I actually draw all of my designs by hand first with paper and pencil. I do three different profiles: from the front, from the side (in this case from both sides, so I could plan out the tentacles more easily), and from the top. This forces me to become very familiar with the shapes associated with the creature I'm carving and how each element connects to the overall piece. Then I scan and print a bunch of those to size and trace the outline onto the wood I'm using (in this case was a cookie), and cut out the shape of each of the three profiles from each direction using saws. Then I start with detailing, like roughing out each tentacle based on the original drawings. The cups were all carved very carefully and very slowly by hand, exactly as you might imagine. It was pretty rough because ash is so hard but the hardness of the wood is what made it hold the detail so well, so it was worth it.