Archive for the ‘Whimsical and Strange’ Category
K is for Greek Key
Thursday, October 4th, 2012
K is for Greek Key, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook
It’s a bit cheating to use the Greek Key pattern for K, but it was the option that appealed to me the most. It’s hard to do kerning with only one letter, after all!
I ended up designing my own Greek Key in Illustrator, printing it, and using my lightbox to copy it in blue glitter gel pen onto the K. All the tools of the modern age are getting put to use as I explore the historic art of calligraphic illumination.
K is for Greek Key, 5″x5″ pen & ink, Japanese watercolor, and glitter gel pen on paper.
K is for Greek Key, detail, by Amy Crook
Between the color and the glitter, I had a really hard time photographing this piece. The Key pattern blends into the soft blue background to the camera, but of course your eye immediately catches the light. Below, you can see it in a frame, spelling out the word I said when I realized I didn’t have a framed photo for it.
K is for Greek Key, framed art by Amy Crook
(with A is for Arabesque and C is for Counter)
Categories: Daily Art, Illuminated Alphabet, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: alphabet, blue, calligraphy, for sale, glitter gel pen, green, illumination, pen and ink, watercolor
Misty Moon
Monday, October 1st, 2012
Misty Moon, watercolor by Amy Crook
This piece is of course related to the Fairytale Sky series, but something about the way the moon was surrounded by a halo of silver demanded a different name. The clouds are looser, too, lots of extra curls and and brushstrokes escaping the main spirals. I got to use some nifty new paint on them, a duochrome aqua that changes from bluer to greener depending on the angle and the light.
The whole painting is small enough to tuck into a corner of your desk and give you a bit of mystery whenever you want it.
Misty Moon, 6″x4″ watercolor on paper, nfs (sold).
Misty Moon, detail 1, by Amy Crook
Above and below you can see the art from different angles, with the mist showing up sky blue or aqua green depending on how the light hits.
Misty Moon, detail 2, by Amy Crook
And below you can see it in its frame, all ready to make its way to your desk, bedside table or bookshelf.
Misty Moon, framed art by Amy Crook
(iPhone included for scale)
Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: black paper, duochrome, fairytale sky, iridescent, moon, nfs, sold, watercolor
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J is for Juxtapose
Thursday, September 20th, 2012
J is for Juxtapose, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook
I wasn’t sure how well I could manage Juxtaposition, but I’m really happy with the contrasts and superimpositions in this piece, from the colors of subtle buff titanium with bright purple and rich teal, to the way the dark purple ink outline of the neat lower J bled through into the messy top letter. The light purple glitter strips in the upper left blend very differently with the background than the dark inked spirals in the lower right, too.
J is for Juxtapose, 5″x5″ mixed media on paper, nfs (sold). If you’d like a J of your own, you can find out how to commission one here.
J is for Juxtapose, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the shine of purple glitter and a close-up of many of the various overlapping styles. Below, the J is hanging out with the A, which shares a similar color scheme but a nicely different feel.
A is for Arabesque & J is for Juxtapose, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Illuminated Alphabet, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: alphabet, buff titanium, calligraphy, glitter gel pen, illumination, nfs, pen and ink, purple, sold, spirals, teal, watercolor
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I is for Impressionism
Thursday, September 13th, 2012
I is for Impressionism, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook
This one was an interesting challenge, because it’s definitely outside of my usual painting style. The first go was determined to stay firmly at the ass point, but this one came together once I gave it a little more love. I think the bright shine of silver on it is what really makes the piece.
I is for Impressionism, 5″x5″ Japanese watercolor and glitter gel pen on paper.
I is for Impressionism, detail, by Amy Crook
Above you can see the silver highlights shining on the page. Below, you can see it in a frame on a bookshelf saying, “HI!” with last week’s H.
H is for Heraldry & I is for Impressionism, 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, green, illumination, pen and ink, silver, watercolor, yellow
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Brass Gates to Midnight
Friday, September 7th, 2012
Brass Gates to Midnight, watercolor by Amy Crook
Swirls of brass run through the range from the brown of oxidization to the bright gold of fresh polish on this half of a pair of gates, the other open and swung out of sight, inviting us through to the sliver of midnight forest we can see behind it. Astute eyes will pick out the shapes of starlit evergreens in the darker black, along with the little secret hanging out amidst the curls of brass. This one is, to me, as much of a fairytale as Monday’s art, an invitation into the lands of imagination that’s always open.
Brass Gates to Midnight, 5″x5″ Japanese watercolor on Arches cover black paper.
Brass Gates to Midnight, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, the gold paint shines in the sunlight, and the silver stars glow up above. If you click on the image to see it larger, you can even get a good view of the little green-haired fairy lad chilling amongst the curls of brass. Below, it’s hanging out on a wall with my collection of duckies, and a ruler since my iPhone wasn’t feeling tall enough for the task.
Brass Gates to Midnight, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: black paper, fairy, iridescent, nfs, spiral, spirals, watercolor
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H is for Heraldry
Thursday, September 6th, 2012
H is for Heraldry, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook
I have to admit, when deciding on the colors and symbols for this letter with the help of Google, I also enlisted certain fannish friends. That’s how I ended up with Hedgehog Rampant and Otter Rampant as the creatures, making the H secret fan art on top of everything else.
The symbology of the elements of this particular shield are, at least according to Google and artistic intention (which I’m given to understand the latter is more important, anyway):
- Gold/Yellow (Or): generosity
- Blue (Azure): strength, loyalty
- Black (Sable): constancy, grief
- Chevron on the shield: protection, faithful service
- Otter: one who lives life to the fullest
- Hedgehog: provident provider
- Arrows: military readiness
- Holly: truth
H is for Heraldry, 5″x5″ mixed media on paper, nfs (sold). If you’d like an H of your own, you can find out how to commission one here.
H is for Heraldry, detail, by Amy Crook
Although the glitter looks a bit anemic in the scan, when it catches the light it’s really a lovely bright gold with a nice layer of golden yellow beneath it to add richness. Below, you can see how it looks framed and hanging out on my bookshelf with a little sneak preview of next week’s letter. (HI!)
H is for Heraldry & I is for Impressionism, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Illuminated Alphabet, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: alphabet, black, blue, calligraphy, copic marker, glitter gel pen, gold, heraldry, illumination, nfs, pen and ink, sherlock, sherlock holmes, sold
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Fairytale Sky 2
Monday, September 3rd, 2012
Fairytale Sky 2 by Amy Crook
I liked the larger Fairytale Sky from a couple of weeks ago so much that I decided to try a smaller version with a slightly different focus. This one’s got clouds made of mysterious iridescent blue, with stars in silver and purple, and the moon itself done in a mix of silver and white with the dark side painted in in a slightly deeper black than the paper. I really like how the whole thing came out, dreamy and welcoming with just a hint of otherworldly mystery and shine.
Fairytale Sky, 6″x4″ iridescent watercolor on Arches cover black paper, nfs.
Fairytale Sky, framed art by Amy Crook
Above you can see the art piece with my phone, even smaller than my usual and fitting neatly into its frame like a tiny window peeking out onto the night sky of some fairytale.
Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: black paper, fairytale sky, iridescent, moon, nfs, watercolor
3 Comments »
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