OCTOPUS PORTHOLE

By Chris Jeanguenat

Chris Jeanguenat has her studio in her hundred year old home in Suffolk, VA, with her youngest son, husband and two sweet pitbulls. She draws inspiration from her hidden, secret garden, tucked neatly in the middle of downtown, unseen by the world around her.

Imagine you are on an antiquated sea vessel, looking through the porthole, hoping to spot a mermaid. Alas, not a mermaid, but a curious octopus appears! I have a love of sea stories, and live in a beachy area, so sea creatures turn up in my paintings often. This is one that I particularly enjoy. It is also one of my great pleasures, using objects in different ways. This porthole is made from a large, 24” clock.

SUPPLIES:

SURFACE:

• 24” Round Clock • Rust-oleum® Chalked Serenity Blue

DecoArt® AMERICANA:

• Navy Blue- DA035 • Blue Harbor- DA 283

ANNIE SLOAN™:

• Old White • Duck Egg Blue

ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES:

• Artist’s Marker Faber-Castell® Soft Brush,

Black • Compressed Graphite • Small to medium flat brush • Small brush

SUBSTITUTES:

• Vintage White K515 • Pencil

PREPARATION:

For this painting, choose a round clock that can be disassembled, and the hands removed. You can choose any sized clock that you prefer. Remove the hardware and glass. Remove any decorative paper that sometimes is glued in. Remove the clock hands, and fill with wood putty or any putty that dries hard and will stick to the surface. I’ve found wood putty to work just fine, on plastic and metal, for this small hole. Tape a small piece of paper to the back of the clock where the hole is, which will keep the putty from falling out or seeping out as it dries. Allow to dry completely, then sand if necessary. Using a medium chalk paint brush, paint two coats of Serenity Blue over the entire surface of the rim if there is one, allowing paint to dry between coats. Any light blue chalk paint or acrylic paint can be substituted.

SKETCHING:

I prefer compressed graphite, to sketch out designs because mistakes can be wiped away easily, but a pencil works great too. Sketch the outline of the octopus, beginning with the head. As you sketch your tentacles, it is helpful to number them as you go. No one wants a seven or nine-armed octopus! Your octopus tentacles can be as curvy and intertwined as you like. Do not sketch in the suction cups- that will come last. After your outline is complete, draw in the line in each arm, separating the blue area of the body, from the white, tentacled area. Lastly, sketch in the eyes.

PAINTING:

With a medium sized flat brush, paint the Octopus’ body, using Blue Harbor, mixing in Old White towards the center of the Octopus’ head and main body. Paint the rest of the arms. Use a small brush for the tapered parts of the arms if necessary. Let dry. Paint the white areas, and eyes, and let dry completely. With a small brush, paint the blue of the eyes using a mixture Duck Egg and Old White. Let dry. To add more depth and color, dab thinned out Blue Harbor on to the eyes, and dab with a paper towel to lift any excess paint. Then, let dry completely. Add in dabs of watery Blue Harbor to the outside of the tentacles to give shadows and depth. Continue to use your paper towel to lift any areas that are too wet. Let completely dry.

OUTLINING, AND SUCTION CUPS:

With an artist’s marker, outline your entire octopus, defining all the tentacles. Now you can add the circles, drawing them in, two by two. Outline the eyes and fill in the black iris of the eyes as well. Once your octopus is finished, reassemble your clock that has now been transformed into a porthole!

Enlarge by 400% for full size or to the size to the surface of your choice.

Note to reproduction companies/stores: The bearer of the original color magazine has full rights to have this drawing reproduced and enlarged one time for personal use. This notice has been printed in red ink for verification of authenticity.