Archive for the ‘Daily Art’ Category
WIPs for Weds
Wednesday, June 26th, 2013
Some of my current Works in Progress
There’s actually bunches more, but this is a nice little cross-section of my current works in progress. I seem to be great at starting stuff but not so awesome at finishing lately! Plus, a lot of my WIPs are for commissions or licensing, so they get to be secret until I can unveil the finished product.
Next week might be a Sharpie Week in deference to the holiday. Is there something you’d like to see sketched up in grand Sharpie style?
Categories: Daily Art, Works In Progress
Tags: wip
Houseplants of Cthulhu
Tuesday, June 25th, 2013
Houseplants of Cthulhu by Amy Crook
I was noodling around on Google Images, looking for some sort of phosphorescent creature to paint onto this background with its subtle washes of not-quite-black colors, and I came across some nifty sea anemones. They had squat, coppery bodies and phosphorescent green tentacles, and so I got out the shiny duochrome paint and got my tentacle mojo on. Somehow, they ended up looking rather houseplant-like when all was said and done.
And then I thought, well, in underwater R’lyeh, phosphorescent anemones would make the perfect sort of houseplant for slumbering Cthulhu.
Houseplants of Cthulhu, 5″x5″ Japanese watercolor and duochrome watercolor on Arches cover white paper.
Houseplants of Cthulhu, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the various duochrome paints catching the sunlight, turning to ruby and gold and green instead of the copper and green and, well, darker green. Below, wee plushie Cthulhu is tending to his houseplants like a Great Old One should. Except with less death and doom.
Houseplants of Cthulhu, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Tentacles
Tags: anemone, cthulhu, duochrome, japanese watercolor, nfs, watercolor
Sunlit Stingray
Monday, June 24th, 2013
Sunlit Stingray, 7″x5″ watercolor on paper
I finally decided what to go on this background, which made me think of clear, sunlit tropical waters. This little guy looks a bit melancholy, but i like the sense of movement and shimmer in him, and I seem to remember all the rays we saw at the aquarium kept their smiles hidden underneath.
Sunlit Stingray, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the actual sunlight catching on the shimmery paint, both the silvery body and odd little golden-green highlights on the stingray, and just a tiny bit on the coppery-gold water. Below, you can see it hanging out with one of my awesome new tentacle critters from under the sea or possibly Arizona.
Sunlit Stingray, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Sea Creatures and Other Animals
Tags: iridescent, nfs, sold, stingray, underwater, watercolor
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Sunday Round-Up and Doctor Watson sketch
Sunday, June 23rd, 2013
it’s been a week, there’s been art
I hope you’re having a lovely Sunday! Time for the usual week in review. Monday there were some pretty periwinkle flowers, and Tuesday a trio of squid went dancing on by. Thursday I started a new series, and creeped you all out with a mirror. Friday there was a kobold making curry, and Saturday the periwinkle came back with Sherlock on it this time.
And, of course, there’s a sketch to finish off the week. This time Dr. Watson is fed up with a certain whiny patient, and is going to get a temperature no matter how much he protests.
Categories: Daily Art, Sunday Round-Up
Tags: nfs, sharpie marker, sketch
Sherlock Bookmark 8
Saturday, June 22nd, 2013
Sherlock Bookmark 8
by Amy Crook
This bookmark was one of the first to sell when I sent my list a preview for last Bookmark Week, so I swapped it out for the Harvest Bookmark during posting. It qualifies for a Saturday cartoon now, however, so you can all covet what you can’t have, or something.
I often use the bookmarks to experiment with things I want to do in proper paintings, and in this case I was seeing if the opaque white would work for highlights over a toned paper. The white picks up the tone a bit too easily, I think, but it still made for a fun little Sherlock sketch.
Sherlock Bookmark 8, 2″x5″ watercolor on paper, nfs (sold).
Sherlock Bookmark 8, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see a close-up of Sherlock’s unimpressed face. The highlights worked fine on hair and coat, but got lost in the blue on his face. Below, you can see it hanging out with a book, showing off its shapely dimensions.
Sherlock Bookmark 8, with book, by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: bookmark, nfs, sherlock, sherlock bbc, sherlock holmes, sold, watercolor
Kobold Curry Chef
Friday, June 21st, 2013
Kobold Curry Chef for Jefferson, by Amy Crook
commission, all rights reserved
This is one of those comic commissions that was just ridiculously fun to draw. He’s based on one of those in-jokey sort of anecdotes that are only really funny if you were there, but since I was there, I find him amusing. From the half-seen diagram of a chicken catapult to the blind albino cave chicken stiff with fear for his future as ammo, curry, or both, it all amuses me.
For those who wonder about such things, since he’s for personal, non-commercial use, I charged Jefferson the Be a Cartoon price, plus an extra fee for all the many extra props and details. Though not too much more, since I didn’t have to draw pants.
Kobold Curry Chef, 5″x7″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper, nfs (commission).
Categories: Completed Commissions, Daily Art, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: all rights reserved, cartoon, commission, copic marker, jefferson, nfs, pen and ink
A Series of Uncanny Fears: Mirrors
Thursday, June 20th, 2013
A Series of Uncanny Fears: Mirrors, by Amy Crook
I’ve had a note to start this series on my whiteboard for ages, but I finally sat down and worked on this first installment. A Series of Uncanny Fears will visually explore those things that we, as adults, know we shouldn’t be afraid of. It’s an echo of being a kid, feeling a shiver despite our grown-up logic.
Mirrors have been thoroughly demystified by science and yet hold a certain creepy fascination, especially in the dark. Fiction explores mirror worlds, mirror traps, things lurking behind mirrors or traveling through them, impressions left on them or even messages written.
In my bathroom I have a blue canary in the outlet by the light switch to watch over me (no, really!), but I still sometimes turn the lights on properly at 3am when it’s dark and creepy, because of reasons. Mirror reasons.
How about you, what’s your uncanny fear?
A Series of Uncanny Fears: Mirrors, 5″x7″ pen & ink on paper.
A Series of Uncanny Fears: Mirrors, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see that I did go out of my way to make the mirror extra creepy with a skull motif as well as the built-in candleholders. Below, you can see the piece in a frame, with my quill pen and ink bottle for ambiance.
A Series of Uncanny Fears: Mirrors, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Series and Books, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
Tags: a series of uncanny fears, crosshatching, edward gorey, gorey, nfs, pen and ink, sold, uncanny fears
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