Octopus Drawings

My octopus drawings are all very similar because I found there are not too many ways you can draw an octopus!

It took a while but I finally found a good, clear reference photo of an octopus. Unfortunately, it was a bit small so pardon any errors I inadvertently made while drawing larger for a better view.

I think it would look more interesting in color because I would be able to indicate which side the tentacles were facing.

However, to overcome that problem, I put a little bit of detail on the top side and I left the underside white.

Therefore, that kind of detailing explains that the middle tentacles are behind the octopus and you can only see the underside for that reason.

What Is An Octopus?

Believe it or not, general information about your subject actually helps your drawings improve because you are mindful of certain details.

•   An octopus is an animal that lives in the sea.
•   Its soft body has 8 arms, called tentacles.
•   The octopus has 2 large eyes and a strong jaw that comes to a point.
•   The arms are used to catch and break shellfish.
•   There are about 50 different kinds of octopus. They belong to a marine group call mollusks.
•   They don't have a shell outside or inside. They do have a tough cover called a mantle.
•   They have round muscles on the underside of each arm that are like suction cups. The suction cups fasten tightly to any object.
•   An octopus is not known to attack humans.

•   If the octopus loses an arm, another arm will grow in its place.
•   Many octopuses can change color to blend in with their surroundings.
•   They breathe using gills, like fish.
•   The octopus swims not by using his arms, but by drawing water into his body. Then it expels the water through its siphon which propels it backwards.
•   An octopus can also squirt a black fluid from the siphon. The dark fluid forms a black cloud to hide it from other predators such as sharks and whales. The siphon is a funnel shaped opening under the head.
•  The body of the octopus protrudes from the head.

I think he's a strange looking fellow!

Concentration Is Required

This drawing is my version of a cartoon octopus.

To rate octopus drawings on degree of difficulty, I think it would be something you should try after you're confident with your drawing skills.

The eight arms require good concentration. On the picture I was copying from, I kept my finger on each tentacle that I drew so I could keep track of where I was and where it curled.

I was happy to do my octopus drawing in pencil because I had the suspicion I would need to do some erasing. Don't worry if you need to erase, even expert artists use an eraser!

These are the times when I'm grateful that I use graphite as my medium of choice.

If your interest lies with animals of the sea, then you may like to try doing some turtle drawings for your next triumphant moment in drawing.