Archive for the ‘People, Figures and Faces’ Category

Deck the Smaug

Saturday, October 19th, 2013

Deck the Smaug, holiday fan art by Amy Crook

Deck the Smaug, holiday fan art by Amy Crook

I’m pretty sure this is the silliest holiday card I’ve ever designed, but I’m such a fan of the silly Smaug/Bilbo art out there on the internet, I had to toss in one of my own. Bilbo raided Smaug’s hoard for bells and gold chains, but I have no idea where he got the giant ribbons or pine boughs for the rest of his cheerful holiday decorating.

At least Smaug will smell delicious while he’s eating you!

Deck the Smaug, 7″x5″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper. He is, of course, available as a card in my Etsy shop.

Deck the Smaug holiday card by Amy Crook at Etsy

Deck the Smaug holiday card by Amy Crook at Etsy

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Card Design, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
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Custom Sherlock Bookmarks

Wednesday, October 16th, 2013

5 Sherlock bookmarks, commission art by Amy Crook

5 Sherlock bookmarks, commission art by Amy Crook

Yay, more Sherlock bookmarks! I did these as tests for the elaborately colored 6-panel comic (and print!) I’m posting next week, as part of a commission for one of my darling patrons. Some of them reflect the comics and some not so much, but they were all a test for our rainbow color scheme.

What, you say, you didn’t know I did commission bookmarks? Well, I do now! You might be asking yourself how these are different than regular fan art commissions, and so I’ll tell you, because I’m nice that way.

  • They’re $15 each, flat, no matter what’s on them.
  • You tell me what you want, I draw and send. No sketches, no previews.
  • Color vs black and white is up to my discretion.
  • It’ll be on whatever bookmark-like scrap of paper I have to hand.
  • This applies to fan art comics only, no portraits or watercolors or any of that fancy jazz.
  • They tend to be a lot faster than a regular commission.
  • Email me if you want one! (Okay, that’s the same.)

The ones above are all on drawing paper scraps rather than thicker watercolor paper or cardstock, but I know the recipient (hi!) won’t be using them to mark books. If you’re a framer vs a book marker, that’s something to let me know during the email.

5 Sherlock Bookmarks, 2″x5″ pen & ink and Copic markers on paper, nfs (commission).

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Completed Commissions, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
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Brass Gates to Midnight 2

Saturday, October 5th, 2013

Brass Gates to Midnight 2 by Amy Crook

Brass Gates to Midnight 2 by Amy Crook

Last year I painted Brass Gates to Midnight, and posted it to the blog even though it never quite felt finished to me. I decided to pull out the old piece and rework it. I spent several hours with my brown and gold paint adding depth and weight to the gates, turning the spirals from insubstantial mist to thick vines frozen in a riot of growth. I added a sheen of starlight on the dark trees, and even gave the tiny fairy tucked in the gates a bit more detail and color.

The inner spaces of the gate remain black, blocking our sight to the lands we can see through the gap and over the top. Are you tempted to push them fully open and wander into the starlit places beyond?

Brass Gates to Midnight 2, 5″x5″ Japanese and iridescent watercolor on Arches cover black paper.

Brass Gates to Midnight 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Brass Gates to Midnight 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the little brown-and-green fairy hiding in among the brass curls of the gate. Is he luring you in, or warning you away? Perhaps it’s a bit of both.

Below, you can see the piece in a frame, like a window onto another set of possibilities.

Brass Gates to Midnight 2, framed art by Amy Crook

Brass Gates to Midnight 2, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Whimsical and Strange
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Diddy Wah Diddy Illustrations

Monday, September 30th, 2013

Diddy Wah Diddy by Corey Mesler, with interior illustrations by Amy Crook

Diddy Wah Diddy by Corey Mesler, with interior illustrations by Amy Crook

This spring & summer I had the privilege to illustrate a literary novel! It’s been a really wonderful experience working with the editor, Jason, to add interior illustrations* to Corey’s richly-textured novel of Beale Street, Memphis, and the mythology of the blues.

Corey’s prose is full of rich character, and it was really easy to find images to go with it. Jason chose a scribbled black-and-white style of mine for the illustrations, and I did 9 images total, sprinkled throughout the book. He’d pick a story and have me read through it, then either ask for something specific, or something that went well with the story. I tried to keep everything as loose as a good blues jam, and capture the feel of each story.

The whole novel fits together to tell how a community went from its height of mythic glory, dipped down, and started building itself back up again. Everything is steeped in the language of the era and the feel of the blues, and I hope you’ll head on over to Ampersand Books and give it a shot!

illustration from Diddy Wah Diddy

illustration from Diddy Wah Diddy

Above, you can see a woman chilling at the bar, enjoying a legendary cocktail, helping to set the scene for the book. Below, I chose the author’s favorite of the group. I’ll let you read the book to find out how the werewolf ended up in the jar.

another illustration from Diddy Wah Diddy

another illustration from Diddy Wah Diddy

If you’ve got a project that you think needs my illustrator’s touch, I’ve got info here about how you can hire me.

*Their designer did the cover, which is rich and red and beautifully sets the mood for the prose within.

Categories: Completed Commissions, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
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Beetlejuice

Friday, September 27th, 2013

Beetlejuice, parody comic by Amy Crook

Beetlejuice, parody comic by Amy Crook

Say it once, say it twice, third time’s the charm… Iiiiiit’s showtime!

It’s the season for cheerful Halloween movies (okay, every season is the season, but hush), and I decided to render the Ghost with the Most in my signature “fancy stick figure” style.

I haven’t decided yet if he’d be fun on a card, but he’ll be showing up on Tuesday in October’s awesome Halloween Floating Gallery.

 

Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice! BEETLEJUICE!!!

Dammit, that trick never works.

Categories: People, Figures and Faces, Things I'm a Fan Of, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
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Minion MWAH!

Thursday, September 5th, 2013

Minion MWAH! fan art comic by Amy Crook

Minion MWAH! fan art comic by Amy Crook

Inspired by this ridiculous gif, I felt the need to do some Minions all on their own. I swear I was going to start holiday cards, but I couldn’t resist! I suppose you could put some mistletoe above him and call it a Christmas card, heh.

I thought he was too plain all by himself, so after I penciled in the giant MWAH! I decided to add some extra Minion shenanigans across the top. My favorite is the one sticking is tongue out, of course.

You can get one to send to all your friends here at my Etsy shop.

Minion MWAH! blank greeting card by Amy Crook on Etsy

Minion MWAH! blank greeting card by Amy Crook on Etsy

Categories: Card Design, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
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Scotty Gets Minions

Friday, August 30th, 2013

Scotty Gets Minions, mashup fan art by Amy Crook

Scotty Gets Minions, mashup fan art by Amy Crook

It’s another Minion mashup! This time Keenser gets to enjoy not being the shortest guy in Engineering now that he’s found these useful little yellow guys to assist. Scotty isn’t so sure about this.

Scotty is probably right.

You can share his sentiment on a card from my Etsy shop, of course.

Scotty Gets Minions, blank greeting card by Amy Crook at Etsy

Scotty Gets Minions, blank greeting card by Amy Crook at Etsy

Categories: Card Design, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
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