Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Squid" video after each step to draw at your own pace.
For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.
Step 1: Draw a small circle as a guide for the squid's head. The circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide. Leave enough on the sides for the rest of the squid's body.
Step 2: Draw a long arc on the left side of the squid's head as a guide for the squid's body or mantle. Squid have different-sized mantles. This is determined by the size of the arc. You can draw yours longer or shorter.
Step 3: Draw an angled line on the left side of the squid's mantle as a guide for the fin. First draw a line similar to a less-than sign (<), then connect that line to the mantle so the end result looks roughly like a diamond.
Step 4: Draw a couple of wavy lines to the right of the head as guides for the squid's arms. The arm length varies between different squid species, so feel free to draw the guides as short or as long as you'd like.
Step 5: Draw a couple more wavy lines as guides for more arms. The purpose of these guides is to predetermine the placement of the squid's arms. This will help in the final uniformity of the arms.
Step 6: Draw two more wavy lines. These will be guides for the squid's tentacles, so they should be longer. Draw the line lightly at first to decide what path you want the tentacles to take. When you have the path you want, darken it slightly. To make this drawing simpler, draw the arms and tentacles short and straight. To make it more challenging, make the arms longer and wavier. Squid have eight arms plus two tentacles. The remaining arms will be added later to avoid confusion.
That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.
Step 7: Draw two small circles on the top and bottom of the head for the eyes. The circle at the top should be a bit smaller because of the perspective of the turned head. Inside each eye, draw another circle that's a bit smaller than the eye for the squid's irises. Also draw a tiny circle to represent glare and a bigger dot in the middle for the pupils. Shade in the rest of the irises for extra detail. Use a value that's lighter than the pupils to differentiate between them.
Step 8: Use the initial circle as a guide to draw the squid's head around the eyes. Draw the sides of the squid's head narrower. On the bottom part, add a small tube-like shape for the siphon, which is used like jet propulsion.
Step 9: Use the remaining shapes as guides to draw the rest of the squid's body and fin. Follow the basic path of the guide and make the fin wavier as you darken it to get a sense of motion. Darken the edges of the arc to complete the squid's body except for the portion at the bottom where the fin overlaps.
Step 10: Use the first to lines that you drew as guides to draw the first two arms. Simply follow the path of the guide as you darken the lines and draw the squid's arm thicker. You can draw a few small ovals along the bottom of the arm for the squid's suckers. Draw the squid's arms thicker at the base and make them come to a point at the end. These two arms will be on top of the others, so it's okay to overlap the other guide lines.
Step 11: Draw the other two arms using the remaining two shorter lines as guides. Remember to follow the basic path of the guide as you darken the squid's arms. The suckers line the inside part of the entire arm, so feel free to add as many as you want. When drawing this pair of arms, be sure to not overlap the lines. The lines should go under the first pair of arms.
Step 12: Now use the long lines as guides to draw the squid's two tentacles. Stay close to the guide as you darken the line to draw the squid's tentacles. Otherwise you'll end up with fat tentacles. At the tip of the tentacle, add a wide, diamond-like shape for the pad they use to grab food to eat. Draw the other tentacle using the same technique. The numerous lines can be a little confusing, so take your time as you draw each arm and tentacle.
Step 13: Draw two more arms in between the squid's other arms. There are no guides for these arms, so just add them anywhere there's any space left.
Step 14: Draw the last two arms to complete all eight arms. There isn't much space left for the squid's arms, so just squeeze in the last two as best you can. Try not to overlap the final lines with the other arms and tentacles.
Step 15 (optional): For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. The guides' multiple lines make that hard to do, so it's okay to leave some behind. Also re-draw any final sketch lines that you may have accidentally erased.
Final Step (optional): Add some shading to your squid drawing to give it more dimension and volume. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Shading the squid's overlapping arms and tentacles can be a little tricky, so take your time and be patient. To avoid confusion, follow each individual arm closely and finish shading before moving to another.
You can add more value throughout your drawing for extra detail. Squid are pretty slick, so add the value evenly for a smooth feel instead of a rough texture. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing. Don't forget to pause the "How to Draw a Squid" video to draw at your own pace.
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