Archive for the ‘Whimsical and Strange’ Category
Knitty Monster
Sunday, July 1st, 2012
Knitty Monster sketch by Amy Crook
Most of the time when I sell a Coloring Book I just have to guess what the recipient might like, but this time I knew it was going to be a birthday gift for a friend. So, I drew her a cheerful sort of monster, happily knitting from its own shaggy coat.
May you spend your Sunday doing whatever makes you happiest!
Categories: Daily Art, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: coloring book, doodle, nfs, pen and ink, sketch
Pomegranate
Thursday, June 28th, 2012
Pomegranate watercolor by Amy Crook
This would be one of the pieces full of little tiny spirals (as were both this week’s prior art posts, really) that caused me to Instagram my poor ace-bandaged wrist instead of posting art on Saturday. Well, this combined with a work project that involved a lot of sustained precision trackpad work, anyway. Two things that really don’t go together, apparently!
Speaking of things that caused me trouble, it’s very hard to find a good quote about pomegranates not from the Bible. I was very pleased to finally find this quote from a translation of Homer, though I swear pomegranates figured in more stuff in English class.
I originally painted this as another mostly-circular wash, but when the shape and color started to become decidedly pomegranate-like, I embraced it. The spirals are like the seeds, to me, the mystery hiding inside the lovely fruit. The quote came last, and as you can see below, the word “glows” was done with two shades of red and a nice little smear to create a halo.
Pomegranate, 7″x5″ pen & ink and watercolor on paper.
Pomegranate, detail 1, by Amy Crook
Above, the glow, both in the inner line work of a brighter red, and the soft pink smear around it created by running an eraser over the still-wet ink. Below, you can see a close-up of the spirals and the way the burgundy ink interacts with the various shades of watercolor beneath it.
Pomegranate, detail 2, by Amy Crook
And finally here what it looks like in a frame, just waiting to bring a bit of glowing mystery to your home, or the corner of your office. The frame isn’t included, but I’m happy to add it in for a small additional fee.
Pomegranate, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Whimsical and Strange, Words Words Words
Tags: calligraphy, for sale, pen and ink, pomegranate, spirals, watercolor
Dirigible
Friday, June 22nd, 2012
“Should we haul him up?”
“Nah, let him dangle a little longer.”
Dirigible, Girl Genius art by Amy Crook
I seem to have become obsessed with patterns, though I already knew I had a strange thing for spirals. I used my water brush, which is a nifty device with a well of water the way a brush pen might have ink. I dipped the tip in paint and began at the center, then brushed outward, the color getting more and more diluted until there’s hardly any blue left. Then, of course, once I had the spiraling clouds, I needed something to float in them. I put a brass trilobyte on the side of a dirigible as an homage to the wonderful Girl Genius webcomic.
The dirigible’s dangling passenger is just a bonus.
Dirigible, 8″x4″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Dirigible, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the lovely purple Dirigible with its golden trilobyte and passenger holding on for dear life below, next to a dime for scale. Below, it’s resting temporarily in a 10″x8″ frame, hanging out with my iPhone for an entirely different sort of size reference.
Dirigible, framed, by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: for sale, girl genius, spirals, things that are actually steampunk, tiny fandom, watercolor
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Dramatic
Thursday, June 21st, 2012
“If you’re quite done with the dramatic poses, there is a case, you know.”
Dramatic, Sherlock art by Amy Crook
This one’s actually based on a bit in the second episode of Series 2, The Hounds of Baskerville. There’s a point at which Sherlock is up on a windy promontory, looking over the moors, with John down below waiting patiently for him to stop enjoying the way his coat looks blowing in the breeze.
He does so love to be dramatic.
Dramatic, 6″x6″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Dramatic, detail, by Amy Crook
Above you can see the strange clouds and impatient John with Sherlock off in the distance, framing a perfectly boring dime. Below, it’s temporarily in the same 8″x10″ frame you’ll have grown used to seeing this week, for scale.
Dramatic, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: for sale, sherlock, sunset, tiny fandom, watercolor, watson
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Seekers
Tuesday, June 19th, 2012
“Who wins if It gets the Snitch?”
Seekers, Harry Potter art by Amy Crook
I’ve done so many paintings of tentacles rising up from mysterious depths that I thought it might be fun to do a set striving for the heights instead. These pale, half-translucent tentacles are reaching toward an errant Golden Snitch, and disrupting someone’s game of Quidditch.
If it’s not one thing, it’s another. Just ask Harry Potter.
Seekers, 4″x8″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Seekers, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the Golden Snitch next to an ordinary dime for scale. Tiny, tiny scale. Below, for a different sort of scale, I’ve temporarily put the painting in a standard 8″x10″ frame so you can imagine how it would fit into your home. Because it totally would fit into your home. I mean, doesn’t everyone need tentacles?
Seekers, framed, by Amy Crook
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Tentacles, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: for sale, Harry Potter, tentacles, tiny fandom, watercolor
Adrift
Monday, June 18th, 2012
“You’re sure you know where we’re going?”
Adrift, Doctor Who art by Amy Crook
After doing Mario’s Cave, I started to get more ideas for putting tiny bits of the things I’m a fan of into my paintings in a meaningful, interesting way. Tomorrow’s is actually the next one I thought of, but I’m saving it for the traditional day. This one I painted the pattern of waves-or-maybe-scales, and then staring at it I thought, I could put a TARDIS, just there.
Floating adrift on a sea of scales-or-maybe-waves seems like just the sort of trouble the Doctor would get himself into.
Adrift, 8″x4″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Adrift, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the actual size of the wee TARDIS next to a dime, though the actual colors are not quite so brightly cyan as all that. Below, I’ve temporarily tucked it into a 10″x8″ frame to show you how it might look.
Adrift, framed, by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: doctor who, for sale, tiny fandom, watercolor
Sharpie Week: Green Bear
Friday, June 15th, 2012
Sharpie Green Bear sketch by Amy Crook
I saw some plushies a bit like this in Japantown the other day, so I was inspired to scribble this little guy.
Look out! Rawr!
Categories: Daily Art, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: green, nfs, sharpie, sharpie week
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