Blog « Antemortem Arts | Art & Writing by Amy Crook

7 Skulls

Posted on March 18th, 2013

7 Skulls by Amy Crook

7 Skulls by Amy Crook

Whimsical cartoon skulls are rolling around on a background full of spirals, with a lovely blue-black painted border that emphasizes the natural torn edges of the paper. Each cartoonish skull has its own character, just like the real ones we all have hiding under our skin.

7 Skulls, 9″x7″ watercolor on paper.

7 Skulls, detail, by Amy Crook

7 Skulls, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a detail of the skulls and the thick, textured paper they’re painted on. Below, I’ve put them temporarily in an 8×10 frame, so you can get a feel for the actual size of the painting.

7 Skulls, framed art by Amy Crook

7 Skulls, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
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Sunday Round-Up & Fish Skeleton Sketch

Posted on March 17th, 2013

art from the previous week, mostly cartoons because cartoons rule

art from the previous week, mostly cartoons because cartoons rule

Another week, another round-up! Monday we visited Thorin and Bilbo and were reminded that no one fights like Thorin, douses lights… Or maybe I just gave you all an earworm. Tuesday was Red 3, with all its complex and interesting interplays of three different shades of red and the soft black paper as well. Wednesday we visited the color yellow in many of the pieces from my previous work. Thursday‘s otterly adorkable art is now a print, by request. Friday the Devil made us do it, and on Saturday there was more Brothers Holmes with two color bonus comics.

And of course since it’s Sunday there’s a sketch, which was a wee study I did for Tuesday’s art. Heeere fishy fishy fishy…

Fish Skeleton sketch by Amy Crook

Fish Skeleton sketch by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, Sunday Round-Up
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The Brothers Holmes Bonus Comics

Posted on March 16th, 2013

The Brothers Holmes, Bonus Comic 1, by Amy Crook

The Brothers Holmes, Bonus Comic 1, by Amy Crook

In talking to the person who originally commissioned The Brothers Holmes comics, we found two little snippets from other peoples’ stories that inspired her to ask for me to add a pair of color bonus comics to the series. Above, we have a 3-year-old Sherlock in the midst of an obsession with xylophones, and poor Mycroft trying to be all grown up at 10.

Below, you can see that 8-year-old Sherlock’s heard a Monster in the tree that hides his box of treasures, and he’s relying on his big brother Mycroft, now 15, to rescue his things.

The Brothers Holmes, Bonus Comic 2, by Amy Crook

The Brothers Holmes, Bonus Comic 2, by Amy Crook

Categories: Completed Commissions, Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
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Shoulder Devil

Posted on March 15th, 2013

Shoulder Devil cartoon by Amy Crook

Shoulder Devil cartoon by Amy Crook, 5″x7″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper 

Back when I did the Whispering Gremlin for Jo VanEvery, someone contacted me wanting to use it on their website. I couldn’t give them permission, of course, since it was commissioned for use in Jo’s work, but we discussed doing a shoulder devil for the person instead. I did a little sketch of the idea, wanting to draw a young, androgynous sort of figure, but the commission never materialized. I found the sketch in my stuff the other day and finished it up, so here it is for your enjoyment.

Shoulder Devil, detail, by Amy Crook

Shoulder Devil, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the way I used a thicker line on the “real” person, and a thinner pen to ink the wicked little devil whispering its discouraging, misguided words into the person’s ear. Below, you can see it in a frame, the devil reflected in my iPhone.

Shoulder Devil, framed art by Amy Crook

Shoulder Devil, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces
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Further Adventures of Otter & Hedgehog

Posted on March 14th, 2013

Floating Nap, dorky fan art by Amy Crook

Floating Nap, dorky fan art by Amy Crook

Another week, another piece of adorable otter/hedgehog art. I imagine this is the missing bit between the first two pieces, after the hedgehog got tired of swimming but before they dried off and curled up in their scarves to nap.

I imagine this because I’m a big dorky fangirl, and I enjoy it.

Floating Nap, 7″x5″ pen & ink and Copic markers on paper, nfs (commission).

Categories: Completed Commissions, Daily Art, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
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Wordless Wednesday: Yellow

Posted on March 13th, 2013

that is really quite yellow, isn't it?

spirals come in yellow, too

mmmflourishes

beeeeeeeees

my god, it's full of stars

he's the yellowest of all... hastur, hastur, hast- urk!

even tentacles like yellow

baleful yellow gaze of the elder god

and ending on a sunset, because i can

Categories: Daily Art
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Red 3

Posted on March 12th, 2013

Red 3, abstract watercolor by Amy Crook

Red 3, 7″x5″ abstract watercolor by Amy Crook

This piece is all about courting chaos. I made some artistic choices at the start, and then once it got to a certain point, I stood back and let the process take over, making it a weird collaboration between artist and entropy. There’s an amazing wealth of detail and nuance in the way the paint, paper, and water interacted as they dried. I considered doing something more with it, like tentacles or tiny fandom, but I didn’t want to cover up all that lovely nuance.

Red 3, detail, by Amy Crook

Red 3, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the upper lefthand corner in detail, the way the different colors flowed and pooled and settled as the paint dried in one of the wettest parts of the painting. Below, the painting is hanging out with my iPhone, making it look cool.

Red 3, framed art by Amy Crook

Red 3, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Series and Books
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