I won, yay!
Posted on November 27th, 2013
So, this happened on Monday, and then I forgot to tell you about it:
Winner!
I’m still writing (60K+ now, and I still have today’s words to go), but I wanted to celebrate with you guys, who have been very patient with my forays away from art and into writing. And to encourage all of you who are also doing NaNoWriMo this year.
Keep writing, it’s not over ’til it’s over!
Categories: Words Words Words
Tags: nanowrimo
NaNoWriMo and Things
Posted on November 21st, 2013
Fairy Flower, inks by Amy Crook
I’ve been sadly neglecting the blog during November, but I’m doing wonderfully at NaNoWriMo, and that’s where all my words are going. I’ve started the sequel to The Courtship of Julian St. Albans, and I’m writing Julian’s book to follow up Alex’s.
In the first book, Alex gives Julian some magical plants, among them something I made up called fairy flowers, which attract butterfly fairies. They show up again in The Apprenticeship of Julian St. Albans, and so I decided to draw them. Assuming the coloring goes well, I’ll use them on the cover like I did with Horace.
I still need to color the image, but I thought you’d like to know where I’d wandered off to. So, at 47K+ words and 9 days to go, here’s a little something to tide you over.
And yes, I’m getting (some) art done for the Floating Gallery, too.
Categories: Words Words Words
Tags: nanowrimo
He Knows if You’ve Been Bad or Good
Posted on November 15th, 2013
He Knows if You’ve Been Bad or Good,
a Sherlock parody comic by Amy Crook
I’m still hard at writing with NaNoWriMo, but yesterday’s card demanded a companion.
Mycroft Holmes is Santa Claus. It makes perfect sense, in a creepy sort of way, he’s already got Minions to do the work and everything. I’m especially partial to the candy cane striped tie, an everyday acknowledgement of his very special secret role. Even more powerful than being the British Government, sort of!
He Knows if You’ve Been Bad or Good, 5″x7″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper. Buy this as a holiday card at my Etsy shop!
two Sherlock holiday cards and a spooky pen made of bone
Categories: Card Design, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: christmas, copic marker, etsy, holiday, john watson, nfs, parody, pen and ink, sherlock, sherlock bbc, sherlock holmes, sold, watson
Secret Santa
Posted on November 14th, 2013
Secret Santa, a Sherlock parody comic by Amy Crook
Despite NaNoWriMo taking over my brain, the holiday cards continue to trickle out of my pens! This one ended up inspiring tomorrow’s comic, in the way that these things do.
It’s Christmas morning at 221B Baker Street, and John’s a bit mystified by the extra gifts that have appeared under the tree overnight from “Santa.” Sherlock is merely disgusted that Mycroft can’t seem to keep his fingers out of Sherlock’s life for one single holiday.
Secret Santa, 5″x7″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper. Buy this as a holiday card at my Etsy shop!
two Sherlock holiday cards and a spooky pen made of bone
Categories: Card Design, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: christmas, copic marker, etsy, holiday, john watson, nfs, parody, pen and ink, sherlock, sherlock bbc, sherlock holmes, sold, watson
Misty Moon 2
Posted on November 8th, 2013
Misty Moon 2 by Amy Crook
A black crow flies against the darkest part of the sky, while mist swirls and floats all around, obscuring the shining moon. The mist drifts in wispy tentacles that light up into spirals when the light hits them just right.
Misty Moon 2, 6″x4″ watercolor and iridescent watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Misty Moon 2, detail, by Amy Crook
The scanner captures the painting in an in-between state, but you can see above how the stars light up violet and the mist glows blue when the sun hits it. Below, the painting in its frame appears more like it does to the naked eye, with the shimmering spirals hidden, and only the slithering tentacles of mist show through.
Misty Moon 2, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: crow, fairytale sky, iridescent, moon, nfs, sold, watercolor
A Series of Uncanny Fears: Sleep Paralysis
Posted on November 7th, 2013
A Series of Uncanny Fears: Sleep Paralysis
pen and ink art by Amy Crook
If you’ve never experienced sleep paralysis, this particular Uncanny Fear might not quite make sense to you.
You’re lying in bed, just on the edge of sleep, and your body has descended into some nether region of unresponsiveness. A fear grips you along with the strange paralysis, and you look around as much as your frozen eyes will allow. Dark figures loom all around, watching, waiting, though you don’t know what for. You probably don’t want to know.
Although I enjoy the pattern on the rumpled bedding immensely, I think the staticky quality of the shadowy figures if my favorite part of this one.
A Series of Uncanny Fears: Sleep Paralysis, 5″x7″ pen & ink on paper.
A Series of Uncanny Fears: Sleep Paralysis, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the spooky, swirly footboard on this narrow bed. Below, the piece is in a frame, with my iPhone for size reference.
A Series of Uncanny Fears: Sleep Paralysis, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Floating Gallery, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
Tags: a series of uncanny fears, crosshatching, edward gorey, for sale, gorey, pen and ink, uncanny fears
Red, Gold, and Green
Posted on November 6th, 2013
Red, Gold, and Green, watercolor still life by Amy Crook
That’s right, I painted a still life. On purpose.
I wanted something for my personal holiday cards this year that was in the colors of the season but without too much of the seasonal hype, so I pulled out a few of my Pilot Petit fountain pens and then painted a quick still life. The original was for sale in November’s Floating Gallery, but I won’t be putting the cards for sale. You have to be on my holiday card list to get one.
Red, Gold, and Green, 6″x4″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Red, Gold, and Green, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see a little close-up of the green and orange (only the pen body is really gold) pens. They have a plastic support behind each nib that’s colored to match the ink, and you can see the green one here, and a little sliver of the orange one in the background. Below, I’ve put it in a frame, with my phone and the not-gold pen in question (the color is called “apricot”).
Red, Gold, and Green, framed art by Amy Crook
If you don’t know what song this piece puts in my head, I can’t really help you.
And yes, I used Oxford commas in the title just for you.
Categories: Card Design, Floating Gallery, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: christmas, holiday, nfs, watercolor
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