Octopus vs Squid – Art Creation Process
- Jun 6
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 25
In my Night Market Under The Sea setup, squids and octopuses are family rivals, so I felt I had to draw another piece showing Mr. Squid and Uncle Octy fighting each other (octopus vs squid).
Inspiration - Why Octopus vs Squid?
Before I started drawing, I already had a rough idea of the scene. I imagined one of them trying to push the other’s face away, while the other one grabs one’s “neck.” If someone’s “neck” is going to be grabbed, Mr. Squid’s long “head” makes an easier target. So Uncle Octy would be the one getting pushed.
As for how the rest of the tentacles would be positioned, I didn’t really think that through beforehand. I figured it out as I sketched, deciding on their final poses along the way.
Painting Process
Challenges
I might work different from many artists. I prefer starting with color blocking instead of line sketches. I’ve thought about why I lean toward this method, and it’s probably because color blocking makes the coloring process easier for me later on.
Speaking of coloring, my approach to digital coloring also differs from some other digital artists. While many prefer filling in a base color first, I try to recreate the feel of traditional painting by manually painting the base color during color blocking stage. Using the paint bucket tool is convenient, but it doesn’t give me the hand-painted feel I’m after. So every time, I clumsily “paint by hand” on the tablet.
The Night Market Under The Sea is the first illustration collection I’ve ever created. While making it, I was aware of how inexperienced I was and how much room I had for growth. I believe I’ll eventually improve my coloring process and make better use of digital tools. I don’t rule out the possibility of eventually incorporating line sketches and/or the paint bucket tool into my workflow, but for now, I haven’t found a compromise that works for me.
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