Archive for the ‘Daily Art’ Category

Salt Cell 2

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

Salt Cell 2 by Amy Crook

Salt Cell 2 by Amy Crook

After exploring the combination of salt and watercolor last week, I picked up some larger crystals of sea salt. Wanting to do something else that echoed Salt Cell but incorporated some pen-and-ink work as well, I decided on a rather tedious methodology. The process affected the outcome because the paint began to dry before I was done putting the salt back on the little circles.

I think I might try it again, but with fewer salt crystals.

Salt Cell 2, 5″x5″ pen and ink and watercolor on watercolor paper, $229 with free shipping.

You can see more about how this piece came together below the cut.

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Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Series and Books
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Weeble Wednesday: Brides of Dracula

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

Brides of Dracula by Amy Crook

Brides of Dracula by Amy Crook

Now that I’ve got my super-pale-skin marker refilled, I’ve finally started coloring the bonus brides from my Monster Heart Coloring Book. These toothy gals are inspired by the many movie depictions of the three brides that I’ve seen, and some judicious image googling to figure out what styles would have been appropriate for the era, for 50 or 100 years before. I liked the idea that they might still dress in the fashion of their own times, and that each one had been born in a different era.

Brides of Dracula, 7″x5″ pen and ink and Copic markers on watercolor paper. $89, with free shipping.

Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
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Tentacle Deeps 7

Tuesday, March 29th, 2011

Tentacle Deeps 7 by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 7 by Amy Crook

This piece most closely reflects the very first Tentacle Deeps watercolor I did, I think –the same paper, no fancy salt or pen-and-ink effects, just the layers of watercolored tentacles reaching up from the bottom of the page. The wash was a bit more layered and random, and whenever a tentacle “breaks through” the upper right corner, there’s a little bit of a skip as though it’s breaching the surface of a pool, or slipping between realities.

Tentacle Deeps 7, 5″x7″ watercolor on watercolor paper.

Tentacle Deeps 7, framed art by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 7, framed, by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Series and Books, Tentacles
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Texture in Brown

Monday, March 28th, 2011

Texture in Brown by Amy Crook

Texture in Brown by Amy Crook

Everything about this piece is a combination of deliberation and randomness, letting my choice of materials dictate the final product.

I didn’t like this when I started it out, at first just the red-brown leaf shape at the center of the page. then I added the redder wash down at the bottom, and an even softer red wash in the upper area, and used salt to give a rough texture to the lower area. I let that dry and sit a few days before coming back to it with a quill and some ink that used to be black, but has aged in its bottle to a soft, walnut brown. The quill caught and stuttered on the rough paper, giving the lines a rough look as the ink bled.

I think the end result looks like some sort of landscape, each piece working together to create a rich field of texture and earthy color.

Texture in Brown, 7″x5″ watercolor and pen and ink on watercolor paper, $129 with free shipping.

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art
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Twining Snakes Moleskine Volant

Saturday, March 26th, 2011

Twining Snakes Volant, detail, by Amy Crook

Twining Snakes Volant, detail, by Amy Crook

This bright green Moleskine Volant notebook has been hand-decorated with a pair of twining snakes using Sharpie markers. A black snake is biting his own tail in a double-looped ouroboros while his green friend slithers suggestively through his loops.

Moleskine’s colorful notebooks are ideal for customization, turning the high-quality book into a work of art in which to wrap your ideas. The acid-free ruled paper is a creamy ivory color, and a delight to write on. The large size Volants have 96 pages between their soft vinyl covers. The design is in permanent Sharpie, and should last as long as the notebook it’s drawn on.

Twining Snakes, 5″x8.25″ customized Moleskine Volant notebook, nfs (sold).

Twining Snakes Moleskine Volant by Amy Crook

Twining Snakes Moleskine Volant by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, Series and Books
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Yarr! Bonus Michael

Friday, March 25th, 2011

Yarr! Bonus Michael by Amy Crook

Yarr! Bonus Michael by Amy Crook

I turned Michael into a cartoon a while back, and since he’s been a completely awesome programmer for me, I couldn’t resist tossing this little 10-minute bonus doodle into his package. I’m reliably informed he doesn’t actually have a wooden leg, he just wanted his avatar to be more piratey.

And really, who wouldn’t want to be more piratey? Well, aside from Ninjas…

Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces
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Weeble Wednesday: Kristine Beeson

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

Kristine Beeson Cartoon by Amy Crook

Kristine Beeson Cartoon by Amy Crook

Kristine Beeson, also known as kadyellebee on Etsy, is a wonderful knitter of shawls and other lovely things. When our paths crossed and she expressed a wistful interest in being made into a Cartoon, I took the opportunity to offer her barter — a shawl for a cartoon! She helped me choose the perfect yarn (a warm, lightweight blackberry-colored cotton), and got right to work so I’d have my shawl while winter was still upon us. I was a bit slower, but I’ve finally finished up her cartoon (alas, I was waiting on marker refills).

She sent me some great photos of herself and her cheeky grin, not to mention her favorite outfit, and despite a bit of a struggle to get my scanner to accept the idea of hot pink, this is a pretty good representation of her and her gorgeous pink-striped hair. She asked for her ubiquitous iPhone, but I couldn’t resist slipping some pink knitting needles into the image, as well.

The pattern she knitted for me is called wren, and you can see her very own wren shawl on her cartoon above, in a soft mossy green that goes great with her eyes. Mine’s a dark purple that’s not quite black, but looks great where it lives on my blue chair, waiting for me to get cold while I’m working. It’s just light enough for me to forget I’m wearing it, but it keeps the cold off my aching shoulders.

Wren Shawl by Kristine Beeson

Wren Shawl by Kristine Beeson

Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces
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