Archive for the ‘Free Wallpapers’ Category

Lone Tentacle

Tuesday, July 17th, 2012

Lone Tentacle by Amy Crook

Lone Tentacle by Amy Crook

This dark, intense bluish-violet wash was just asking for tentacles, but after I’d scribbled in the first one it seemed like that was really enough. I just really like something about the way the single, lone tentacle reaches upward toward the light, silhouetted against the violet depths.

Lone Tentacle, 6″x6″ pen & ink and Japanese watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.

Lone Tentacle, detail, by Amy Crook

Lone Tentacle, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the shading detail on the tentacle, the textures of paper and paint that give the piece a murky, atmospheric feel. I liked this shot so much, I’m using it as a wallpaper, in fact. Below, you can see it temporarily tucked into a 8″x10″ frame, hanging out with my iPhone for scale.

Lone Tentacle, framed, by Amy Crook

Lone Tentacle, framed, by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Free Wallpapers, Tentacles
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Make Good Art

Monday, July 16th, 2012

Make Good Art calligraphic painting by Amy Crook

Make Good Art calligraphic painting by Amy Crook

Although I think many people have said this before (including several of my prior art teachers), it’s come most recently from Neil Gaiman. I also find the advice later on about freelancing to be very good and very true — to paraphrase, you must do good work, be on time, and be pleasant, and people will continue to hire you; actually, two out of three will do, most days. And thank goodness for that, because some days all three is more than anyone can manage.

I made this very pink wash when I was mucking about with my red palette of Japanese watercolors, going from the color that is almost exactly the same as the Orchid crayon in my childhood set, through a bright fuchsia pink and on to a lovely deep burgundy. I used my poor abused fountain pen to scribble in the lettering, then took my water brush and blurred it out, which gives an interesting effect, especially in the capitals. Next came the gold glitter paint in the letters, and I left it overnight to figure out what more it needed.

It needed tentacles, of course!

I finally found the fourth palette from the same set, which is six different shades of almost-black, so I took the rich plum-purple one and made a row of tentacles reaching up to tease at the lettering. Then, to balance it, I added the gold filigree at the top, and it finally felt done.

My mental narrative for it is a bit like, “Glimpse of the golden vines of Olympus? Make good art! Chased by tentacles from the Depths? Make good art!”

So, that’s my message for you this Monday – whatever form it takes, whatever inspires you, today, make good art.

Make Good Art, 8″x4″ Japanese watercolor, pen & ink, and glitter gel pen on Fluid watercolor paper on paper.

Make Good Art, detail 1, by Amy Crook

Make Good Art, detail 1, by Amy Crook

This is one of those pieces that’s very different depending on the lighting; the gold almost vanishes when it’s in low light, but it stands out beautifully when the sun hits it, and the thicker paint on the tentacles also has a bit of a gloss here and there. Below, you can see the effect just on the word “Art.”

And for those of you that’ve read this far, have a wallpaper of the above image, with my gloved fingers sneakily Photoshopped out.

Make Good Art, detail 2, by Amy Crook

Make Good Art, detail 2, by Amy Crook

I put it in a temporary frame so you can see the scale. Given the odd size, you may want to have it custom framed, or put it on a piece of mat board in a larger frame the way I’ve got it shown below.

Make Good Art, framed, by Amy Crook

Make Good Art, framed, by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, Free Wallpapers, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange, Words Words Words
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Tentacle Spiral 3

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012

Tentacle Spiral 3, original art by Amy Crook

Tentacle Spiral 3, original art by Amy Crook

I used red-brown at one corner and yellow ochre at the other to make an earthy, warm wash, and then it sat around for a while while I wasn’t sure what to do with it. But when in doubt, I always turn to tentacles, and so I’ve added a third painting to the series. I rather like the effect of the lunar black tentacles on the powdery-matte Japanese watercolor background, with the warm glow coming through them.

Tentacle Spiral 3, watercolor on paper.

Tentacle Spiral 3, detail, by Amy Crook

Tentacle Spiral 3, detail, by Amy Crook

Above you can see a close-up of the tentacles, and the textures of paper and paint together. I’ve made the detail photo into a computer wallpaper, this one’s less widescreen than yesterday’s for those of you with more square monitors. Below, I’ve put the painting in a frame so you can see how it might look, tucked in a frame on a shelf or perhaps a little piece of wall somewhere, adding tentacles to your home or office.

Tentacle Spiral 3, framed, by Amy Crook

Tentacle Spiral 3, framed, by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Free Wallpapers, Series and Books
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Filigree Planet 2

Monday, July 2nd, 2012

Filigree Planet 2 by Amy Crook

Filigree Planet 2 by Amy Crook

One more example of all the tiny spirals, this one with a few purple spirals sneaking in among the blue just to switch things up. The planet itself is a rich, grapey purple with some splashes of lighter periwinkle as highlights. The black space around it has quite a mysterious, almost wormhole-like texture to it, swirling around the planet’s inexorable gravity.

Filigree Planet 2, 7″x5″ watercolor and glitter gel pen on paper.

Filigree Planet 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Filigree Planet 2, detail, by Amy Crook

I love the way the light shimmers off these glittery pens, but they fade to near-invisibility at other angles and distances. I even made you, well, okay, I made myself a computer wallpaper off of the detail shot above, but you can use it, too. Below, you can see the piece tucked into a black frame, reflecting serenely in my iPhone (as usual, it’s not included, heh).

Filigree Planet 2, framed art by Amy Crook

Filigree Planet 2, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Free Wallpapers, Series and Books
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Flow

Monday, May 28th, 2012

Flow, abstract art by Amy Crook

Flow, abstract art by Amy Crook

This holiday Monday brings a piece that’s ironically about work, and getting into the flow of things. I actually painted the background for this upside-down, but I decided I liked the way it looked better the other way around once I got in the flow of working on it.

It reminds me a little of those desk toys with the two unmixing fluids that rock back and forth meditatively, creating waves where the two fluids meet. Something to put up at work to remind you that sometimes, all you have to do is look at things another way to get into the groove again.

Flow, 8″x4″ pen & ink and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.

Flow, detail, by Amy Crook

Flow, detail, by Amy Crook

Above you can see some of the crosshatching up close, and the subtle variations in color and texture throughout the piece. Below, it’s been temporarily put in a 10″x8″ frame for scale. And now, by request, it’s also a computer wallpaper.

Flow, framed, by Amy Crook

Flow, framed, by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Free Wallpapers
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Tentacle Deeps 34

Tuesday, April 24th, 2012

Tentacle Deeps 34, watercolor by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 34, watercolor by Amy Crook

I love the way these experimental tentacles came out, with the rich blue at the core fading to iridescent green and then finally the salt that looks almost coppery compared to the cool interior. These are tentacles reaching out from some sort of translucent blob, perhaps a Shoggoth resting at the bottom of his cell, trying to get out and eat his creators.

Omnomnom!

Tentacle Deeps 34, 4″x6″ salt and watercolor on paper.

Tentacle Deeps 34, detail, by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 34, detail, by Amy Crook

Above you can see a detail of the tentacles forming out of their base and reaching upwards and away from you. I think this image is quite nifty, so I made an iPhone wallpaper for you to share it with me. Below, the usual frame-up job, with my iPhone for scale only.

Tentacle Deeps 34, framed art by by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 34, framed art by by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Free Wallpapers, Series and Books, Tentacles
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Spiral Islands

Thursday, April 5th, 2012

Spiral Islands, abstract art by Amy Crook

Spiral Islands by Amy Crook

This is actually the first piece I started with my salt-saturated solution, before adding the blue paint to the bottle. I was experimenting with the delivery, which is much less precise, trying to make spirals to go with the messy scribbled-pen spirals already on the page. You can see where they intersected, the salt water picked up the brown pigment from the black ink and left the rest behind, giving those pools an orange cast.

After I painted in the blue-black background, the whole thing reminded me of a cluster of islands in some turbulent ocean. I especially like how some of the salt spirals are nearly intact, while others are barely a suggestion of broken lines.

Spiral Islands, mixed media on paper.

Spiral Islands, detail 1, by Amy Crook

Spiral Islands, detail 1, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a close-up of just one of the salt spirals and how it intersects with the ink spiral beneath it. The two separate pools got different amounts of ink infused into them, so the lower one is visibly orange while the upper curl is barely off white.

Below, I’ve taken a shot of the lay of the land, as it were, and this shining, mysterious little archipelago makes a great computer wallpaper.

Spiral Islands, detail 2, by Amy Crook

Spiral Islands, detail 2, by Amy Crook

Once it’s safely tucked into its frame, it feels even more map-like to me. Here there be dragons, I guess?

Spiral Islands, framed art by Amy Crook

Spiral Islands, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Free Wallpapers
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