Archive for the ‘Series and Books’ Category
Flowers for Bilbo
Friday, July 26th, 2013

Flowers for Bilbo, a Hobbit parody commission by Amy Crook
“Tears, Gandalf. Tears and murder.”
Yes, this is related to a fic. No, I’m not going to tell you where to find it. Just be amused by poor Bilbo getting courting bouquets by two infamous dwarves, Dwalin and Thorin. Don’t worry, I’m sure it all turns out all right in the end, no murder required.
Flowers for Bilbo, 7″x5″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper, nfs (sold).

Flowers for Bilbo, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see Bilbo’s worried expression and pink blush, and some of my carefully-researched flowers. I had to look up what most things actually looked like, though I did know how to draw Lily of the Valley already. Below, you can see it hanging out in a temporary frame, looking spiffy before it gets shipped off to its new home.

Flowers for Bilbo, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Completed Commissions, Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: bilbo baggins, commission, copic marker, dwalin, dwarf, hobbit, nfs, pen and ink, sold, thorin
Convergence
Thursday, July 25th, 2013

Convergence, watercolor by Amy Crook
There is a distinct feeling of motion to this piece in person, the sparkling salt stars coming in from above and below, the inky black sweeping on on the sides, all converging in the center of the page. I kind of wanted to add a TARDIS to the picture, but I couldn’t figure out the right place to put it that wouldn’t ruin the sense of forces converging in the vastness of space. You can just imagine it’s floating there in the center with its shields up, the invisible force drawing everything inward.
The salt-crystal “stars” are a bit lost to my scanner, but you can see them much better below, along with a slightly better sense of the colors, though the rich, deep royal purple is just not coming through on my monitor, alas. This is definitely a piece that’s better in real life.
Convergence, 10″x8″ Japanese watercolor and salt on Arches cover white paper.

Convergence, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the texture of salt crystals studded over the paper, and the swirling nebulae of color they swim in. Below, the piece is in a frame, hanging out with my iPhone and looking awesome.

Convergence, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: for sale, japanese watercolor, salt, stars, watercolor
Con the Earth Sprite
Monday, July 22nd, 2013

Con the Earth Sprite by Amy Crook
Con here is another character from my book! I’m not sure this quite captures the potato-like grumpiness of the character, but I had fun drawing his wrinkly little head and stumpy body.
I’ve chosen a winner to get the hard copy of the book using an old-fashioned D&D die, and Andria’s already written me back so she’ll get hers next week. The freebie days were quite successful, and the book itself continues to trickle out a few copies each day. I’ve already got an idea for a sequel, which I’ll probably start during NaNoWriMo this year, but given that this book was started back in 2010, don’t hold your breath! The new book will focus on Julian, who wanted to have a say of his own.
Con the Earth Sprite, 5″x7″ pencil on paper. If you read & liked the book, I’d love it if you’d review me on Amazon!

Con the Earth Sprite, and the book from which he came,
both by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: consulting magic, courtship, i made this, julian st albans, pencil
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Have You Hugged Your Tentacle Monster Today?
Saturday, July 20th, 2013

Have You Hugged Your Tentacle Monster Today?
Cthulhu art by Amy Crook
Cthulhu just wants hugs. And to devour your soul, but you know. Hugs first!
Have You Hugged Your Tentacle Monster Today?, 5″x7″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper.

Have You Hugged Your Tentacle Monster Today?
detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see a close-up of Cthulhu’s huggable tentacles. Below, he’s in a frame, so you can get the full effect of being hugged by a tentacle monster.

Have You Hugged Your Tentacle Monster Today?
framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Card Design, Daily Art, Series and Books, Tentacles, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: cartoon, copic marker, cthulhu, for sale, pen and ink, weeble
Black Iron Filigree
Friday, July 19th, 2013

Black Iron Filigree, watercolor by Amy Crook
Another of my mysterious dark backgrounds has been brought to light, though in this case I gave it even more darkness to contend with in the form of matte black filigree. There’s a bit of salt on this piece to add a tiny bit of unexpected sparkle, too, and when framed in black it gives the impression of peering through a carved screen into the mysteries beyond.
Black Iron Filigree, 5″x5″ watercolor and salt on watercolor paper.

Black Iron Filigree, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the tiny sparkle of slat crystals hiding among the matte curls, adding a little magic to the mystery of the swirling blues and purples of the background. Below, you can see the piece framed with my phone for scale.

Black Iron Filigree, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Series and Books
Tags: black, filigree, for sale, salt, spirals, watercolor
Giant Rats 1: Blogging Again?
Thursday, July 18th, 2013

Giant Rats of Sumatra, page 1: Blogging Again?
Sherlock art by Amy Crook
Ages ago, I started a little project combining the worlds of Sherlock with Edward Gorey and my own twisted mind, and I’ve finally gotten back to it! I scripted a 20-page story based incredibly loosely on the offhand mention in one of the original stories of the giant rats of Sumatra, and I have page 1 here for you. Page 2 is sketched, and hopefully this will start the ball rolling a little faster. I’d like to eventually publish them into a little book, which means that there’ll be front and back art, as well, but I think getting more than 2 pages done is the next step.
These pages aren’t for sale yet, because if I do make a book, I’ll try to use Kickstarter to fund it, in which case they’ll be a premium reward level.
Giant Rats of Sumatra, page 1: Blogging Again?, 7″x5″ pen & ink on paper, nfs (for now).

Giant Rats of Sumatra, page 1: Blogging Again?
detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see a close-up of the fine pen texture on Sherlock’s chair. Below, I’ve got it in a frame along with one of my own volumes of Sherlock Holmes.

Giant Rats of Sumatra, page 1: Blogging Again?
framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Works In Progress
Tags: black and white, crosshatching, giant rats of sumatra, gorey, john watson, pen and ink, sherlock, sherlock bbc, sherlock holmes
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Tentacle Spiral 6
Tuesday, July 16th, 2013

Tentacle Spiral 6 by Amy Crook
This painting reminds me of looking into a pool of water that reflects the silvery moon. Not that I’ve ever been able to see writhing tentacles reaching in from all sides, slithering under the water and trying to capture the moon in their curls. The silver seems to float on top of everything else, even the details that were added after, though there’s little pen-and-ink details that scratch their way through the surface to add an extra bit of visual interest.
Tentacle Spiral 6, 6″x4″ Japanese watercolor, metallic watercolor, pen & ink and Sharpie marker on watercolor paper.

Tentacle Spiral 6, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the secret coppery pen-scratches adding little halos of movement around some of the tentacles, and the deeper blacks etched into the silvery Sharpie curls as well. Below, you can see the piece in a frame, giving the tentacles a more otherworldly feel as they sneak in from all sides, grasping at moonlight.

Tentacle Spiral 6, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Series and Books
Tags: for sale, pen and ink, sharpie, silver, spirals, tentacle spiral, tentacles, watercolor
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