Gurita

This piece combined my interests in the female form, animals, and mythological creatures (medusas/mermaids). I’ve always liked the idea of mermaids that are based on other sea creatures besides fish. I went all-out with the detail, which is exhausting and time-consuming, but there is also a nearly meditative quality to the repetition. It’s more a matter of filling in details rather than focusing intensely on every step of the process, which can be relaxing in its own way.

It’s been many years since I last drew an octopus, and I’ve been itching to do another for a while. The rendering of the texture on the tentacles was a lot more meticulous this time around, and I paid special attention to illustrating the curvature of the forms with it. They’re still an abstraction and don’t come close to recreating the mottled texture of a real octopus’ skin, but I think they look great.

“Gurita” is the Indonesian word for “octopus.” There is not a particular significance to the choice of language; I simply liked the word. I added the little squirt floating above her forehead relatively late in the drawing process; I liked the little narrative and personality it gave the image.