Archive for the ‘Series and Books’ Category
Filigree Planet 2
Monday, July 2nd, 2012
Filigree Planet 2 by Amy Crook
One more example of all the tiny spirals, this one with a few purple spirals sneaking in among the blue just to switch things up. The planet itself is a rich, grapey purple with some splashes of lighter periwinkle as highlights. The black space around it has quite a mysterious, almost wormhole-like texture to it, swirling around the planet’s inexorable gravity.
Filigree Planet 2, 7″x5″ watercolor and glitter gel pen on paper.
Filigree Planet 2, detail, by Amy Crook
I love the way the light shimmers off these glittery pens, but they fade to near-invisibility at other angles and distances. I even made you, well, okay, I made myself a computer wallpaper off of the detail shot above, but you can use it, too. Below, you can see the piece tucked into a black frame, reflecting serenely in my iPhone (as usual, it’s not included, heh).
Filigree Planet 2, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Free Wallpapers, Series and Books
Tags: blue, filigree, for sale, glitter gel pen, planet, purple, spirals, violet, watercolor
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Filigree Planet
Friday, June 29th, 2012
Filigree Planet by Amy Crook
And here we have the final piece with the spirals of doom. I was really in love with the planet itself before I got out the pens, and then I was so delighted by the filigree look on Monday’s piece that I decided all the space around this one needed it. It’s slightly less masochistic than the piece I’m still working on with the black pen-and-ink spiral texture, which means it actually got done whereas that one’s back on hold until my wrist forgives me in a few more days.
The warm, bright purple of the glitter stands out much more clearly on the black paper, in the way of these things, framing this richly textured planet with whimsical spirals. There’s a very subtle bit sheen to the dark salt crystals that formed as the piece dried, but it’s very subdued compared to the bright glittery “stars” surrounding the planet.
I first painted the actual periwinkle wash, then I took a darker, warmer violet and dripped it wetly onto the still-damp wash. Finally, I added a few drips of salt water to the mix and, after a bit more interference, let the whole thing dry. The spirals came last, and in stages over the course of a couple of days.
Filigree Planet, 5″x5.25″ Japanese watercolor and glitter gel pen on Arches cover black paper.
Filigree Planet, detail 1, by Amy Crook
Above you can see the sun lighting up the glittery spirals and just glinting off the salt at the center of the piece. Below, I tilted the piece away from the light so you can see the difference in color. It’s interactive!
Filigree Planet, detail 2, by Amy Crook
Finally we have it loosely tucked into a 5″x5″ frame, though it doesn’t really fit as it’s just a wee bit too wide. It’ll need to be matted into a bigger frame for final display, which I can do for you if you like for an additional fee.
Filigree Planet, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Series and Books
Tags: black paper, filigree, glitter gel pen, nfs, periwinkle, planet, purple, salt, sold, spirals, violet, watercolor
Dirigible
Friday, June 22nd, 2012
“Should we haul him up?”
“Nah, let him dangle a little longer.”
Dirigible, Girl Genius art by Amy Crook
I seem to have become obsessed with patterns, though I already knew I had a strange thing for spirals. I used my water brush, which is a nifty device with a well of water the way a brush pen might have ink. I dipped the tip in paint and began at the center, then brushed outward, the color getting more and more diluted until there’s hardly any blue left. Then, of course, once I had the spiraling clouds, I needed something to float in them. I put a brass trilobyte on the side of a dirigible as an homage to the wonderful Girl Genius webcomic.
The dirigible’s dangling passenger is just a bonus.
Dirigible, 8″x4″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Dirigible, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the lovely purple Dirigible with its golden trilobyte and passenger holding on for dear life below, next to a dime for scale. Below, it’s resting temporarily in a 10″x8″ frame, hanging out with my iPhone for an entirely different sort of size reference.
Dirigible, framed, by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: for sale, girl genius, spirals, things that are actually steampunk, tiny fandom, watercolor
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Jellyfish Deeps 2
Thursday, June 7th, 2012
Jellyfish Deeps 2 by Amy Crook
Jellyfish, jellyfish everywhere! Well, okay, just here and on my phone, but still. Somehow getting Jellyfish Deeps put onto my phone as a custom Gelaskin inspired me to make a sequel. I rescued another paper from the pile of awful, added another layer of watercolor and salt, and then let that dry into something far more pleasing. Once that was done, it was time for the white gel pen and jellyfish.
I like drawing these jellyfish, too, they’re like happy little aliens floating serenely amidst the currents and formations in the deep of ocean or maybe outer space. Also, tentacles.
Jellyfish Deeps 2, 5″x7″ pen & ink, salt, gel pen and watercolor on paper.
Jellyfish Deeps 2, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see that the salt on this piece is just a scattering of texture and sparkle rather than solid formations like some of the pieces. Below, the piece is cuddled up in my desk with my phone for size reference.
Jellyfish Deeps 2, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Tentacles
Tags: crosshatching, for sale, gel pen, jellyfish, pen and ink, salt, tentacles, watercolor
Tentacle Deeps 37
Tuesday, June 5th, 2012
Tentacle Deeps 37 by Amy Crook
Today I bring you, in a completely unsurprising move, more tentacles! My computer really hates the color of these tentacles, so if you’re hoping for accuracy the framed photo is the closest. Photoshop and I just couldn’t come to an agreement here for some reason. Madness!
Anyway, these tentacles are painted with watercolor onto canvas board, which gives them an intriguing texture both in the background and the tentacles themselves, and causes the paint to dry slightly muted from what I expect, so that the blacks are soft and matte.
Tentacle Deeps 37, 8″x10″ watercolor on canvas board.
Tentacle Deeps 37, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see how the paint sinks into the texture of the canvas. Below, the framed shot for scale and color closest to the reality. Which is to say, not very, heh.
Tentacle Deeps 37, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Series and Books, Tentacles
Tags: blue, canvas board, for sale, green, tentacle deeps, tentacles
Red Planet
Friday, June 1st, 2012
Red Planet, watercolor by Amy Crook
This piece is a combination of old ideas and new toys. I got some nifty waterbrushes to test out, and some new eyedroppers for my salt solution, and used them together to paint another planet. First I used the waterbrushes to paint in the circular wash in two shades of red, and then I added a few drops of salt solution to the mix while the paint was still wet and forced myself to set the whole thing aside to dry without any further interference.
There’s not a lot of sparkle in this one, mostly the salt created texture rather than crystals, but I love the way the texture looks like the surface of some far-away alien planet.
Red Planet, 8″x8″ salt and watercolor on paper.
Red Planet, detail, by Amy Crook
Above you can see the texture and a tiny bit of shine where the salt catches the light. Below, I’ve got it put in a wall frame (they don’t make many 8″x8″ standing frames), which can be yours for a small additional fee mostly relating to the shipping costs where you are.
Red Planet, framed, by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Series and Books
Tags: for sale, pink, planet, red, salt, watercolor
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Tentacle Deeps 36
Tuesday, May 29th, 2012
Tentacle Deeps 36 by Amy Crook
This week’s art is all full of color, and the tentacles are no exception! A soft, granular periwinkle background plays host to rich teal tentacles, seven of which reach up for whatever mysterious light shines down from above. All this rich color is hard to represent online, but I do what I can to be as accurate as possible, at least on my monitor.
It’s hard to believe I’ve painted three dozen of these, but the proof is in the tag. I have a few more planned yet before I give up the series, so don’t fear for Tentacle Tuesday just yet.
Tentacle Deeps 36, 6″x6″ watercolor on paper.
Tentacle Deeps 36, detail, by Amy Crook
Above you can see my tradition tentacles-up detail photo. Below, I’ve temporarily tucked them into an 8″x10″ desk frame for photographing, with my iPhone for reference. If you’re wondering where the sticker went, it’s a whole new phone – the old one had an in-warranty mechanical issue, and so I have a brand new one in its place. New sticker soon, this time with Jellyfish!
Tentacle Deeps 36, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Series and Books, Tentacles
Tags: nfs, periwinkle, teal, tentacle deeps, tentacles
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