Archive for the ‘Whimsical and Strange’ Category
Another Man’s Octopus
Tuesday, May 7th, 2013
Another Man’s Octopus, a Sherlock Holmes comic by Amy Crook
When I was contemplating ideas for today’s Tentacle Tuesday, this idea came to me (undoubtedly influenced by the steampunk novel I’m reading) to draw the original Holmes and Watson. I borrowed the fashions from one of the old Paget illustrations, so blame him for Holmes’ weird little jabot, and then added in our random steampunky science nerd and of course Biffy, the friendly octopus. He just really likes Watson’s moustache, I feel. It’s quite dashing.
I decided to shade it all in warm greys to give it the feel of an old Victorian daguerreotype or something, which always runs into the question of whether I should color the skin of the people or leave them white as the paper. I compromised by making Holmes very pale indeed, and giving Watson and the scientist a bit more robust warmth. This kind of coloring takes a bit less time than proper color, as the limited palette simplifies things.
Another Man’s Octopus, 7″x5″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper.
Another Man’s Octopus, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the line that made me decide I absolutely had to draw the comic, along with an unimpressed Holmes uttering it. Below, they’ve made it into a frame with my bored 5-armed plushie and one of the original books.
Another Man’s Octopus, framed comic by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Tentacles, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: ACD holmes, comic, copic marker, for sale, grey, john watson, octopus, pen and ink, sherlock holmes
Heron
Monday, May 6th, 2013
Heron watercolor by Amy Crook
I painted the background for this heron a while back, and then decided to put the bird in by the request of a patron. And by patron I mean my mom, who has already bought and paid for it. Hi, Mom!
Heron, 8″x8″ watercolor on paper, nfs (sold).
Heron, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can just see the tiny bit of iridescent paint hiding in the heron’s details, mainly along the crest feather and the darkest bits of the body feathers. Below, you can see it in a frame, proving once again that electronics hate to reproduce certain shades of blue.
Heron, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: iridescent, nfs, sold, watercolor
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No Resemblance
Monday, April 29th, 2013
No Resemblance, a Spock & Sherlock comic
by Amy Crook
This little comic was suggested to me on Twitter back in November, and it’s taken me this long to get around to drawing it. The two tall, slender, logical, dark-haired men don’t see any resemblance, but I’m guessing you do.
Random artist trivia: normally I’m very good at spelling, but I have some sort of mental block with the a in “resemblance,” and keep spelling it with all ‘e’s and having to fix it, including in the pencils for the comic. Good thing I decided to spell check myself!
No Resemblance, 5″x7″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper, nfs (sold).
No Resemblance, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see how I’ve given them very similar features, down to the hair color and eyebrow lift. Below, I’ve tucked them into a frame with Sherlock’s skull, which I’m sure Spock would find fascinating.
No Resemblance, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: copic marker, nfs, parody, pen and ink, sherlock, sherlock bbc, sherlock holmes, sold, spock, star trek
Curious Otter
Friday, April 26th, 2013
Curious Otter, 7″x7″ watercolor and pen & ink on Arches cover white paper
This curious little otter is peering at you through a sunlit window into his little pool. He’s done with a limited palette of watercolors and a little bit of water-blurred pen & ink to add that feeling of a reinforced window. He’s a bit of an odd size, but mounting him on a piece of mat board lets you appreciate the hand-torn irregularity of the paper’s edges. The soft paper lends some really nice texture to the loose, expressionist brush strokes.
Curious Otter, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the otter up close, peering at you with his sharp black eyes while the rest of him grows ever fainter in the water’s slightly murky depths. Below, you can see him in a temporary frame, displayed in all his nosy glory with his little hedgehog buddy.
Curious Otter, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: expressionism, nfs, otter, pen and ink, sold, watercolor, who knew
Angry Hedgehog
Monday, April 15th, 2013
Angry Hedgehog, watercolor by Amy Crook
This hedgehog is very annoyed to have been disturbed, with a serious sulk going on as he’s curled into his little ball. He was painted with a very limited palette and bold, expressionist strokes, so he’s a bit of an experiment for me, but one I’m very happy with! I offered a little preview of him to my list and one of my lovely patrons snapped him up, so he’ll be going to a good home, too.
Angry Hedgehog, 6″x6″ watercolor on paper, nfs (sold).
Angry Hedgehog, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see his pouty lip and little pink toes peeking out of his quills. Below, he’s been tucked into a temporary frame, so you can see how the iridescent paint blends into the rest of him when it’s not catching the light.
Angry Hedgehog, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: hedgehog, iridescent, nfs, sold, watercolor, watson
1 Comment »
Instagram Food
Friday, March 8th, 2013
Instagram Food by Amy Crook, $79
After I made my little Instagram Valentine, I wanted to make another card that had that same soft, abstract feeling and expressed a bit of what I love about the service. This time, though, I went for a more “missing you” approach, so instead of a person we get one of the other most-Instagrammed things — food! I painted it in warm yellows, oranges and browns with just a touch of green, to give the feeling of a filtered picture, and put it in a distressed photo “frame” as well.
Instagram Food, 5″x5″ pen & ink and Japanese Watercolor on paper, $79 with free shipping for the original.
The card says, “I like seeing your food on Instagram, but I’d rather see your face in person,” with the words framing the art.
Instagram Food greeting card by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: etsy, for sale, instagram, japanese watercolor, pen and ink, yellow
1 Comment »
Baker Street Crest
Thursday, March 7th, 2013
Baker Street Crest by Amy Crook
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the alphabet, I’ve done another B! I took the design for H is for Heraldry, with all its Sherlock-centric themes, and turned it into a B for 221B Baker Street. There’s actually a lot of John Watson in this crest, almost more so than Sherlock Holmes, with the generosity, loyalty, and martial readiness. Sherlock is in there, too, though, both of them rampant and ready to defend their little kingdom.
I decided not to bling up the gold in this one, sticking to a nice bright, warm yellow to represent the Or field on the shield. This also makes them easier to reproduce, so I’ve got note cards for sale on Etsy with the crest, so you can send your next piece of snail mail in style.
Baker Street Crest, 5″x5″ pen & ink and Copic markers on paper.
Baker Street Crest, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the detail on the cheerful hedgehog and rather snooty otter. Below, I’ve put it in a frame and you can see how the original stacks up next to my iPhone.
Baker Street Crest, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: alphabet, copic marker, etsy, for sale, heraldry, pen and ink, sherlock, sherlock bbc, sherlock holmes
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