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tekelili — A Congregation of Cephalopods

Published: 2008-01-13 16:44:39 +0000 UTC; Views: 1904; Favourites: 33; Downloads: 23
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Description Been swamped by the holidays, so been ages since managing to post and catch up here.

I'm still stuck in the Ordovician Age! This time, it's manifest as an illustrative drawing inspired by my friend Carter Kaplan's writing. Without the writing though. . .the explanation would be. . .challenging. XD Suffice it to say that Rabbi Dada Kohenum announces his discovery of the Second aether, a vast realm of darkness and stars, and god's out there, all by himself. . .

Portrayed are several varieties of nautiloids and endocerids, the straight-shelled cephalopods. The cephalopods went through an explosion of diversity during this period, becoming the dominiant predatory life form. The ancient ones were all shelled, they didn't start losing that trait until a long while later. Todays chambered nautilus is an almost exact example of its prehistoric predecessors, it's changed very little from those that came before it. But, back in the Ordovician, there were tons of different kinds of nautiloid, not the one variety we know of now. I say know of, since we know more about outer space than our own oceans.

Also portrayed are several crinoids, which are animals, and not plants, although they look plantish. Today, the remnants of the species are very few, feather stars and sea lilies being pretty much it.


The fact that the first "intelligence" appeared in this specific era is probably one of the reasons that I'm so fascinated with it. Prior to cephalopods, there wasn't anything with an advanced brain, but suddenly, that all changed. Cephalopods are amazing creatures, intelligent, emotional, sentient. It's too bad that since they don't feel the need to go building anything that humans in general don't seem to recognize their sentient aquatic brothers. Especially octopuses.
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Comments: 25

Jakeukalane [2013-12-11 11:33:19 +0000 UTC]

So, so so awesome!!!

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MarkoftheSavage [2010-12-31 01:43:35 +0000 UTC]

I want this tattooed. Eeee, so many ideas inspired.

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AxelThePossum [2009-01-16 18:28:01 +0000 UTC]

I love cephalopods but... Are they SUPPOSED to look that devious and scheming?

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jiangzu [2008-05-30 18:20:19 +0000 UTC]

I LOVE CEPHALAPODS! I love the almost-psychadelic colours on this, so much vibrance and detail. And they all look kind of cranky...

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rachaelm5 [2008-04-27 21:04:19 +0000 UTC]

Absolutely nothing beats a good ol' pile o' cephalopods. Wonderful work - and quite a lot of color for you! I particularly like all of the textures on their shells.

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tekelili In reply to rachaelm5 [2008-04-28 18:07:45 +0000 UTC]

Really, nothing does beat a pile o' cephalopods. XD Thanks much!

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ulbandi [2008-01-17 20:16:25 +0000 UTC]

That's beautiful. I really love cephalopods, they're such fascinating creatures...

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tekelili In reply to ulbandi [2008-01-20 11:36:40 +0000 UTC]

Thanks for the comment! I've got just a bit of a cephalopod obsession. XD Not that anyone could guess.

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madbaumer37 [2008-01-17 04:42:09 +0000 UTC]

great job!
love the dark atmosphere.

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tekelili In reply to madbaumer37 [2008-01-20 11:31:56 +0000 UTC]

Thanks for the comment! Really enjoyed working on this one.

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anacharis [2008-01-14 19:55:42 +0000 UTC]

Orthocones for the win!

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tekelili In reply to anacharis [2008-01-20 11:31:29 +0000 UTC]

Gotta love 'em! XD

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blind-dancer [2008-01-14 15:34:37 +0000 UTC]

I was wondering... Were they very intelligent back then?

I've heard that the reason why they were so smart was because they had lost their shell, so they were helpless and had to find ways of surviving... So only the smartest survived.

But maybe they were already smart?
Any case, they're cute and cuddly

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tekelili In reply to blind-dancer [2008-01-20 11:30:48 +0000 UTC]

They were smarter than anything else at the time so. .. I'd say that's very intelligent in comparison at least. XD Chances are they did get more cunning as they grew to be more stealthy, but, the first cephalopods already had a whole lot more brain in comparison to body than any other creatures.

And yeah, they're awful cute. XD

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blind-dancer In reply to tekelili [2008-01-20 14:24:20 +0000 UTC]

nice

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Tar-Vanimelde [2008-01-14 10:39:33 +0000 UTC]

every single one of your posts is a treat. and the title on this one so made me giggle as well...

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tekelili In reply to Tar-Vanimelde [2008-01-20 11:29:28 +0000 UTC]

Thanks for the comment!

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squizzlenut [2008-01-13 21:47:29 +0000 UTC]

Wow, this is so much more colourful than the others. Coincidentally, I was watching a documentary on ancient sea life just yesterday! I love how you've represented them, especially the crinoids.

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tekelili In reply to squizzlenut [2008-01-20 11:28:47 +0000 UTC]

Thanks for the comment! I had to do one of these scenes in color- there's so much color underwater, and, as much as I love monochromatic themes, color's fun too. I'm thinking nudibranches soon, for some more fun with color underwater. XD And I really need to have you properly friended.

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squizzlenut In reply to tekelili [2008-01-20 18:19:55 +0000 UTC]

Eep! You're friending me? I feel so honoured...

In other news, I love nudibranches! If you're going for colour underwater there's no better subject. I used to draw them as mermaids.

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The-Mythanian [2008-01-13 17:03:14 +0000 UTC]

Are they supposed to look that evil?

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tekelili In reply to The-Mythanian [2008-01-20 11:26:32 +0000 UTC]

They -did- just pluck the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, so to say. XD

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The-Mythanian In reply to tekelili [2008-01-20 16:23:05 +0000 UTC]

okay

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Quaddles-Roost [2008-01-13 17:00:20 +0000 UTC]

The detailing and sense of movement are excellent.

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tekelili In reply to Quaddles-Roost [2008-01-20 11:26:08 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! Water's so wonderful for movement, so much space to work with, and free of the bonds of gravity. <3

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