Monterey is a squid loving town. Not just because they have caught and eaten tons and tons of them, but because they actually like them. Four people have seriously requested that I make a squid for them after seeing Big Red, and I am seriously comtemplating the idea for a couple of them.

So which one should I do??

Keep in mind, it has to be a species that I can get plenty of material on, so no newly found species that has only been photographed once. Also, I am really into doing things life size, but no one currently wants, or can afford, for me to build and Archie.

Taningia Danae is pretty damn cool looking. That or Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni. Unfortunately there isn't GOBS of images of either of these (or any of the really neat large deep sea cephs).
My two cents worth.
-Chris

I just remembered that I asked someone a few year ago for pictures of a GPO hecto. (Actually, I asked a lot of people for help, but this was one fo the two that came through for me.) He was resistant to helping me until I offered money (I was really desparate). I finally got a couple of pictures from him a few weeks after, and promised to send him the afformentioned money. But I didn't, and now I'm feeling guilty, because I don't remember his name, or where he was located, and the computer that I had that info on is long dead. If anyone out there knows of who this might be, please let me know so that I can send him the money.

Hello Pipsquek,

I'd second Cbarela's Taningia suggestion. It's big enough to be impressive, but not Archie big. Two nice things about Taningia are the large, lemon-yellow photophores on the arm tips. It might be cool to render those in a different metal from the rest of the sculpt.

What about the Humboldt squid, Dosidicus gigas? 6ft long, with big eyes, fins and keels on the arms. Hooks, too. (Actually, both of these squid have hooks on the arms; wouldn't that be fun to render in metal, over and over and over and over again.)

But then, there's always Moroteuthis robusta, the Pacific giant squid. It's warty mantle texture would reproduce well in your chosen medium, and the overall plan is similar to Archie's.

Sorry to be so unfocused, but knowing the quality of your work it's difficult not to imagine the possibilities.

Cheers,

Clem

I like the idea of a Humboldt just because I know a fisherman who has offered to get one for me. Pictures are great and necessary, but the real thing is the best.

Archi would look pretty cool i'm sure, its not exactly a squid but howabout a vampy? :vampyro

Jonathan,

You've mentioned that you have some contacts in the local marine biological community. I like Taningia quite a bit, but I'd pick a locally-occurring specimen such as the other two Clem mentioned. I'm a freak about the Humbodlt, dosidicus gigas, and then the moroteuthis robusta is pretty amazing as well. While not the same, obviously, I've found the easiest way to fix a picture of moroteuthis in the minds of lay-people (like me) is to describe them the way the late Dr. Dustin Chivers at the Steinhardt did for me: "They're like the toy-poodle version of an architeuthis, right down to the ammonia!" I know MBARI has footage of both, plus there's a preserved humboldt from the Doc Ricketts days pickled and on display in a huge jar at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Down in Santa Barbara at the great Natural History Museum, there is a preserved morotuthis on display beneath the 23-foot architeuthis model. Back to Humboldts, well, they've been in the news here in California a lot over the last couple of years, so there's likely going to be interest in one, plus they've got awesome swimming keels, proportionately large fins, and really obvious barbs - nearly spikes, really - ringing each sucker. And both these squid have hooks.

Erich

What about an ammonite?

That is really good looking from what I can see.

I would love to get a bigger pic if you would send me one or post one up.

Thanks,
Will

Hi guys,
Just a clarification - unless I'm going crazy - Dosidicus does have seriously evil teeth on the sucker rings, but no hooks, per se. I believe the only taxa with arm hooks are the Octopoteuthidae, Enoploteuthidae, Gonatidae, and Mesonychoteuthis. But Moroteuthis robusta definitely has tentacular hooks. :smile:

Kat,

Nope, you're not going crazy. Humboldts are hook-less. My bad.

Erich

I believe the only taxa with arm hooks are the Octopoteuthidae, Enoploteuthidae, Gonatidae, and Mesonychoteuthis. But [I] :smile:

Oh don't forget the ancient belemnites, they all had arm hooks too....those poor unloved unsung heroes of the primitive coleoids!

Kat,

My bad, first.

So, Pipsquek, instead of hooks you'll have to model sharp teeth ringing each of the suckers. Doesn't that sound like more fun?

:roll:

Clem

You could always go to the other end of the spectrum, and do a silver Loligo...or if an octo, an annealed copper and pewter Mimic...
but, then again, size does matter...
greg

Oh don't forget the ancient belemnites, they all had arm hooks too....those poor unloved unsung heroes of the primitive coleoids!

LOL. Sorry, Phil, my bad as well!

Phil,

HEY! I love them AND sing their praises! Or at least I think I do.... :confused:

That is really good looking from what I can see.

I would love to get a bigger pic if you would send me one or post one up.

Thanks,
Will

No problem, I just don't know where to post it. I don't have a website yet, and I'm no so familiar with the capabilities of this site. I have LOTS of pictures of the construction as well as the finished piece, and a pretty long document describing the construction and stories that went a long with it. Give me email address or tell me how to put it up here.

Kat,

My bad, first.

So, Pipsquek, instead of hooks you'll have to model sharp teeth ringing each of the suckers. Doesn't that sound like more fun?

:roll:

Clem

Sounds like a lawsuit if anyone ever got close to it. Got a picture of what one looks like.

No problem, I just don't know where to post it. I don't have a website yet, and I'm no so familiar with the capabilities of this site. I have LOTS of pictures of the construction as well as the finished piece, and a pretty long document describing the construction and stories that went a long with it. Give me email address or tell me how to put it up here.

Hi Jonathan

Maybe pictures of your whole construction process and the finished piece could go into one document, probably PDF, and be added to the articles.

Melissa

Melissa,

Would that fall under the entertainment section??

Hi Jonathan

Sounds like Culture and Entertainment to me.

Melissa

Speaking of sculpting cephs, glass is a great medium for squid and cuttles. The replicas I've seen in museums look like real specimens.


I am doing a little archie sculpture out of clay for my art class. Are there any characteristics I may forget to include?

Today, out of sheer boredom, I made a sculpture of a stranded squid.
It took me about fifteen-twenty minutes to do.

That'll be nothing compared to what I'm working on in art class!

-Squidman-
:oshea:

Squidman-

Nice interlacing on the arms!! Were you working from a specific picture??

So I spoke with my contact a MBARI today, and he's going to send me his spreadsheet of Humbolt size and proportions. And sometime in the next couple of weeks he is going to let me in on a dissection!! :squidaut:

So I think that will be my first squid. Should be a lot easier that Big Red, so if I get enough time to work on it, I might have it finished by TONMOcon.

I wish I could dissect a squid, giant or otherwise.

No, that sculpture was from memory. It seems I can remember almost everything that interests me. Maybe that's why I don't do well in Math...

ATTENTION: I have reached an artistic milestone! I have found my art style! I sketch a picture, then give it both color and shape by quickly moving a pencil back and forth vertically in a curved motion. Then I shade whatever I am drawing. It looks better than it sounds, believe me.

After drawing since I could pick up a crayon, I finally know how to draw!
:band: :wine: :glass:

Sorry, I just had to tell everyone.

Very happy indeed,
-Squidman-

Squidman, the sqid looks great. Now that you are confident about drawing, will you draw some cephs and post them?

I am not able to draw anything more than stick figures. :oops:

Melissa

Oh, I've been drawing cephs for years. Ever since I was three, I have been trying to do architeuthis justice with a paper and pencil medium. Only in the past few months have I been able to draw cuttles and octos, though.

Sadly, I am unable to post any of my sketches. They are either lost, tossed, or given away. The few I do have I cannot scan or take a digital pic.

:boohoo:

If you want to make a really bright, unique ceph pic, try coloring the ceph chromatophore by chromatophore. I did that with a cuttle pic twice.

First I sketched a sepia apama territorial display with pencil. Second, I used a pack of thin highlighters to color it. I added subtle variations in color with different concentrations of dots. The final product was extremely satisfactory, but not perfect. Then I thought of something: erase the pencil outline! I erased all the pencil marks, and the every part of the cuttle was clearly defined.

It is tedious, but in the end, you will like what you see.

-Squidman-

Dot,Dot Dot !!! That's a lot of Dots!!! :)
greg

Yeah, it took me about two day to do(small sketch). Presently, I am working on a copy of that pic that is about four times the size of the original.

Dot, dot, dot, dot, dot, dot, dot...

That's actually very similar technique that I use on my paintings (The one's featured in the gallery). With the exception that it's done on a computer, it's the same- dot..dot...dot...dot...dot...try not to think about carpel tunnel...dot...dot...dot...this takes forever...dot...dot...dot...I'm hungry for some calimari...dot...dot...dot...
It's a nice effect since it layers the colors on so fine it gives the impression of light passing/reflecting through the skin like it would with real flesh. Just wish it wouldn't take so long!!
-chris

I wish I could dissect a squid, giant or otherwise.


It's pretty cheap and easy to get preserve specimens intended for biology classes and the like. Googling for "biological specimin supplies squid" got me this, which seems reasonable, but I don't know this company in particular (but their prices seem great-- about $20 for a squid, a kit, and instructions)... A guy I worked with got a squid and an octopus in his "collection of things to image with an MRI microscope," and I did a little imaging but didn't get enough time on the machine to do much.

http://www.hometrainingtools.com/catalog/life-science-biology/dissection/preserved-specimens/p_pm-squid.html

getting a preserved squid is vastly preferable to, say, getting one at a market, becuse they stink a lot pretty quickly. Although I've been known to dissect out the beaks from my "squid with spicy salt" in Chinese restaurants, too....

Thanks! I would just love to take one o' thems to school :twisted:

(actually, looking a little closer, the earlier link are sort of religious nuts... it looks like

https://www2.carolina.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=10151&categoryId=789&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=1285|98|1029&pageNum=1&catLevel=3&bottom=Y&top=N

is a more, uh, mainstream company (and their squids are cheaper, too...)

I am doing a little archie sculpture out of clay for my art class.

Turns out it isn't so little. I got carried away, and now I've got a two-and-a-half foot long squid on my table. The glaze did not work out well in the kiln, so it isn't a deep, shiny maroon like I wanted it to be. Instead it looks like I poured watered-down paint over it. Because of those regrettable circumstances, I will repaint it and give it a nice shiny finish.

I'd go with Carolina too! Even down here in NZ we've got a few things from them (mainly articulated fish skeletons etc) and the quality is pretty good!

J

I'd vote for something popular (and common).. as well as something you could do full-size..
I'd say Dosidicus gigas.

Anyway... my input.

Ancora imparo,
-Paul

Hey is that octo in your avitar at monte vista market right now. it looked familiar. i have to say your sculptures look even better in person. also, what medium do you use before you cast it into metal? i personally like plasticine (oil based clay) but it would be cool to know what other artists are using.

I have a weakness for the flamboyant cuttlefish,Metasepia . Any chance of seeing one of those ina really nifty sculpture?
Rinie :rainbow:

Hey is that octo in your avitar at monte vista market right now. it looked familiar. i have to say your sculptures look even better in person. also, what medium do you use before you cast it into metal? i personally like plasticine (oil based clay) but it would be cool to know what other artists are using.


Yep, sure is. I'm the Meat Dept. Manager.

It's not cast. It's fabricated out of sheet copper, copper tubing, copper wire and brazing rods. Next time your in the store, look behind the rock and you will see an arm that I used as a test piece, from that you can see how I did it.

I have a weakness for the flamboyant cuttlefish,Metasepia . Any chance of seeing one of those ina really nifty sculpture?
Rinie :rainbow:


I have thought about it, but I need a little more practice with patinas to do it justice.