Art created for the weekly illustration challenge site, IllustrationFriday.com. This is my take on the subject “Wrapped”.

“Wrapped” started with the octopus. I liked the idea of using its out-jutting tentacles as a framing device for the picture. I considered using a modern day diver, or an unfortunate swimmer as his victim, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was making the picture more mundane than required. Since there were no restrictions (and I’m already using a monster octopus) why not delve completely into the realm of fantasy, and make its victim into a mermaid?

There you have it. She’s wrapped.

I consciously limited the palette and degree of brushwork in this piece, modifying my painting style to match up with the sort of quick-turnaround work seen in magazine spot illustrations. I was shooting for two days, but the work took a little longer than expected – maybe 2.5 days in total.

For more information about this picture, and work-in-progress image buildups, check out my blog:
http://quasieducational.blogspot.com/

For more on octopi, here’s an amazing video, featuring narration by good ‘ole David Attenborough.  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN99Kx_ghC8

As always, you can follow me on twitter. I’m Quasimanga.
http://twitter.com/Quasimanga

----

Sketched on a half page of 9”x12” Strathmore Sketch paper. Finalized and painted in Photoshop CS 3.