Archive for the ‘Whimsical and Strange’ Category
X is for Xerography
Thursday, January 31st, 2013
X is for Xerography, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook
X marks the spot! It was surprisingly easy to find a candidate for my X, and I had a lot of fun with this, making little Xs in black and white and glittery pen, then xeroxing them, pasting them up, and xeroxing them again, and finally cutting & assembling all the xeroxed bits and outlining them in silver glitter.
Somehow I think the monks who illuminated manuscripts with gilt and ink didn’t have half so much fun.
X is for Xerography, 5″x5″ xerography, collage and glitter gel pen on paper.
X is for Xerography, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the layers of paper and glitter fitting together on one leg of the X. Below, you can see it with the V and O making VOX, one of my favorite Scrabble words.
V, O and X, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Illuminated Alphabet, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: alphabet, calligraphy, for sale, glitter gel pen, illumination, silver, xerography
W is for Watercolor
Thursday, January 24th, 2013
W is for Watercolor, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook
The end of the alphabet draws ever nearer. Today’s W is perfect for a Wendy or William, with watery watercolor and sparkly silver in curvy waves. I tried to let the watercolor paint do its own beautiful thing here, letting the shapes and edges form as they would around this swooping, sparkling letter.
W is for Watercolor, 5″x5″ watercolor and glitter gel pen on paper.
W is for Watercolor, detail, by Amy Crook
Above you can see the light glinting off the silver water-patterned glitter, and the delicate textures of grainy watercolor that separated beautifully as it dried. Below, you can see the W hanging out with the A and Y to make WAY. In or out, that’s for you to decide!
W is for Watercolor, A is for Arabesque and Y is for Yarn,
framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Illuminated Alphabet, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: alphabet, blue, calligraphy, for sale, glitter gel pen, illumination, silver, watercolor
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Sketchy Crows
Sunday, January 20th, 2013
3 Crows sketch by Amy Crook
Every time I print postage with Paypal, I get a half-sheet of paper left over printed with a totally useless receipt. I save them and use them for various and sundry things, like testing paint color mixes and, apparently, doodling crows with Sharpie marker. I like that the last one looks a bit Seussian.
Categories: Daily Art, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: nfs, sharpie marker, sketch
V is for Value
Thursday, January 17th, 2013
V is for Value, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook
Value is a term for how dark something is, the range from black to white, so I explored that in two ways with this piece. First the V itself is a simple triangle shaded with a brush and pre-mixed black sumi-e ink. Then the background is shaded more like an old-fashioned etching, using the red glitter gel pen and my own wobbly handmade lines to create a fade in the opposite direction.
I have to admit, there’s something very ’80s music video about the result, like the logo for some new wave band. Perhaps there’s a Victor or Virginia in your life that are big fans of Duran Duran and need this in their life.
V is for Value, 5″x5″ sumi-e ink and glitter gel pen on paper.
V is for Value, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see a bit of the glittery red gel pen making the pen-shaded light-to-dark value in the background, and just the little tip of the V where the ink was determined to mostly stay at a middle tone. Below, you can see the V hanging out with the O and a little preview of X to spell “vox.”
V, O and X, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Illuminated Alphabet, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: alphabet, calligraphy, for sale, glitter gel pen, illumination, red, sumi-e ink
U is for Uncial
Thursday, January 10th, 2013
U is for Uncial, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook
I guess there’s not a lot of Ulrichs or Ursulas out there, but if there are, this is the letter for them! I personally plan to use it to spell STFU until someone buys one of the letters. And, of course, you can always put U and I together and be a terrible pickup line.
Uncial is one of the classic calligraphy fonts, so I wanted to do a proper homage in warm earthy brown and cheerful new-leaf green. There’s just a touch of gold decoration in the fattest parts of the letter, giving it a lovely bit of sparkle.
U is for Uncial, 5″x5″ pen & ink, Japanese watercolor and glitter gel pen on paper.
U is for Uncial, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the gold glitter illuminating the letter with just a touch of sparkle. Below, you can revisit the last few weeks of letters, plus the lovely, flourishing F.
S, T, F & U, illuminated letters by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Illuminated Alphabet, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: alphabet, brown, calligraphy, for sale, glitter gel pen, gold, green, illumination, pen and ink, watercolor
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Blue Dude of the Deeps
Tuesday, January 8th, 2013
Blue Dude of the Deeps, vinyl toy customized by Amy Crook
He’s really more teal than blue, but the name amuses me anyway. This little guy looks like Poseidon’s evil minion in some sort of wacky Greek Myth claymation. He’s all tentacles down below, and spiraling silver curls up top, with tentacles on his left arm and silver filigree on the right.
Blue Dude of the Deeps, 3.5″ tall vinyl Color Blank figure customized with acrylic paint and Sharpie marker, $99 with free shipping. Note that this is a collectible, not a toy, and the paint will not stand up to much abuse.
Blue Dude of the Deeps, detail 1, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see more detail on his curly hair and filigreed arm, as well as the coppery sheen of light off the black Sharpie. Below, you can see the rest of his head and the curling tentacle that takes up most of his back.
Blue Dude of the Deeps, detail 2, by Amy Crook
He’s been finished and signed, but I need to get some polyvarnish to finish him off before he’s really ready to ship.
Blue Dude of the Deeps, detail 3, by Amy Crook
- Title: Blue Dude of the Deeps
- 3.5 in. tall Color Blank vinyl figure customized with acrylic paint and Sharpie marker
- $99 for the original (tax will be added if you live in CA)
- Shipping is free anywhere in the world
- This figure is a collectible and not a toy. The paint will not stand up to much abuse, and the materials are in no way guaranteed kid-safe.
- Payment plans are available, just email me
- The button below will take you to Paypal – if you’d like to pay another way, just let me know and we’ll work it out
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Tentacles, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: acrylic paint, for sale, sharpie marker, teal, tentacles, vinyl toy
Second Breakfast
Saturday, January 5th, 2013
Second Breafkast, Hobbit parody art by Amy Crook
Bilbo’s got a whole second breakfast set out, with bread and cheese, apples and tea and of course a nice hot plate of eggs, sausages and fried tomatoes. But he wants you to know that he loves you just as much as the meal!
This warm, cheerful card will help show your love for the Tolkien geek in your life, or just someone who appreciates a good second breakfast as much as any hobbit.
Second Breakfast, 5″x7″ pen & ink and Copic markers on paper, original nfs (sold).
Second Breakfast parody Valentine by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: bilbo baggins, copic marker, etsy, hobbit, nfs, pen and ink, sold, tolkien, valentine
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