Unleash the Kraken!

Introduction: Kraken

The Kraken is a mighty mythological sea creature that dwells thousands of meters deep in the ocean. Centuries ago it was one of the most terrifying creatures in the sea and a recurring character in tales of sailors. Believed to live around the coasts of Greenland and Norway, fisherman folklore describes it as a colossal beast with multiple tentacles, reminiscent of a giant squid. Indeed, what is often noted about the kraken is its huge size, allowing it to wrap its powerful arms around a ship and pull it beneath the waves. It is also said to have a notable impact on the water in the immediate vicinity, affecting currents and even creating whirlpools. The kraken is seen as a hostile and aggressive creature and is therefore greatly feared.

Field Notes

Octopuses

Taking inspiration from real-world animals is key, which is why I examine octopuses and squids in my research stage. I make detailed sketches of an octopus' head and unusual skin. The skin appears moist and rubbery, and can contain interesting textures and ridges, which almost look like armored spikes in places. It can also have a mottled appearance. The eye is particularly disturbing, and at the krakens huge size I imagine this to be peering through a porthole of an unsuspecting ship before it decides to take it as prey.

Tentacles and mouth

Next I continue my exploration of different tentacles and the mouth of a giant squid. This is how this animal kills its prey, so I imagine that the kraken can destroy a ship with a similar mouth. I try to understand the mechanics of the tentaclesand how octopuses use them during combats, and animal attacks. I also sketch suckers and the way they would help bring the prey closer to the mouth.

Inner mouth

The two sketches on the right here explore the inner beak-like mouth of an ocean squid, and an animal living in the rivers of Amazonas that is similar to a bloodsucking leech. The kraken mouth could combine a mixture of these two animals, which would take the design a step away from a regular giant squid.

Squid tentacles and mantle

The final two sketches show part of a squid tentacle and a squid mantle and fins. I want to be accurate in representing how these work in real animals and reflect this in the kraken design. Nature is the best designer so I love to explore the variety of existing shapes and forms found in the ocean. I try to consider how the beast will swim better and what kind of hunting tactics will be best for it.

Squid skin

One of the most important parts of the kraken design is the mantle and fin area and the nature of its skin. I depict the first stage of the shape and overall form of this area of the body. It is important to think about the balance between tail and head this will give the creature a more believable design. I try to imagine how it would look and behave after living for many centuries at the bottom of the ocean. I start with a heavy bold line then try to create a balance between thick and thin lines. Variation of line weight adds interest, and offers a good foundation for a successful final design.

I then start to add detail to the skin. After making observations of real-world squid skin, I begin with larger forms before refining smaller parts of the skins pattern and texture. I try to create balance for the pattern over the body. I want the viewer to see how the skin has aged and how violent clashes with ships have imprinted on it. I continue to add more details over the main shape, trying to convey the age of the creature. This is an ancient beast that has lurked in the depths of the ocean for eons.

I then continue adding more detail, but also try to convey gesture and the idea of floating sea vegetation on the skin. Together with the suggestion movement, I add some small seashells nothing specific, but more like visual forms and clues. I like to suggest to the viewer rather than provide full information, so the viewer can fill in the gaps using their imagination. I place lines in the same direction to indicate that the tail and attached vegetation are floating in the water. Adding more marks, old scars, and wounds on the skin gives the design more depth.

Tentacle suckers

I move on to developing a tentacle with suckers a key element allowing the creature to conquer ships and defend its territory. Based on my research into existing octopus and squid tentacles, I know that the tentacle itself is very flexible and has a multitude of suckers and small teeth to help it bring its victims closer to its mouth. I start with the overall shape and gesture. Gesture is one of the most important elements to consider when you are designing items that will be floating in water. Keeping my arm loose, I sketch a few heavy lines and then roughly place the small suckers. I like the balance of form present here; it will work well in terms of suggesting that the beast is submerged underwater.

I add more details, ensuring the suckers work three-dimensional with the curve of the tentacle. I create a rhythm of small and large suckers to add variation and interest; I want to avoid boring, repetitive shapes. I also try to keep the structure and overall design hostile in appearance by adding areas of spikes or serrated edges. While it is important to ground creature design in reality to provide some believability, when it comes to representing a mythological monster it is vital to move away from just literal representation. The Kraken needs to be terrifying and not of this world.

To hone the details I sketch a study of the final sucker design, which includes a kind of claw on the edge. This breaks up the lines and suggests weaponry. I take a very graphical approach, with contrasting lines and dark spots inside the big sucker shapes, and balance that with shading in some areas. The high level of contrast really helps to convey the dangerous sharpness of this creatures tentacle, while the shading builds the dimensionality.

click images to enlarge

Octopus

Tentacles and mouths

Squid Inner Mouth and Bloodsucker Mouth

Squid Tentacle and Squid Mantle

Basic Shape

Refining Texture

Suggesting Movement and Age

Using Gesture

Adding Rhythm and Character

Adding weaponry

Design process

Thumbnails

When it comes to designing a fictional creature, the thumbnails are the most important part. I avoid limiting myself and experiment with a wide range of ideas. I dont think about the details and focus on exploring shape, silhouette, and overall design the way these work together and how to represent them accurately. While sketching the thumbnails shown below, I envisioned forms and details from nature.

I combined many ideas together and tried to assemble them into something believable. Looking through the designs you can see how my ideas evolved from a more elegant and natural concept to something with a deadly and hostile appearance. The thumbnails 0104 and 0709 focus on body shape exploration. The final three thumbnails are closer to my idea for an ancient creature covered with old parts of ships and seaweed.

The fins of the squid have an almost harpoonlike appearance by the end, adding to the peril associated with the kraken. The anchors and scarred edges help create an interesting silhouette, and the more angular tentacles with less regular curves make it appear as though the beast has been ravaged by time. I think it is important to make sure that the eyes are visible in order to create a more haunting, intimidating look. The predator has its eye on its prey.

Further exploration

A good design will make the creature easily recognized by all, so I need to ensure the shape language is clear. Looking at the Kraken from above, as shown on the right, you can appreciate the overall shape of the creatures body. My goal is to strike a visual balance between the different parts. There are two longer arms that are used to reach out to objects and pull them into its iron grip. These have tiny teeth on and are almost reminiscent of Venus flytraps, adding to the predatory feel.

From a rear angle you can observe the design of the tail-end of the mighty kraken. It needs to convey strength and I wanted the fins to look like a vicious weapon that could be used when fighting. I tried to imagine the full design of the ship destroyer and how the tentacles would be spread, ready for attack. You can start to see their full potential here, and understand how the kraken could wrap itself around a ship to drag it down into the depths.

The final sketch below explores one of the most terrifying aspects of the creature the giant mouth full of deadly teeth. I applied ideas from previous research on mouth types to give a darker personality to the Kraken. I strove to achieve a frightening and powerful design, using contrast to draw the viewer in to the dark depths of the mouth. The jagged lines, not only on the teeth but also on the tentacles, add to the sense of danger and threat.

Poses

With this first pose I tried to convey a Kraken full of energy and ready for new adventures. However, I think it looks far too friendly compared to the chilling stories told by sailors. The eye in particular has a more relatable, human look with the round pupil and an almost excited raised-eyebrow expression. I experimented more with adding remnants of ships by adding pieces of wood that protrude from the creatures silhouette.

Next you can see the kraken in a calm and relaxed pose, presenting a full view of the creature and the spread of its tentacles. I wanted to focus on the body shape so I omitted the relics of devastated ships from this sketch. The edges are all very jagged to ensure the krakens age and ferocity is conveyed. I decided to leave the eye as a glassy, pupil-less orb to create an unearthly, ghostly look.

Finally, by sketching the beast from below, I tried to give it a more cinematic feel and imagined how the silhouette would appear from a different angle. This is a good way to present it as a powerful master of the ocean. It is also a simple way to demonstrate that the Kraken is floating. The pose shows the Kraken preparing its tentacles for attack, possibly whilemoving at speed. I added an extra element to the design here: a battered ship hull around the creatures body, which suggests that at some point the brute has tackled a ship with such great strength and speed that it has rammed straight through it. A horrifying thought!

Subspecies

Humpback Kraken

The humpback Kraken is equally as ancient as its common cousin, usually found covered with the remnants of ships sunk centuries ago, worn like trophies. It is believed to keep a collection of destroyed ships in the darkest corners of the ocean. Its name is derived from the humpback whale due to its whale-like tail and the ridged, humped spine formed from the masts and sails of old ships. These are often seen breaking the surface moments before the Kraken attacks.

Sail-finned Kraken

This Kraken has a more classical, organic feel to it compared to the humpback Kraken. Known for its high speeds, the tentacles are slightly longer, allowing it to powerfully propel itself through the water. Its body is also elongated, giving it a streamlined appearance. Its fins, while natural, are reminiscent of sails found on boats, hence its name. It has been rumored that this Kraken subspecies can sometimes jump out of the water like flying fish, although sightings have been rare.

Final design

The final Kraken design is one that displays power and majesty. Covered with its personal collection of sunken ships, which it uses for camouflage, the Kraken is a fierce monster to be reckoned with. I used interpretation of my favorite Kraken attack legends to add detail and wreckage to the skin, which enhances the storytelling of the concept. I am a big fan of the classical engravings you would see on old sea maps, so I wanted to add a hint of this into the design as well.

The creatures orb-like eye is adapted to see in the dark depths of the ocean. The lack of pupil gives it a wild look that no human can relate to. The two longer, more delicate arms look like whips, evoking feelings of pain and fear; along with the triangular tail fin they remind me of the classical look of Neptune and his trident in terms of shape language, creating a sense of grandeur. I made sure any vegetation attached to the Kraken flowed in the same direction to suggest a floating effect, indicating that the beast is moving through water at great velocity

Key facts

Name: Kraken

Taxonomy: Giant squid, octopus

Region: Norwegian Sea

Habitat: Oceans

Mythical abilities: Colossal size

Threat to humans: 5

Final image © Sabin Boykinov

Find this tutorial and more stunning creature concepts in Mythical Beasts

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