Posts Tagged ‘bookmark’
Be the Change Bookmark
Wednesday, May 9th, 2012
Be the Change Bookmark by Amy Crook
For Words Wednsday this week, we have a very popular and, I think, applicable quote. I decided I wanted more beauty (and spirals!) in my world, so I finally stopped pining after the art I wanted to make and started making art instead.
I’m still working on some of the other changes, like seeing the complexity hiding in seemingly simple issues, but those can be a lot harder. Still, I think this bookmark would make an excellent reminder for someone wanting to see a change in their lives, that the only person who can move your life towards a better one is you.
Be the Change Bookmark, 8″x1.5″ mixed media on paper, nfs (sold).
Be the Change Bookmark, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, spirals! Below, the bookmark on my awesome free hardcover graphic novel from Free Comic Book Day this year. Another good reminder that art and words don’t have to be exclusive.
Be the Change Bookmark, with book, by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Words Words Words
Tags: bookmark, mahatma gandhi, nfs, quote, sharpie, sold
Tentacle Bookmark 2
Tuesday, May 8th, 2012
Tentacle Bookmark 2
by Amy Crook
Tentacle Tuesday meets Bookmark Week once again! Zoisite green and a satiny black combine with thick textured paper to make a very nice bookmark. This one should stand up to all sorts of abuse, though the soft hand-torn edges might get even softer as time goes on.
Tentacle Bookmark 2, 2.25″x8″ mixed media on paper, nfs (sold).
Tentacle Bookmark 2, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the light shining off the thick black paint at the base of the tentacles. Below, a standard-sized hardback book shows you just how big the tentacles are. Definitely not tentacles for the faint of heart!
Tentacle Bookmark 2, with book, by Amy Crook
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Series and Books, Tentacles
Tags: bookmark, tentacles, watercolor
2 Comments »
Salt Bookmark 3
Monday, May 7th, 2012
Salt Bookmark 3 by Amy Crook
As you’ve no doubt correctly surmised, it’s Bookmark Week again! I’ve sold almost all of the bookmarks from last time, and since May is Get Caught Reading month, I figured that the time was right for another week of tiny, inexpensive originals to tempt you.
This one and Friday’s were done sort of simultaneously, but since I started this one first it got to be number 3 in the series. I’m using the same mix of paint and salt water as I did for last week’s Blue Planets, but this time in dots and spirals instead. Then I crosshatched the background in a complementary green, which brought out the blue and gave the whole thing a nice visual texture.
Salt Bookmark 3, 2″x6″ mixed media on paper, nfs (sold).
Salt Bookmark 3, detail, by Amy Crook
Above you can see the sparkle of salt, the shimmer of iridescent paint and the shine of glitter gel pen, offset by velvety black paper and opaque blue paint. Below, the bookmark rests on a book for scale, though I’m not honestly sure this one would do that well as a bookmark — I’ve found the blue paint doesn’t bind to the paper as well as one might hope when mixed with the salt. Chemistry at work, I suppose.
Salt Bookmark 3, with book, by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Series and Books
Tags: black paper, bookmark, glitter gel pen, nfs, salt, sold, watercolor
Sherlock Bookmark 4
Sunday, February 19th, 2012
Sherlock Bookmark 4 by Amy Crook
Secret Bonus Post! I had one more bookmark than would fit in my usual 6-day week, so I decided to go ahead and post this one on Sunday. If you can’t read my handwriting, click the image above for a bigger version.
When I was working on this, first I drew tiny John & Sherlock, and then I decided what John was upset about. I didn’t really plan it ahead, just let the joke unfold in the space I had, then went back and fixed the typo when I inked it. I had fun drawing tiny Sherlock popping his collar like a boss.
Sherlock Bookmark 4, 7″x1″ pen and ink on paper, nfs (sold).
Sherlock Bookmark 4, with book, by Amy Crook
You can see the little cartoon above with a standard hardcover book, just waiting to mark someone’s place with secret delight.
Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: bookmark, comic, nfs, pen and ink, sherlock, sold
Spiral Bookmark 1
Saturday, February 18th, 2012
Spiral Bookmark 1
by Amy Crook
And so we wave a cheerful goodbye to Bookmark Week with this last installment.
I was experimenting with these pigment-dense watercolor sticks I picked up, using the teal and orange pair to create a very bright contrast indeed. I wasn’t quite happy with it as is, though, so I added in the silver spirals on top with this awesome silver brush pen I got in Japantown, which gives a nice bit of shine to the piece.
Spiral Bookmark 1, 1.5″x7″ watercolor and brush pen on paper, nfs, sold.
Spiral Bookmark 1, detail, by Amy Crook
Above you can see the various textures from the drawn lines to the washes created by running a wet brush over the watercolor stick, to the shining silver paint floating atop it all. Below, the bookmark sits happily with a book, just waiting to fulfill its intended purpose.
Spiral Bookmark 1, with book, by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art
Tags: bookmark, brush pen, nfs, orange, silver, sold, teal, watercolor, watercolor stick
Jellyfish Bookmark 1
Friday, February 17th, 2012
Jellyfish Bookmark 1
by Amy Crook
The second-to-last day of Bookmark Week is upon us! I’ve already got a few ideas for next time, too, so I hope you’re enjoying the shift from small to super-small art this week.
This one I actually just doodled idly while I was on the phone, thinking of my larger piece Jellyfish Deeps as I worked. I thought about going back in to try to add a little color, but I liked the slight reddish cast the mat board gave to the white gel pen. I’m sure I’ll do another of these sometime, though, the jellyfish are just too entertaining.
Jellyfish Bookmark 1, 0.875″x5.875″ white gel pen on black mat board, nfs, sold.
Jellyfish Bookmark 1, detail, by Amy Crook
Above you can see how the black mat board bled red into white of the ink, though it’s made much more pink by my camera here. The mat board is quite thick, but it would still slip easily into a book as long as you don’t shove it all the way to the spine. Below, I have the jellyfish hanging out with a hardcover, for size comparison.
Jellyfish Bookmark 1, with book, by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Tentacles
Tags: bookmark, crosshatching, gel pen, jellyfish, nfs, pen and ink, sold, tentacles
Meadow Bookmark
Thursday, February 16th, 2012
Meadow Bookmark by Amy Crook
The only horizontal bookmark from this week uses opaque Japanese watercolors on recycled paper. By recycled I mean my printer had a spaz printing some cards and I’ve painted over the old image, though a tiny bit of it seeps through at the right angles. Instead of throwing away these mistakes, I save the paper for other experiments, since the blank cards I use are thick and have a lovely texture for drawing or painting.
Every once in a while, after drawing all the tentacles and monsters a girl could desire, I just feel like painting an abstract field of wildflowers. I can almost imagine the bees buzzing lazily as they collect all the different pollen to make tasty honey just for me.
Meadow Bookmark, 6.75″x2″ watercolor on paper, nfs (sold).
Meadow Bookmark, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, this photo reveals all the textures in this little bookmark, from the paper to the little bumps made by the flowers as the beaded droplets of paint dried. Below is the obligatory photo of the bookmark with a book, for scale.
Meadow Bookmark, with book, by Amy Crook
On my monitor this last picture is the best one to show the colors off, but really, your monitor and mileage may vary. Just one of the frustrations in showing art online, I suppose.
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes
Tags: bookmark, nfs, sold, watercolor
« Or Head Back That Way
More Art This Way »
