I also stumble a bit with a few things (such as the background) and show you how I recover from that.