Some octopuses can change color or shape when necessary.
Octopuses are some of the smartest invertebrates. Their fascinating body shape and bright colors make them an interesting drawing subject. Because their bodies are soft, and their legs so flexible, an octopus can be drawn in any number of aquatic scenes. Learning the basic sketch of an octopus will allow you to draw both lifelike and more cartoon like octopuses. An octopus can be given a realistic face, or a cute smile can give an octopus more of a personality.
Instructions
1. Lightly draw a 1-inch diameter circle for the top of the octopus's head. Sketch a rounded 3/4-inch equilateral triangle from the bottom of the circle. The rounded point of the triangle should face down and at an angle, away from the circle. The circle and rounded triangle form the shape of the head.
2. Place your pencil 1/8-inch below the head and draw a 3/4--inch line. Draw eight branching arms that originate from the line. Octopus arms are very flexible, so feel free to be creative with the placement of the arms, but the length should be about 1 3/4-inches when fully extended. Some of the arms could be outstretched, while other are curled tightly at the tips. They could branch up or point downward from the body of the octopus.
3. Smooth the two parts of the body, melding them into one shape. Thicken the arms of the octopus. Meld the bottom of the rounded triangle, which you drew for the head, the body part from which the arms originate. Erase any guidelines, such as the tip of the triangle, that you don't need any more.
4. Draw large, oval eyes at the base of the octopus's head, just above the area where the arms start. The eyes should be far to the left and right sides of the head. These ovals should be drawn so that the longest part of the oval is vertical. Draw a second small oval inside the larger eye ovals, for the pupils.
5. Draw small ovals along the undersides of the tips of the arms of the octopus. These ovals should lie with their long side against the undersides of the arms. These are the suckers of the arms. The amount of suckers you add is up to you.
6. Draw some small circles near the top of the head, or along the area between the body and where the arms start. These circles describe the typical patterning usually imagined when people think of an octopus. Again, the amount and placement of the circle patterning is up to you.
