Sunday Round-Up & Kitty Sketch
Posted on July 21st, 2013
a tentacular week of art
Another week, another bunch of art! Monday we aimed for the third star on the right and went straight on ’til yesterday. Tuesday there were spiral tentacles, and Wednesday there were crocheted tentacles. Thursday Sherlock got the Gorey treatment as page 1 of my new book project. Friday there was very tentacle-like black iron filigree, and Saturday Cthulhu wanted hugs.
Pod decided to decorate an order going out, so today’s little Sharpie doodle is him asking for consideration with regards to bent packages.
Kittehs only like it when they bend themselves into pretzels.
Categories: Daily Art, Sunday Round-Up
Tags: nfs, sharpie, sketch
Have You Hugged Your Tentacle Monster Today?
Posted on July 20th, 2013
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
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
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Card Design, Daily Art, Series and Books, Tentacles, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: cartoon, copic marker, cthulhu, for sale, pen and ink, weeble
Black Iron Filigree
Posted on July 19th, 2013
Black Iron Filigree, watercolor by Amy Crook
Another of my mysterious dark backgrounds has been brought to light, though in this case I gave it even more darkness to contend with in the form of matte black filigree. There’s a bit of salt on this piece to add a tiny bit of unexpected sparkle, too, and when framed in black it gives the impression of peering through a carved screen into the mysteries beyond.
Black Iron Filigree, 5″x5″ watercolor and salt on watercolor paper.
Black Iron Filigree, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the tiny sparkle of slat crystals hiding among the matte curls, adding a little magic to the mystery of the swirling blues and purples of the background. Below, you can see the piece framed with my phone for scale.
Black Iron Filigree, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Series and Books
Tags: black, filigree, for sale, salt, spirals, watercolor
Giant Rats 1: Blogging Again?
Posted on July 18th, 2013
Giant Rats of Sumatra, page 1: Blogging Again?
Sherlock art by Amy Crook
Ages ago, I started a little project combining the worlds of Sherlock with Edward Gorey and my own twisted mind, and I’ve finally gotten back to it! I scripted a 20-page story based incredibly loosely on the offhand mention in one of the original stories of the giant rats of Sumatra, and I have page 1 here for you. Page 2 is sketched, and hopefully this will start the ball rolling a little faster. I’d like to eventually publish them into a little book, which means that there’ll be front and back art, as well, but I think getting more than 2 pages done is the next step.
These pages aren’t for sale yet, because if I do make a book, I’ll try to use Kickstarter to fund it, in which case they’ll be a premium reward level.
Giant Rats of Sumatra, page 1: Blogging Again?, 7″x5″ pen & ink on paper, nfs (for now).
Giant Rats of Sumatra, page 1: Blogging Again?
detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see a close-up of the fine pen texture on Sherlock’s chair. Below, I’ve got it in a frame along with one of my own volumes of Sherlock Holmes.
Giant Rats of Sumatra, page 1: Blogging Again?
framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Works In Progress
Tags: black and white, crosshatching, giant rats of sumatra, gorey, john watson, pen and ink, sherlock, sherlock bbc, sherlock holmes
2 Comments »
Tentacle Critters from Ann Littell
Posted on July 17th, 2013
What’s in the mysterious box?
I did not make these things! The wonderful Ann Littell, with whom I went to high school, came out to CA and brought me the awesomest surprise of all. I was not expecting her to have a gift for me, and I have some guilt that I haven’t returned the favor yet, but it’s fleeting because I was totally gobsmacked. Also I keep getting distracted by how awesome these are.
Note that Ann doesn’t make these for sale, so I’m just luckier than you.
Blue paper like water! And ooooooh tentacles.
Above, you can see what I saw as I opened the box, and share in my excitement. TENTACLES! What could they beeee? Below, they’re out of their box and sitting on top.
Three Wee Beasties!
They’re really well-made and I love the colors! The squid is a lovely blue-grey with lighter fins, and his tentacles have this great curl to them. The jellyfish is this great combo of two shimmery pink yarns that work really well together, and he’s got a really good mix of tentacle sizes and lengths. The octopus is such a great color set, all bright and cheery in very Amy colors, and when laid flat on the table his tentacles make a great little swoopy pattern that translates well into sitting around. You’ve already seen these guys guest starring on some of my art posts, and you can expect to see more of them!
Thanks, Ann!
Squid, Jellyfish and Octopus, an awesome Trifecta
Categories: Words Words Words
Tags: awesomeness, mine not yours, nfs, not me, tentacles
2 Comments »
Tentacle Spiral 6
Posted on July 16th, 2013
Tentacle Spiral 6 by Amy Crook
This painting reminds me of looking into a pool of water that reflects the silvery moon. Not that I’ve ever been able to see writhing tentacles reaching in from all sides, slithering under the water and trying to capture the moon in their curls. The silver seems to float on top of everything else, even the details that were added after, though there’s little pen-and-ink details that scratch their way through the surface to add an extra bit of visual interest.
Tentacle Spiral 6, 6″x4″ Japanese watercolor, metallic watercolor, pen & ink and Sharpie marker on watercolor paper.
Tentacle Spiral 6, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the secret coppery pen-scratches adding little halos of movement around some of the tentacles, and the deeper blacks etched into the silvery Sharpie curls as well. Below, you can see the piece in a frame, giving the tentacles a more otherworldly feel as they sneak in from all sides, grasping at moonlight.
Tentacle Spiral 6, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Series and Books
Tags: for sale, pen and ink, sharpie, silver, spirals, tentacle spiral, tentacles, watercolor
Straight On ‘Til Yesterday
Posted on July 15th, 2013
Straight On ‘Til Yesterday, watercolor by Amy Crook
Another watercolor sky, this one dreamy and just a bit odd, with the stars out in full force and a strange planetary-atmosphere glow of color. This is one of those which my scanner just cannot get right, but the framed photo at the bottom gives a really nice sense of the colors involved.
I think of this as secret Doctor Who art, actually — I imagine him standing in the doorway of the TARDIS with his latest companion, pointing up at the stars and making a Peter Pan joke. To the very right you can see the edge of something, planet or satellite or moon, which is completely hidden when it’s in the frame, like a little secret between the artist and collector, or perhaps that’s where the Doctor means to take us after all.
Straight On ‘Til Yesterday, 7″x5″ Japanese watercolor and silver watercolor on Arches cover black paper.
Straight On ‘Til Yesterday, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the softly textured sky and bright, twinkling silver stars, and a bit of the fade from turquoise to blue to black. Below, you can see it in a frame, with a sonic screwdriver and much more accurate colors.
Straight On ‘Til Yesterday, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: black paper, for sale, japanese watercolor, sky, stars, watercolor
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