Archive for the ‘Sea Creatures and Other Animals’ Category
Birthday Poddles
Wednesday, September 7th, 2016
Birthday Poddles, 5″x7″ pen & ink on paper
Putting a bow on a sleek black cat might seem like a good idea, at least until you find out how the cat feels about it. This big-eared beauty is modeled after my own black cat, Pod, but has beautiful crosshatching in place of fur, giving it some gorgeous graphical detail to go with the bad attitude.
This intricate drawing is perfect for someone with a great sense of humor and a special love of cats — even the ones with murder in their eyes.
Who’s your favorite cat person?
Birthday Poddles, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the intricate detail in Pod’s unimpressed face, the crosshatching and hand-texturing of his big ears and beautiful bow. Below, Podzilla is contained in a frame, ready to bring sarcasm to some lucky recipient.
Birthday Poddles, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Card Design, Floating Gallery, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: cat, etsy, for sale, pen and ink, pod
Leafy Sea Dragon
Friday, September 2nd, 2016
Leafy Sea Dragon, 12″x9″ watercolor on Strathmore watercolor paper
The leafy seadragon is a type of sea horse, which directly inspired this gorgeous creature in all its glory.
The body is textured in watery violet scales, exploring the richness of purple from pinks to blues in the way the paint overlaps and blends. The intricate frills imitate seaweed in a gorgeous blue-green mix, and a rich rusty garnet finishes off the horns.
The best part, though, is the dragon’s attitude, as though they’re telling you like it is and won’t take any of your guff. This is not a dragon whose hoard you want to mess with!
Leafy Sea Dragon, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the beautiful, watery details of both the scaled body and translucent frills. Below, this lovely large painting is in a frame, just waiting to add some elemental attitude to your space.
Leafy Sea Dragon, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Floating Gallery, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: dragon, for sale, purple, watercolor
Two Modes of Cat
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2016
Two Modes of Cat: Rambunctious Fuckery (bottom) and Rest (top),
brush pen sketches on bookmarks with brush and ink embellishment
I actually have four Patreon patron sketches to do this month, but the first two went together so well I did them as a set. I feel like this is part of an endless cycle, play, sleep, play, sleep, with food taking up some space in there as well.
The top one is drawn with my trusty ink-filled water brush, and the bottom uses another brush pen, plus some diluted amber ink for the embellishments, and a few red dots to amuse myself (and the cats).
Categories: Completed Commissions, Pretty Words, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: brush and ink, brush lettering, brush pen, cats, patreon, sketch, word art
Garnet Fox
Monday, August 8th, 2016
Garnet Fox, 8″x8″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper
The final piece in this month’s gallery is last little bit of shine brilliance, with interference red providing the delicate details on this fox’s garnet fur.
A whimsical, graphical style is paired with intricate pattern work for a gorgeous piece of art that would brighten any home or office.
Like any trickster fox, this one only shows its best side when it wants to, and in this case the lovely red shines against the rich garnet paint of its fur only when turned into the light.
Garnet Fox, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the way the paint on the designs catches the light and shines in metallic red on the fox’s garnet coat. Below, she’s waiting in a frame, just waiting for the right foxhole to adorn.
Garnet Fox, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: animal spirits, fox, interference, nfs, primatek, sold, watercolor
Smaug’s Hoard
Tuesday, August 2nd, 2016
Smaug’s Hoard, 8.27″×11.69″ (A4) pen & ink and Copic marker on bleed-proof Copic paper
The tiny hobbit burglar is trying to keep himself quiet, but he’s been found by the big red dragon protecting his hoard. Smaug’s surrounded himself with gold and gems on every side, piles upon piles until there’s nowhere to go that Bilbo doesn’t set of a cascade of sound.
Smaug is a glory of reds and oranges among his shining treasures, and he looks a bit like a cat with a mouse as he huffs warm breath over the wee hobbit.
This piece is an unusual size for American, but perfect for those with sensible paper sizes — A4 is not quite letter size, and you can find frames for it at Ikea.
Smaug’s Hoard, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see tiny Bilbo getting huffed at by a big red dragon. Below, the piece snuck like a burglar into a 9×12 frame so you can imagine how it would look in your own hoard.
Smaug’s Hoard, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Card Design, Floating Gallery, People, Figures and Faces, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: bilbo baggins, copic marker, dragon, etsy, for sale, hobbit, pen and ink, smaug, the hobbit
Never to Be Told
Friday, July 8th, 2016
Never to Be Told, 6″x6″ pen & ink and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper
The dull orange glow coming off this rusted, smoking ruin is a lovely, warm color that somehow still embodies the apocalyptic feel of it. It’s a color you only see in the sky when things have not gone according to plan.
The crows circling above the city are the final harbingers of doom, that sign that civilization has left and there’s nothing left but whatever the crows can pick over.
It sounds like the start of a fascinating story, doesn’t it?
Never to Be Told, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see a single bird circling above the ruins, blackened beams and smoke-smudged skies. Below, this mournful scene is framed for posterity, waiting to spark new tales and inspire post-apocalyptic ideas.
Never to Be Told, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: city, for sale, horizons, pen and ink, primatek, ruins, watercolor
Tea Shelf
Sunday, July 3rd, 2016
Tea Shelf, 8″x4″ pencil and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper
Cup, cup, cat, cup, cup, tin.
Whimsy and tea, what more could you want? This delightful little watercolor shows a shelf of goodies, from a beautiful celadon teacup and saucer to a cheerfully antisocial mug. The gloved “hands” that hold up the shelf add to the delight, especially with a wee mouse sleeping happily in one of them. The sleeping-cat figurine might be my favorite part.
What’s yours?
Tea Shelf, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the mug that I really do need to get made, and the adorable sly grey kitty figurine next to it. Below, the piece is in its temporary frame, showing off before it gets whisked away to its new home.
Tea Shelf, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: nfs, sold, tea, watercolor
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