Nautilus (Sweet Squares day 1)

Nautilus illustration
© 2012 Sylvia Liu
Illustrator Diandra Mae has started Sweet Squares, a challenge to draw, paint, or create something every day for 30 days, with no expectations other than to explore and have fun. I thought I would give it a try.



This illustration is of a nautilus, a member of my favorite marine family, the cephalopods (Greek for head plus feet; the family includes octopi, squid, cuttlefish, and the like). I'm thinking of putting together a fun infographic on cephalopods, so this will be a good way to get started on individuals in the family tree.

Some fun facts about nautiluses (nautili?):

  • They can withstand enormous pressure, having been found as deep as 2000 feet
  • Artists and scientists have been fascinated by their spiral pattern, which grows in a way similar to the golden spiral or Fibonacci spiral (proportions that are found repeatedly in nature and that are considered to be most pleasing to the human eye).

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