Archive for the ‘Whimsical and Strange’ Category

Con the Earth Sprite

Monday, July 22nd, 2013

Con the Earth Sprite by Amy Crook

Con the Earth Sprite by Amy Crook

Con here is another character from my book! I’m not sure this quite captures the potato-like grumpiness of the character, but I had fun drawing his wrinkly little head and stumpy body.

I’ve chosen a winner to get the hard copy of the book using an old-fashioned D&D die, and Andria’s already written me back so she’ll get hers next week. The freebie days were quite successful, and the book itself continues to trickle out a few copies each day. I’ve already got an idea for a sequel, which I’ll probably start during NaNoWriMo this year, but given that this book was started back in 2010, don’t hold your breath! The new book will focus on Julian, who wanted to have a say of his own.

Con the Earth Sprite, 5″x7″ pencil on paper. If you read & liked the book, I’d love it if you’d review me on Amazon!

Con the Earth Sprite, and the book from which he came, both by Amy Crook

Con the Earth Sprite, and the book from which he came,
both by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
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Have You Hugged Your Tentacle Monster Today?

Saturday, July 20th, 2013

Have You Hugged Your Tentacle Monster Today? Cthulhu art by Amy Crook

Have You Hugged Your Tentacle Monster Today?
Cthulhu art by Amy Crook

Cthulhu just wants hugs. And to devour your soul, but you know. Hugs first!

Have You Hugged Your Tentacle Monster Today?, 5″x7″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper.

Have You Hugged Your Tentacle Monster Today? detail, by Amy Crook

Have You Hugged Your Tentacle Monster Today?
detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a close-up of Cthulhu’s huggable tentacles. Below, he’s in a frame, so you can get the full effect of being hugged by a tentacle monster.

Have You Hugged Your Tentacle Monster Today? framed art by Amy Crook

Have You Hugged Your Tentacle Monster Today?
framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Card Design, Daily Art, Series and Books, Tentacles, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
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Horace

Monday, July 8th, 2013

Horace, an illustration from The Courtship of Julian St. Albans, by Amy Crook

Horace, an illustration from The Courtship of Julian St. Albans,
by Amy Crook

So, this is Horace! He’s a character from The Courtship of Julian St. Albans, which is a novel I wrote. I decided that one high-stress, low-paying creative career was enough, so rather than go through the normal channels of submission-rejection-etc, I just self-published it using Amazon’s CreateSpace platform. It’s available on Kindle or as a real, physical book, and you can even “borrow” the Kindle file if you’ve got Amazon Prime.

Even better, it’s available for free on Kindle today and tomorrow (July 8 & 9) as a special promotional thing! I’m also going to give away a copy of the physical book tomorrow, so if you covet a signed copy, that’s one way to get it.

The Courtship of Julian St. Albans is something of a hybrid book, a murder mystery in an urban fantasy setting, with a gay romance all wrapped up in the central plot.

Alex Benedict is the main character, and the mage who created Horace. Alex makes his living consulting on magical murders with the Agency, and he’s called in to consult on the murder of Julian St. Albans’ husband-to-be. Alex ends up a part of Julian’s formal Courtship, treading a deadly dance of manners, murder and magic. Horace is a magical artefact, rather than a clockwork machine. He’s hollow in the middle; he carries letters back and forth between the suitor and courted. He might just be my favorite character in the book, and was definitely the most fun to draw!

Horace, 4″x6″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper.

Horace, detail, by Amy Crook

Horace, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see some of Horace’s details, both the filigree making up his body, and the runes that help him function magically. Below, you can see the bird with the book, and my phone makes three.

Horace and The Courtship of Julian St. Albans, both by Amy Crook

Horace and The Courtship of Julian St. Albans,
both by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
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Sharpie Tea and Jammie Dodger

Friday, July 5th, 2013

Sharpie Tea and Jammie Dodger by Amy Crook

Sharpie Tea and Jammie Dodger by Amy Crook

My friend Sarah gave me a prompt for a cup of tea and a biscuit (meaning cookie, of course), and so I drew tea and a Jammie Dodger, which are delicious British biscuits. I know it’s hot most everywhere in the US right now, but I’m sure someone, somewhere would love a hot cuppa and a tasty treat.

Categories: Daily Art, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
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Sharpie Happy Cake

Thursday, July 4th, 2013

Sharpie Happy Cake by Amy Crook

Sharpie Happy Cake by Amy Crook

Happy 4th of July, aka Independence Day here in the states! I thought this cake would be fun for basically any occasion one needs to be happy. Personally, just surviving another Thursday is a pretty good reason, if you ask me.

Categories: Daily Art, Whimsical and Strange
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Sharpie Hungover Owl

Monday, July 1st, 2013

Sharpie Hungover Owl by Amy Crook

Sharpie Hungover Owl by Amy Crook

I’m going to be off for most of this week, and I’ve been running behind for most of the past couple of weeks before this, so you get a Sharpie Week! I asked for prompts on various venues, and this was sort of my friend Kira’s idea. She asked for an owl, and I’m the one who decided it needed to be a hungover owl. I mean, it is Monday.

Categories: Daily Art, Whimsical and Strange
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Fairytale Sky 7

Friday, June 28th, 2013

Fairytale Sky 7 by Amy Crook

Fairytale Sky 7 by Amy Crook

So, instead of painting the moon and mist and stars on black paper, this time I painted a mysterious sky of nearly-black colors, then added in the silver mist and stars and milk-white moon. I love the way the moon and mist picked up the background colors, especially the bloody cast to the moon’s shadows. A subtle addition to the series, with shine on the metallic mist and stars but not too much fancy paint this time around.

Fairytale Sky 7, 7″x5″ Japanese watercolor on Arches cover white paper.

Fairytale Sky 7, detail, by Amy Crook

Fairytale Sky 7, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see brush strokes in the silver paint, which ranges from thick enough to stand off the paper, to thin enough to barely be visible on the dark background. Below, the painting is hanging out with my iPhone, showing off its spirals.

Fairytale Sky 7, framed art by Amy Crook

Fairytale Sky 7, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
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