Hello from London

[Julie Botten]

Hi, I thought I would shed my lurker status- I've been meaning to do this for a few days, but get distracted reading threads..

I love octopuses, they fascinate me- I really enjoy watching them, and learning more about them- I've learnt so much on here already, it's awesome.

I study silversmithing, and want to make an octopus necklace as one of my portfolio pieces. I'm trying to get it as realistic as possible.. The biggest thing I'm worried about is making the arms too short- what sort of length ratio should I be aiming for?

Plus, what colour eyes do octopuses have? Thankyou so much

 

[tonmo]

Welcome to the community Julie!

 

[cuttlegirl]

Julie!

 

[DWhatley]

Julie,
For your showcase piece (or any realistic represnetation) you will need to pick a species to get proportions. Look through the photos we have in our jounals (see List of Our Octopuses 20xx at the top of the Cephalopod Care -> Octopuse Care forum for some ideas on which animal might best suit your thinking.

The center of the octopus eye is black but the "lid" part has chromatophores and can change color. The person collecting LittleBit saw her lids bright red while her skin remained white and I think she is still afraid of this "demon" species today . I have had one other animal (O. hummelincki) show this same lid coloration (it actually flashed) but with a brown body color. Young O. briareus will show a blue or green fluorescence around the eye (not the lid or eye proper). The Australian Gloomy octopus (Octopus tetricus) has interesting eyes that may or may not translate well into your piece.

After you have an idea on which species you want to portray, let us know and we can get the sizing details to help with realism. You may also want to consider using a male model and curl the third arm to the right (there are other details you could add as well). See this thread for some examples (be sure to look beyond the first page for some close-ups). Lastly, you may want to look at the exotics forum and think about using a Wunderpus Photogenticus as your model. It is distinct in its shape but smooth and has interesting markings.

 

[gjbarord]

Welcome! Look forward to the finished project!!

Greg

 

[OB]

!!! Always good to add yet another EU member to the fray I think we're all pretty keen on seeing the end result, that's for sure. What material might you be using? If you do Briareus, some iridescent patinating would work very nicely on silver, I might suggest.

 

[OB]

PS:

http://www.shapeways.com/blog/archi...d-Silver-Experiments-for-Stainless-Steel.html

For your perusal

 

[Julie Botten]

Hi, thank-you all so much for the warm welcome and all of the help!

I've been looking through the journals on here- there are so many lovely octopuses, I've really enjoyed their stories, so it's been really difficult to pick a species.. I am learning so much, it is wonderful.. D, I made sure that I looked up Little Bit, I am so sorry that you lost her, she was beautiful.

In the end, the Australian Gloomy Octopus is the species I've decided on. I absolutely love those eyes( I think I can set a pale stone with some black), and the pale greeny/grey/brown colour is one of the patinas for copper listed in my book (it has to soak in ammonium chloride and rolling tobacco ?!). I made a practice arm at college, and found I can get inside the suckers paler than the rest of the web. I am really excited about making it, and I will take lots of photos as it develops( and share them)..

I would definitely like to make a male. I had no idea that there were visible differences between genders, and it would be fantastic to show the curled third right arm, and it's adaptations.

I have to admit, now I've seen that iridescent patination, I'm tempted to get the silver for my birthday and make a second octopus, a Briareus, too...

Again, thank-you all so much, Julie

 

[DWhatley]

There is one other aspect of some species you should consider should you do a collection but probably not for this piece. A few of the species have distinct markings that could be done with stone work. There are the blue rings, of course but O. bimaculoides' eye spots (only 2) would also be quite distinctive.

I like the eyes on the Gloomy as well and they are nicely large proportionate to the mantle. Also note that the suckers can be very orange in one of its display patterns should you want to experiment with creating color or color tones.

In answer to one of your original questions, the Gloomy's arms should be 2.5 times the length of the mantle. The mantle is measured from just behind the eyes to the end of the sack (its body, the head is actually just below the eyes and downward to the mouth). I don't have a reference for eye to mantle length proportions though so you will need to search out species specific photos, enlarge and measure if you want to come close to actual proportions for this species.

Not that the tip of the hectocotylus (the third arm to the right, clockwise while orienting you eyes with the octopus eyes) is shaped differently then the tips of other arms and has no suckers. See a brief discussion at the top of the referenced thread.

For more metal working ideas, member KirkMcGuire's photos of some of his sculptures that my help you with ideas for your jewelry.

 

[corw314]

Can hardly wait to see the finished product! I hope you post pics of your progress!!!