Drawing a Octopus

One tentacle & Spot at a time

Available to purchase as framed and unframed prints at
 www.etsy.com/shop/TimJeffsArt

Striped Octopus. Framed in Padauk wood. 25 3/4" x 21 3/4"

I did this drawing for a few reasons. Quite a few people suggested doing an octopus, my love of scuba diving and ocean creatures, and an octopus just screamed detail. But I didn't want to do just a plain octopus so I did some research and found out there's a very rare type of octopus that was just discovered in the early 90s called the Large Pacific Striped Octopus. It's remarkable for its dramatic coloration, which can switch from a dark reddish hue to black with white stripes and spots in fluid waves. The octopus can also assume different shapes, both flat and expanded. My new favorite Octopus!

Drawing at my table. Close to finishing it.

At this point I was about half way through the drawing and 3 pens

Adding in the ink wash background.

The final drawing.

A detail of the head.

And my favorite part of all, the eyes.

You can find my drawings for sale as prints at:

www.etsy.com/shop/TimJeffsArt