Archive for the ‘Daily Art’ Category
Sad Simon
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010
Sad Simon by Amy Crook
I’ve had a few different models over the years, and this was one of the first. I spent several afternoons just taking photos of him, a lot of them in b&w, and used one of them as a reference on this piece. Though my talent was never really in photography, I still have some of those photographs, and his face or figure shows up from time to time in pieces I’m working on.
I remember sitting crosslegged with this page tacked to the wall in front of me, the photo to one side, and only two colors of pastel to use, the very pale blue and dark blue with a tinge of green, to provide shadow and light on the middle blue ground. I used to work like that for hours, and at the end when I finished the piece, there was a fine layer of chalk dust on the carpet right below — oops!
I have given this piece several titles over the years, and this is the one that it seems to come back to. The wistful, pensive expression on Simon’s face matches well with the blue chalks, and doesn’t seem to need extra words to convey its essential meaning.
This piece is fully framed, and ready to hang.
Sad Simon, 19″x25″, pastel on colored paper in metal frame.
Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces
Tags: blue, for sale, pastel, portrait
Adam the Earth Elemental
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
Adam the Earth Elemental by Amy Crook
Today’s sketch is a character from an original story I’m working on, an earth elemental named Adam. He’s got the ability to disappear into a pot of earth and reappear out of another one elsewhere, traveling through his element. He’s only about half a meter tall, and quite wide and stocky for that height, with no hair to speak of, or a belly button, which I had to remind myself of because I kept wanting to put one in. It’s an interesting challenge to draw a character who’s humanish without being actually human, because the urge to correct this or that is hard to resist!
I’m really working on my perfectionism with this one, because as soon as I scanned it I could see things I didn’t like, but sketches like this aren’t really finished pieces, so I left it as is.
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art
Tags: nfs, sketch
2 Comments »
Cthulhu Egg
Sunday, April 25th, 2010
Cthulhu Egg by Amy Crook
I wanted to make some Easter-ish cards this year, but I found myself resisting the idea of hearts and flowers and happy little bunnies. So, after doing a more standard Easter egg sort of card, I allowed myself to do something a little more to my own tastes.
This image is extremely loosely based on the works of HP Lovecraft, and the horrific Elder God Cthulhu, who waits and slumbers in R’lyeh, down under the vasty deeps. Mostly it’s just a little tentacle monster hatching to give someone an unpleasant surprise.
Cthulhu Egg, 4″x6″ watercolor on a watercolor postcard, sold.
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Tentacles
Tags: cthulhu, lovecraft, monster, nfs, sold, watercolor
Sachimoto
Saturday, April 24th, 2010
Sachimoto by Amy Crook
Today’s art is a birthday card I made for a friend this year, an illustration of her newest kitten, Sachi. I did a very soft sketch of him using a photo reference, then used my new Japanese watercolor inks to paint him in, and finally erased the lines so all that’s left is the ghost of his dark markings and pink nose and ears.
Sometimes when I’m coming to visit them, I see him sitting in the sun in the window with this peaceful expression on his face. Of course, that’s one of the few times Sachi ever sits still, but hopefully he’ll grow out of being quite such a troublemaker. We have a habit of expanding cat names into nicknames, and one of his first ones was Sachimoto.
Categories: Daily Art, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: cat, nfs
My Heart Bleeds
Friday, April 23rd, 2010
My Heart Bleeds by Amy Crook
This rather morbid watercolor was one of my unValentines this year, a cross between a tradition and realistic heart. The blood red paint dried in thick pools and was allowed to drip naturally, nearly to the bottom of the card — in its frame, the chrome picks up the reflection as it disappears at the bottom edge. Blue veins call to mind a real heart as they trace across the surface.
My Heart Bleeds, 4″x6″, watercolor on watercolor postcard.
Categories: Daily Art, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
Tags: for sale, heart, red, unvalentine, watercolor
Daily Art & Wood Sprite
Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
Wood Sprite by Amy Crook
I’m trying an experiment for the rest of April and all of May — daily art posts. I have a ton of art lying around, some of it for sale, some of it not, some if it not suitable to be sold like this handsome fellow who’s on the back of some notes from a client meeting.
This wood sprite is inspired by the beautiful illustrations by Brian Froud in his collaboration with Charles de Lint, The Wild Wood.
Enjoy!
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces
Tags: nfs, sketch
3 Comments »
Cartoon: Skaja Wills
Friday, February 19th, 2010
Skaja Wills, final, by Amy Crook
Ever wondered what it’s like to become a cartoon? Skaja Wills was kind enough to let me share the process with you.
Categories: Completed Commissions, Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces
Tags: all rights reserved, cartoon, commission, copic marker, nfs, pen and ink, Skaja Wills
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