Quiet Ocean · Plate 22 of 45

Nautilus color reference

The nautilus lives on deep reef slopes in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Its coiled shell is divided inside into chambers, and the animal adjusts the gas and liquid in them to rise and sink. Unlike octopus and squid, it has dozens of small tentacles without suckers.

Colors to reach for

Paint the shell cream or white with bold red-brown and orange stripes that fade toward the opening, and add a pearly sheen inside.

• cream
• red brown
• orange
• white
• pale pink

How to color the nautilus, step by step

1. Read the gray shading guide first. It already marks where the nautilus is darkest, so the shadows are mapped before you pick up a pencil.
2. Lay a light first layer of cream and red brown over the largest areas, with soft pressure and small circles, letting the gray show through.
3. Build depth with orange and white, going over the gray areas a second and third time until they read as shadow and form.
4. Finish with pale pink for the smallest details and highlights, then step back and compare with the color reference above.

Questions about this page

What colors do I need to color the nautilus?

Start with cream, red brown, orange, white and pale pink. Paint the shell cream or white with bold red-brown and orange stripes that fade toward the opening, and add a pearly sheen inside.

Where is the nautilus in Quiet Ocean?

It is plate 22 of 45 in Quiet Ocean. Like every Nibfern drawing it is printed on one side of the page, with a light gray shading guide under the lines and a dotted cut line at the spine.

Can I frame the nautilus page?

Yes. Cut along the dotted line and trim to the corner marks for a 7 x 9 inch print that fits a standard 8 x 10 frame.

More from Quiet Ocean

• Blue crabQuiet Ocean, plate 24
• LobsterQuiet Ocean, plate 25
• PrawnQuiet Ocean, plate 26
• Giant clamQuiet Ocean, plate 27

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