Archive for the ‘Series and Books’ Category
Diddy Wah Diddy Illustrations
Monday, September 30th, 2013
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
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
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
Tags: all rights reserved, book illustration, commission, illustration, pen and ink
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A Hobbity Birthday
Thursday, September 19th, 2013
Hobbit Birthday Traditions, parody art by Amy Crook
Happy my-upcoming-Birthday to you! On Sunday I’ll be properly 40, and in grand hobbit tradition I have some little gifts for you.
- If you get a set of Sherlock or Doctor Who bookmarks in September, you’ll get an extra bonus bookmark. Just don’t blink.
- You can use this coupon code all through September to get 20% off anything in my Etsy shop: WHATDAYISIT
- My novel will be free on Kindle from Sept. 20-22, approximately midnight to midnight Pacific, though their servers are sometimes a bit slow to update.
- I’ll be offering something special to my Art Patron’s list as well, so keep an eye on your inbox!
Bilbo is of course available on a card, being his grumpy old self. I really enjoy antisocial old Bilbo Baggins and his dismissal of everyone else’s gossip about him. Though he still knows how to throw a party!
Bilbo Baggins Birthday card by Amy Crook on Etsy
Categories: Card Design, Sale Post, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: bilbo baggins, birthday, copic marker, hobbit, pen and ink
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Minion MWAH!
Thursday, September 5th, 2013
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
Categories: Card Design, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: despicable me, etsy, minion, mwah
A Series of Uncanny Fears: Behind You
Wednesday, September 4th, 2013
A Series of Uncanny Fears: Behind You
pen and ink art by Amy Crook
Tentacles have crept their way into A Series of Uncanny Fears! It only took me 3 pieces to do it, predictably. This is the first one with an explicit person in it; there’s a lump in the bedclothes and a handprint on the mirror, but we finally see someone’s actual hair here. I was torn at first about putting someone in it, but I think the little bit of humanity peeking up over the edge of the spiral-patterned chair adds to the neck-ruffling feeling of creepiness.
A Series of Uncanny Fears: Behind You, 5″x7″ pen & ink on paper.
A Series of Uncanny Fears: Behind You, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see an update of the creeping tentacles and the backlit head of unruly hair that is their goal. Below, you can see the piece in a frame with its brethren. I hope to add two more pieces to this series next month, too.
A Series of Uncanny Fears, 3 pieces of framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Floating Gallery, Series and Books, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
Tags: a series of uncanny fears, crosshatching, edward gorey, for sale, gorey, pen and ink, uncanny fears
Scotty Gets Minions
Friday, August 30th, 2013
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
Categories: Card Design, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: copic marker, despicable me, keenser, minion, minions, pen and ink, scotty, star trek into darkness
Mycroft’s Minions
Thursday, August 22nd, 2013
Mycroft’s Minions, parody art by Amy Crook
It’s more Minions! Am I the only one who sees these wee pill-shaped dudes and thinks of that old Naprosyn slogan, “Little. Yellow. Different.”?
After pondering the idea of crossing Despicable Me over with some of my favorite fandoms, I couldn’t resist the idea of Mycroft having actual Minions with his own little M logo on their overalls and everything. And then, when trying to figure out a scenario that would be fun to draw, I couldn’t help but imagine Mycroft in my favorite scene from the first movie, down on one knee smooching the Minions goodnight one by one.
This is another one of those ideas that had to be a card, but isn’t really for any occasion specifically, just to put a smile on someone’s face. Unless you know someone who’s actually got Minions, in which case it’s kind of a sympathy card.
Banana?
Mycroft’s Minons, blank greeting card by Amy Crook at Etsy
Categories: Card Design, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: copic marker, despicable me, etsy, minion, mycroft holmes, nfs, pen and ink, sherlock, sherlock bbc, sold
The TARDIS has Minions
Saturday, August 17th, 2013
“I hate it when the TARDIS gets minions.”
Doctor Who parody art by Amy Crook
I’ve been all about Despicable Me the past few weeks, as anyone who knows me in real life can attest, so I’m letting the Minions invade my art as well! I just really wanted to draw David Tennant’s crazy hair and particular posture as he surveyed the Minions infecting his poor TARDIS, so I gave the tenth Doctor a handful of Minions to deal with.
I’ve got a couple more of these planned, too, and some of the originals might be available in my first monthly shop opening. And I really need to think of a better name for that little 8-day window of new art. Mini-Shows? Pop-Up Gallery? It’s a work in progress.
I’m keeping up with my plan to post one new card to my Etsy shop a week, and while I’m not sure what occasion this is for, I can guarantee it’ll put a smile on the face of the right recipient.
The TARDIS has 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, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: copic marker, despicable me, doctor who, etsy, minion, pen and ink
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