Posts Tagged ‘dragon’

Forest Dragon

Monday, March 26th, 2012

Forest Dragon by Amy Crook, all rights reserved

Forest Dragon by Amy Crook, all rights reserved

I swear, this commission took all the time in the world, but I will admit I’m happy with the results. I was pretty sure I would be once I got it past the ass point, but you never really know until it’s all done. Molly is very happy indeed, and I hope she gets well soon so she can come collect it!

“All I had was the idea of a dragon in a forest and I was so lucky to have Amy bring what I really had in mind to life. And with the snap shots of the progress along the way I got to be more and more excited by the final result. The details of the scales are my favorite part.”

Forest Dragon, 24″x18″ oil paint on canvas, nfs (commission).

I’ve taken a bunch of detail shots for you, just so you can appreciate the awesomeness.

Forest Dragon, detail 1, by Amy Crook

Forest Dragon, detail 1, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a close-up of the sun shining through the Dragon’s spines and onto the texture, iridescent scales. Below, another shot of sunlight, this time streaming through the trees and making the leaves appear translucent.

Forest Dragon, detail 2, by Amy Crook

Forest Dragon, detail 2, by Amy Crook

Sunlight and shiny things are a bit of a theme, which is apropos for a dragon, I think.

Forest Dragon, detail 3, by Amy Crook

Forest Dragon, detail 3, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the wings, which are translucent and let the trees behind them show faintly through, as well as the dragon’s ridges. Below, an oblique close-up of the tail so you can see the physical texture of the scales, and the more visual texture on the hoard of gold.

Forest Dragon, detail 4, by Amy Crook

Forest Dragon, detail 4, by Amy Crook

If you’re considering a commission of your own, email me! I’ve got a few things in the queue already, but I’d be happy to talk about putting your painting next in line.

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Completed Commissions, Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Whimsical and Strange
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Whimsicle Dragon sketch

Saturday, October 29th, 2011

Whimsicle Dragon sketch by Amy Crook

Whimsicle Dragon sketch by Amy Crook

Look out! Rawr!

This guy was totally inspired by the art in the credits of How to Train Your Dragon. He just wants some fish and a head-scratch, really!

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Things I'm a Fan Of
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Mapping Your Thing

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

Fairytale Path by Amy Crook, for Tara Swiger's Map-Making Guide

Fairytale Path by Amy Crook, for Tara Swiger’s Map-Making Guide

I have to admit I was utterly thrilled when Tara Swiger.* asked me to paint a path for her latest awesome product, the Map-Making Guide*. After some back-and-forth discussion, she ended up commissioning the path itself, and a page of fairytale-related dingbats to go with it. The purple fuzzy monster is even a bit weeble-y, so when he wanted to be posted on a Wednesday, I went with it.

I sketched up the path itself, and then after her enthusiastic approval, painted in the wandering curve, leaving plenty of white space around it for writing, and playing. Then I had fun drawing all the things I could think of to decorate it, most of which you can see here. The extra curve of path is for those whose ambitions sometimes require a detour, for instance, and there’s a dragon and fuzzy monster to represent the scary obstacles along the way. A pot of gold awaits those for whom that’s part of the goal, as well as a castle.

I had a lot of fun printing off a sample page and cutting out all the bits to play with, though I have to admit that I haven’t made it all the way through making my own Map yet. I’m thinking of making myself a page of pennants and banners to act as mile-markers, though I’m also tempted to get some of those Post-It flags for the same purpose. I’ve always wanted an excuse to buy some!

If you’ve got a goal and you’re a bit fuzzy on how to get from Point A to Point B, think about giving Tara’s Map-Making Guide* a try! Just doing Step 1 (spoiler: it’s “define Point A & Point B”) has been a great help in focusing my efforts.

“Working on the map with Amy was fantastic. I came to her while the idea was still just an unformed thought. Not only did she totally NAIL what I only vaguely described, she also helped me think it through. She turned my ideas into actual, visual products and delighted me beyond belief.”
-Tara Swiger

If you’re interested in working with me on an illustration, just drop me a line and I’ll be happy to give you a price quote and timeline estimate.

*Disclosure: I’m using affiliate links! If you buy it, I will get a few dollars. This will make us all happy.

Categories: Completed Commissions, Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes
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