Archive for the ‘Series and Books’ Category
Halloween Trees 2
Friday, October 2nd, 2015
Halloween Trees 2 by Amy Crook
The original Halloween Trees is only a year old, but it feels very different from this sequel. The sky is softer and has more cloud shapes, and the trees are a less imposing brown rather than the starkly silhouetted black. Even the crows are different, coming in for a landing instead of taking off into the sunset.
The brilliant swath of pink behind the lightning-struck tree lets that whole bank of clouds really glow. The three trees each have their own character, slightly different patterns in their branches that make it clear even without leaves that they’re not the same species. If the crows are roosting in the middle one, one might wonder what lives in the lightning-struck tree on the left?
Halloween Trees 2, pen & ink, brush & ink, and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Halloween Trees 2, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the tiny birds up close, coming in to land in the lacework of branches. Below, the piece is in a temporary frame, just waiting for its new home.
Halloween Trees 2, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: brush and ink, crow, halloween trees, horizons, nfs, orange, pen and ink, pink, sold, tree, watercolor
Congratulations, Ellen
Monday, September 28th, 2015
Congratulations, Ellen, a Spock commission by Amy Crook
I finished this commission this month for someone who wanted NuTrek Spock as a congratulations gift for a friend. This is what she had to say about it in her review:
When my friend passed the CPA exam I knew the occasion called for something special. Since one of the things we’ve bonded over was our mutual love of sci-fi movies a commissioned piece from Amy seemed like the way to go. First off, Amy is an absolute delight to work with. She responded to all of my emails quickly and was enthusiastic to collaborate. She let me know what was happening every step of the way from idea, to sketch, to color. The end result of her creativity was, as always, a quality product. I couldn’t be happier with my commission and I will definitely be buying from her again! Thanks, Amy!
-Rebecca
If you’d like to commission a comic as a gift (or for yourself!), you can get the details here.
Congratulations, Ellen, 5″x7″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper.
Categories: Completed Commissions, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: all rights reserved, commission, copic marker, get your own, nfs, pen and ink, sold, spock, star trek
Periscope
Monday, September 21st, 2015
quick paint sketch of a hummingbird by Amy Crook, livepainted on Periscope
What’s Periscope, you might ask?
- Periscope is an app (owned by Twitter) that lets you make live videos with your phone.
- Periscope videos (or scopes) last 24 hours before they vanish forever.
- I have Periscope set to tweet when I’m on live.
- You can watch on the app or on the web, including the replay (for as long as it lasts).
- You don’t have to make videos to have an account and watch them.
- You can text chat to the person making the video, share the video on Twitter, and give them “hearts” by tapping on the screen during the live feed.
- Yes, it’s yet another form of social media.
- Kind of like Youtube and Snapchat had a baby and sold it to Twitter.
- But I actually really like it.
- My username is, predictably, amysnotdeadyet.
I’m using it to make art! Or, well, to let you watch me make art. I painted the little hummingbird sketch above live on Periscope the other day, and below there’s two more things that owe their lives to me wanting to draw something on Periscope.
Eames & Arthur bookmarks by Amy Crook
Well, actually Eames and Arthur (above) owe their existence in part to Periscope, and in part to wanting to work on their character design for a commission. But the merdude below was one of my first Periscope experiments!
Merdude watercolor sketch by Amy Crook on Periscope
You can see at the top of the page I wrote, “Hi! I can’t see you chat,” because when I’m drawing or painting the phone is up over my shoulder and, like everything on Periscope, the chats are ephemeral and disappear before I can go looking.
I’m amysnotdeadyet on Periscope — come say hi!
Categories: People, Figures and Faces, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange, Words Words Words
Tags: arthur, bookmark, eames, hummingbird, inception, merman, pen and ink, pencil, periscope, sketch, watercolor, words
New Arrival to Middle Earth
Wednesday, September 16th, 2015
New Arrival to Middle Earth by Amy Crook
It’s dangerous to make comments about hobbits in the presence of Jo … she might go and commission some art for you.
This adorable comic is for a couple having a baby, who have been self-described as two dwarves who wish they were a hobbit and an elf. Thus, we have a dwarf-decorated crib with a hobbity dwarf on one side, and an elfin dwarf on the other.
New Arrival to Middle Earth, 7″x5″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper.
Categories: Completed Commissions, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: all rights reserved, commission, copic marker, dwarf, elf, hobbit, jo vanevery, nfs, pen and ink, sold
Murder for Christmas
Monday, September 14th, 2015
Murder for Christmas, a Sherlock parody comic by Amy Crook
I’d worry for the day someone actually tries to give Sherlock a murder for Christmas (as does John), but Lestrade can only be happy that he’s jumping for joy instead of refusing to help.
If you’ve got a friend who’d appreciate a little murder for their holidays, send them a card from my Etsy shop.
Murder for Christmas, 7″x5″ pen & ink and Copic marker.
Murder for Christmas card by Amy Crook on Etsy
Categories: Card Design, Floating Gallery, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: christmas, copic marker, etsy, john watson, lestrade, pen and ink, sherlock, sherlock bbc, sherlock holmes, sold, watson
Cuppa Gratitude
Tuesday, September 8th, 2015
Cuppa Gratitude by Amy Crook
It’s the last day of September’s Floating Gallery, and I’m grateful to everyone who’s emailed me to comment on a piece, set up a payment plan, or bought art outright. Every one of you is awesome!
The latest Cuppa is charmingly decked out in a warm, cosy piece of knitwear! The bright red cable knit cradles the bright green cup, almost a holiday feel with the gold gilding the edges but also evoking the color of new leaves and green tea.
Hand knits always make me think of gifts created with love, especially one that fits its intended wearer so well. The intricacies of cabling and seed stitch evoke hours of careful attention to detail, and the feeling of warmth seeping through the wool.
What better to be grateful for than a hot cup of tea?
Cuppa Gratitude, 7″x5″ pen & ink, watercolor, and metallic watercolor on paper.
Cuppa Gratitude, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the slightly mad inking I did on the cable knit design for the cup cosy. Below, the cuppa is tucked into a frame to keep it extra warm.
Cuppa Gratitude, framed art by Amy Crook
Whether you’re seeing this on the blog or in your email, thank you again for being awesome!
Categories: Floating Gallery, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: cuppa, metallic watercolor, nfs, pen and ink, sold, tea, watercolor
Fairytale Sky 11
Monday, September 7th, 2015
Fairytale Sky 11 by Amy Crook
Against the soft background of salt-created stars and matte teal night, the glowing moon and iridescent clouds look like enamel, more substance than mist and light. The clouds are mainly a beautiful turquoise with odd purple lowlights that appear and disappear as you move past it, lined with pearlescent moonlight along the spiral curves and sinuous shapes.
Every Fairytale Sky painting is a little different. This one’s got some serious shine that give it a beautiful feel of a fairy tale just waiting for you to step through and find your magical adventure.
Fairytale Sky, 7″x5″ watercolor, pearlescent watercolor, duochrome watercolor, and salt on paper.
Fairytale Sky 11, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the velvety softness of the sky and the bright enameled moon floating atop it. Below, the night is captured in a frame, safe and cool even in the day.
Fairytale Sky, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
Tags: duochrome, fairytale sky, iridescent, moon, more cowbell, nfs, salt, sold, spirals, watercolor
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