Posts Tagged ‘crow’

Artifacts of the Resolution

Wednesday, July 14th, 2021

a mixed media painting of a tree, crows, and a ghost

Artifacts of the Resolution, 5″x7″ mixed media on paper

Making prints work out is always an interesting challenge with a new program and a new printer.

Instead of recycling this low-res misprint, I used my mineral-based watercolors to paint over it. I added the cloudy russet sunset and gave the tree texture, body, and new details. All of the birds stayed at their original resolution, which gives the painting its name.

Look, I can’t be expected to resist a pun that good.

Artifacts of the Resolution, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see up close the motion-blur of the branches next to the clear pixelation on the birds, as though they’re visiting from some other, lower-resolution reality. Below, the painting is resting in a frame, waiting to be sent to someone new.

Artifacts of the Resolution, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
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Yupo sketch cards

Tuesday, May 25th, 2021

I got a new substrate to try, Yupo, which is an interesting synthetic that comes in a transluscent thin sheet, a more normal sheet, and a fat cardstock, all very smooth and non-absorbent. Basically the opposite of watercolor paper! I got a package of sketch card sized pads, and did some non-request sketch experiments on them in various media.

5 sketch cards with watercolor on yupo paper

5 sketch cards by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Pretty Words, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
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February 2021 Patreon sketches

Wednesday, May 12th, 2021

sketch cards of a cat, a crow, a snorlax, and a bat

4 sketch cards by Amy Crook

From the top left:

  • Booskerdu asked for lilac cats, and got this mostly-monochrome blobcat. I even got the child to help paint the sugilite blob that got turned into a cat! I gave it a few tiny enhancements with some amethyst paint for shading, but I don’t feel I cheated too badly on my b&w commitment.
  • Kim asked for Cigfran and got this shy fellow painted in full flight.
  • Eric asked for Snorlax and got this slightly pop-art colored Posca marker meme.
  • Amy B asked for a wintry bat, and got this little dude in his scarf, chillin’ on a snowman’s head. And yeah, I cheated here, too, and added the tiniest bit of orange watercolor, because reasons.
sketch cards of a wolf, a half dragon, and a kobold with a cat on its head

3 sketch cards by Amy Crook

From the top left:

  • Corinne wanted something inspired by a story we both like, and I felt like making an obscure meme joke, so if you don’t get this, don’t worry — you don’t have to. Remember, they’re not temporary dogs, they’re werewolves.
  • Rebecca S asked for Dragon Tony and gets this ridiculous chibi masterpiece.
  • My BFF Jeff asked for “us” so he gets a stolen joke from a Munchkin card, and his icon plus my inner lazy kitty.

I’m not sure how these didn’t get done until April or put on the blog until May, but time has become meaningless in 2021. I’m getting more caught up, however, so expect to see at least two more sketch card posts in the coming weeks!

As always, you can become a patron to request your own sketches and spin the wheel of creativity.

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Completed Commissions, Nudes and Other Sexy Things, People, Figures and Faces, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
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End of 2020 Patreon Sketches, part 2

Tuesday, March 16th, 2021

Another big batch of sketches done, getting us caught up through October, with one little January request sneaking in because reasons. Corvid reasons.

Lenin & Carmilla down the left side for Dr. Tags, and then on the right we have Persevere for Rey, “Mandalorian feels” for Kim, and vampire bats for Amy B (most sold)

Espurr for Eric, crow in snow for Andria, the things in Jeff’s skull, Julius Ceasar and the Very Pointy Day for Dr. Tags, and Relax for Rey (most sold)

Categories: Completed Commissions, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Pretty Words, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Tentacles, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
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Old Haunts

Saturday, September 5th, 2020

Old Haunts, 8″x4″ brush & ink and watercolor on paper

I’ve had the spooky, misty-dusk background of this piece sitting around my studio aka living room for ages, and finally one day I just pulled it out and put some trees on it. The light in the middle begged for its own something, and this loosely-constructed, half-overgrown haunted house grew out of that.

It’s possible your artist watches a few too many Halloween movies.

There’s a trio of trees, a handful of crows, and of course the spooky old house rising up out of the mist.

Old Haunts, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see some spooky trees and spooky birds and the misty gloaming sky behind them both. Below, it’s on my shiny new table easel, waiting to haunt its new home.

Old Haunts by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
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Blue Moon Murder

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2020

Blue Moon Murder, 8″x8″ watercolor on paper

This piece is in a category I call “more cowbell.” I took an older Blue Moon painting and put a bird on it. Or three, to be accurate.

It’s a small murder, but it checks out.

There’s a rich texture both on the paper and in the paint here, with the black sky and haloed moon both highlighting and concealing the crows. They’ve got some gorgeous blue and violet in their feathers, especially the two in the shadows, and their eyes contain a tiny glint of iridescent paint.

Doesn’t your life need a little murder?

Blue Moon Murder, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the crows, shadow on shadow, their purple-blue plumage fading into the textured black night sky. Below, they’re trapped in a frame like a view out a window that doesn’t exist.

Blue Moon Murder, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
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Storm Crows

Tuesday, March 17th, 2020

a watercolor painting of five black crows with shiny purple highlights against a dark roiling blue stormcloud, by Amy Crook

Storm Crows, 6″x4″ watercolor on paper

The abstract blue-green sky of this painting is so rich and dark, all it needed was some birds fading in and out of the roil of storm clouds. The crows are highlighted with a touch of purple that only shows up at certain angles, just enough that you’ll never entirely lose track of them.

This isn’t an easy one to photograph, and will reward the brave soul who takes it into their home and makes it their own.

Storm Crows, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the purple sheen on the crow’s wings against the dull roil of blue-black clouds. Below, the painting is resting in a frame, waiting to be taken on the winds to its final destination.

Storm Crows, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
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