Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Sketchbook Project: Kraken

Kraken, pen, watercolor & acrylic ink on watercolor paper, 7 x 10", 2011.Add caption
I'm chugging along with my "Uncharted Waters" sketchbook for the Sketchbook Project! This one was really fun to draw!

This time I drew Krakens; they're giant squid-like sea monsters that attack ships somewhere in the North Atlantic near Norway. Although the line "Release the Kraken!" is the most memorable from "Clash of the Titans", Krakens were not a Greek invention (although they have plenty of sea monsters that might have inspired Kraken stories later). 

Rumors of Kraken attacks reached their height in the 17th and 18th centuries, and they were widely accepted as real creatures. Carl Linnaeus even classified them, and gave them a scientific name in his writings (to read about more crazy stuff that he classified, I recommend Naming Nature by Carol Kaesuk Yoon.)

Although these Kraken stories are interesting, I really drew them so I'd get the chance to draw all of the tentacles!!

7 comments:

  1. This is radical! I love the colors, the clean lines, the dotted background and the composition.

    This is a perfect sketchbook page. Perfect.

    Somebody will open to this page and smile when it goes on tour.

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  2. Thank you!! Reading this definitely made me smile!!

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  3. This is stunning, Sarah! I SO wish I was able to see your sketchbook in person (but I don't think the European tour includes any non-European artists...). You won't believe it, but I've started my sketchbook for the project! Late, I know. And not at all the theme that I was planning to do either... ~ Sara

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  4. This is so beautiful! Wonderful color and design! I did the sketchbook project last year, had a lot of fun with it. Thanks for commenting on my sketchblog.

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  5. Sarah - I've posted a couple of your Uncharted Waters pieces on my blog as inspiration. That's such a great book and your work is so gorgeous.

    J Walters
    http://sketchesandjottings.wordpress.com

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  6. One of my favorites of this series so far! :)

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  7. Ooo this is one of my favourites too! They're almost kind-of sort-of cute. As cute as giant squids get.

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Comments make me smile!

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