Blog « Antemortem Arts | Art & Writing by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 21

Posted on December 6th, 2011

Tentacle Deeps 21 by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 21 by Amy Crook

The purple tentacles reach up through a grey sky, trying to capture the stars and align them to their whim. And now Tentacle Deeps is old enough to drink! Happy Tentacle Tuesday, indeed.

Tentacle Deeps 21, 8″x8″ watercolor on watercolor paper.

I’m not feeling well so, no framed photo, but the simple black wall frame I’ve got for it will look great.

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Series and Books, Tentacles
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Orange Paisley

Posted on December 5th, 2011

Orange Paisley, abstract art by Amy Crook

Orange Paisley by Amy Crook

I was experimenting twice over with this piece, first by using different paints in each set of 7 paisleys (for 21 total), and then by drawing the salt pools out into shapes. Finally the background seemed to need a good, strong orange, giving the whole thing a wacky ’70s feel.

Orange Paisley, 7″x5″ watercolor and salt on paper.

Orange Paisley, detail 1, by Amy Crook

Orange Paisley, detail 1, by Amy Crook

In the above detail, you can see the sparkle of the subtle duochrome paint and the way it interacts with the salt. Below, a simpler gold color that’s densest where the salt, too, gathered as they dried together.

Orange Paisley, detail 2, by Amy Crook

Orange Paisley, detail 2, by Amy Crook

And finally you can see the piece in a simple black frame, letting the pattern really shine through.

Orange Paisley, framed art by Amy Crook

Orange Paisley, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art
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Potions Master

Posted on December 2nd, 2011

Potions Master sketch by Amy Crook

Potions Master sketch by Amy Crook

I did a pair of Snape sketches a few years back, and I found this one lurking on my hard drive when I went looking for pieces to round out the week. They were sent off to friends who hopefully still appreciate them, and I’ve always liked this one a bit better of the two (ssh, don’t tell). I’d originally bought this paper hoping to do the trick with black & white Conte pencils, but the paper itself was too pale for the white to work will. Still, it’s come in handy for other pieces like this one — one thing I’ve learned over the years is that art supplies will always be useful someday!

Potions Master, 6.375″x4.25″ pencil on paper, nfs.

Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
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7 Spirals

Posted on December 1st, 2011

7 Spirals, abstract art by Amy Crook

7 Spirals by Amy Crook

I’ve noticed that the dye-based inks I use on some of the salt pieces will fade in strong sunlight, so I’ve been experimenting with using watercolors to dye the salt instead, with mixed results. The color I used in this painting came out clear and strong, making sparkling fuchsia salt crystals.

Even though there’s 15 salt pools, I chose to name it after the purple spirals that fill the white space in loose, haphazard shapes. The spirals are actually made by mixing the pink pigment in the inner ring with the teal pigment in the outer rings, giving surprising violets with unusual tones and highlights where the pigments separated.

7 Spirals, 5″x7″ pen & ink, salt, and watercolor on paper.

7 Spirals, detail, by Amy Crook

7 Spirals, detail, by Amy Crook

You can really see the rich colors in this detail shot, above, and the subtle sparkle of the salt in the waning autumn light in my apartment. Below, the paint seems almost to glow in its matte black frame.

7 Spirals, framed art by Amy Crook

7 Spirals, framed, by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art
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Weeble Ninja

Posted on November 30th, 2011

Weeble Ninja is Unimpressed With Your Shenanigans

Weeble Ninja is Unimpressed With Your Shenanigans

Totally unimpressed. Pencil and cheap watercolor on sketch paper.

Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces
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Tentacle Deeps 20

Posted on November 29th, 2011

Tentacle Deeps 20, watercolor by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 20 by Amy Crook

Usually for these I paint the background and then put in the tentacles, but this time I decided to go about it the other way. The watercolor wash didn’t disturb the Sharpie in the foreground at all, though it did give the tentacles a distinct red tint. It did soften the grey pen-and-ink tentacles in the background so they look a bit more surreal.

I still need to properly frame this one because of the odd size, but rest assured, like all of the Tentacle Deeps series, this painting will ship framed to its future home.

Tentacle Deeps 20, 4″x8″ mixed media on paper.

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Series and Books, Tentacles
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Genuine Pink

Posted on November 28th, 2011

Genuine Pink, abstract art by Amy Crook

Genuine Pink by Amy Crook, $222

It’s quite hard to capture the rich mineral color of the Rhodonite Pink watercolor, which isn’t quite as bright as it shows in the detail image below, but has a dusky quality that’s overly pronounced in the scan above. The salt is fancy pink Himalayan salt, and the orange-pink minerals in it tended to sink and gather at the center of each pool.

Pink isn’t my favorite color, but I have to admit I’m fascinated by all of the genuine mineral paints from this company, which have complex and subtle undertones, and I think this one goes well with the unusual tint from the pink salt.

Genuine Pink, 5″x7″ mixed media on paper, $222, framed, with free shipping.

Genuine Pink, detail, by Amy Crook

Genuine Pink, detail, by Amy Crook

I think the framed image gets the best feel for the paint colour, but the salt looks quite like it does in the detail photo, above.

Genuine Pink, framed art by Amy Crook

Genuine Pink, framed, by Amy Crook, $222

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art
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