Hey everyone! Today I’d like to show you how to create an angry vector octopus character using brushes in Adobe Illustrator. It’s a simple 12 steps tutorial. Have fun!
Step 1
Use Ellipse Tool (L) to create an ellipse. Make its top anchors sharp by clicking ’em with Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift+C). Add several anchors to both sides with Add Anchor Tool (+) and make the shape wavy using Direct Selection Tool (A)
Step 2
Color the shape with a purple color. Use Pantone Process Coated palette with can be opened by clicking the small triangle on the top right corner of Swatches Panel (Open Swatch Library > Color Books > Pantone Process Coated). Or select your own purple color and create new global color swatch. Copy the shape (Cmd+C) and paste it to back (Cmd+B). Make the copy a bit wider and set its color percentage to 50%. Refine the shapes using Direct Selection Tool (A). Select All (Cmd+A) and create a click new brush icon on the Brushes panel. Its direction should be vertical.
Step 3
Use Brush Tool (B) to draw the octopus head.
Step 4
Use the same brush to draw the tentacles. Adjust the stroke width – the smaller tentacles should narrower.
Step 5
Use the Pen Tool (P) to create a shape that overlaps octopus’s tentacles and head. You should make it look like every tentacle is connected to the head and to the closest neighbor tentacle.
Step 6
Create a circle using Ellipse Tool (L) and holding Shift. Copy it (Cmd+C) and paste in front (Cmd+F). Make the copy smaller. Hold Shift and Alt while scaling this will make the circles concentric. Group ’em. Make several copies of the group as shown. Distribute them vertically using Align panel. Select all circles and create new brush.
Step 7
Copy the tentacles shapes and apply the new sucker brush.
Refine the sucker curves using Direct Selection Tool (A) so that they don’t come out of the tentacles.
Step 8
Add more tentacles with suckers if needed.
Step 9
Use Pen Tool (P) to make the eye-holes. They should be lighter outside and darker inside.
Step 10
Use the same technique to add a mouth.
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Wow I think this is brilliant….This is a really cool and QUICK way to create an octopus lol
Hey! Glad you’ve found it useful! :)