doodlea.day

Tuesday, September 1

How to draw...

Start with one round mantle guide and eight fixed arm routes, then wrap every route into a separate tapering arm before adding the cheerful face, sucker pairs, bubbles, and spots. This easy 20-minute marker lesson practices radial spacing, countable cartoon anatomy, and bold color that still keeps the grain of the felt tip.

20 minEasy
Start doodling
Handmade felt-tip marker drawing of one cheerful face-forward coral cartoon octopus with one rounded mantle, exactly eight clearly separated tapering arms with eight visible tips, two oval eyes, one curved smile, exactly two white sucker circles on each arm, exactly three aqua bubbles, exactly six yellow mantle spots, two open-paper head highlights, two pink cheek marks, purple underside accents, thick imperfect black outlines, visible directional marker texture, and one broken navy shadow
Finished doodle About 20 minutes

Felt-tip marker mode

Let's draw an octopus

Treat this as one playful practice round: sketch the idea loosely, simplify the shapes, then commit with confident marker outlines and bright fills.

  1. 01
    Map the head and eight arms stage for how to draw a cartoon octopus

    Map the head and eight arms

    Use pale pencil to place one round mantle guide, one face axis, exactly eight distinct arm routes, two eye ticks, one mouth tick, three bubble circles, and one broken shadow route.

    Marker tip: Count the arm routes from left to right and make every endpoint visible. Fix the two front routes around the shadow now so the dark shape will stay behind them.

  2. 02
    Shape the open mantle stage for how to draw a cartoon octopus

    Shape the open mantle

    Shape the rounded mantle top and sides, but stop both side contours at the arm-base anchors so the lower edge stays open around all eight pale routes.

    Marker tip: Pull the upper mantle in two relaxed arcs, then lift the pencil at each arm-base anchor. Do not draw a wavy bottom line; the eight arm contours will close that silhouette in the next step.

  3. 03
    Wrap all eight arms stage for how to draw a cartoon octopus

    Wrap all eight arms

    Wrap every fixed route with one thick tapering arm, keeping exactly eight separate visible tips in the same left-to-right order.

    Marker tip: Work around the fan one route at a time and count again at the end. Make each arm broad near the body and narrow at its tip without crossing its neighbor.

  4. 04
    Add the face suckers and bubbles stage for how to draw a cartoon octopus

    Add the face suckers and bubbles

    Add two oval eyes, one cheerful smile, exactly two visible sucker circles on each of the eight arms, and exactly three bubbles at upper right.

    Marker tip: Place the two suckers near each arm tip so the count stays readable. Check sixteen suckers as eight clear pairs rather than counting the whole page at once.

  5. 05
    Reserve spots shine and shadow stage for how to draw a cartoon octopus

    Reserve spots shine and shadow

    Add exactly six mantle spots, two open-paper head highlights, two cheek marks, and the established broken shadow behind the front arms.

    Marker tip: Keep the six spots above the eyes and leave both highlight shapes unfilled. Stop every navy shadow stroke at the front-arm edges.

  6. 06
    Ink and map the ocean colors stage for how to draw a cartoon octopus

    Ink and map the ocean colors

    Ink only established contours and map coral, purple, aqua, yellow, pink, and navy strokes in every planned region.

    Marker tip: Ink the small suckers and face first, then rotate the page for the eight long arm curves. Leave visible fill gaps for the finishing pass.

  7. 07
    Pull the marker texture stage for how to draw a cartoon octopus

    Pull the marker texture

    Clarify the established directional marker streaks, sucker rings, cheek accents, highlights, and shadow without adding any form.

    Marker tip: Pull strokes from the mantle center down each arm. Use a second light pass only where the coral needs depth, and keep the paper grain visible.

  8. 08
    Handmade felt-tip marker drawing of one cheerful face-forward coral cartoon octopus with one rounded mantle, exactly eight clearly separated tapering arms with eight visible tips, two oval eyes, one curved smile, exactly two white sucker circles on each arm, exactly three aqua bubbles, exactly six yellow mantle spots, two open-paper head highlights, two pink cheek marks, purple underside accents, thick imperfect black outlines, visible directional marker texture, and one broken navy shadow

    Finish the cheerful octopus

    Complete only the established marker fills, strengthen selected keeper contours, and clarify the same arms, face, suckers, bubbles, spots, highlights, texture, and shadow.

    Marker tip: Count eight arms, sixteen suckers, three bubbles, six spots, two eyes, and two highlights, then stop. Seaweed, fish, shells, and lettering would make a different lesson.