Posts Tagged ‘duochrome’

Concentric 8

Tuesday, March 9th, 2021

abstract art of concentric dotted circles on a purple background

Concentric 8 by Amy Crook, 9″x12″ watercolor on paper, sold

It’s art that I finished in 2021! I’m very happy to be back at it finally, now that all the stress and extra tasks of moving have been largely dealt with (unpacking is eternal).

I’ve had this purple background for a while now, and I finally got the motivation over a few days of work to get this lovely, fireworks-like addition to the Concentric series done. I put it up on my Patreon while it was in progress, and one of my wonderful supporters claimed it before it was even done!

Below, you can see a zoomed-in angle view of some of the lovely metallic and iridescent paints that I used for this meditative work. I tried to stick to a certain palette, but I couldn’t resist sneaking in a little gold for the very middle burst. Which set of circles is your favorite?

close-up of abstract art with metallic dotted circles on a purple background

Concentric 8, detail, by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Series and Books
Tags: concentric, duochrome, iridescent, metallic, nfs, pearlescent, purple, sold, watercolor

April Patreon Sketches

Wednesday, June 10th, 2020

I continue to be not dead yet! Things are a bit mad here, and somehow I’ve managed to go over my commissions limit again without meaning to, which means the queue is firmly closed with two people on the waiting list right now. That said, Patreon supporters continue to get their sketches! And someday I’ll have three seconds to put together a sale of all these little ACEOs I have lying around that were either for someone who doesn’t get to keep their card, or just random doodles I did while avoiding the actual requests.

ACEO sketch cards by Amy Crook

Mal modeled “frolic” for Andria but apparently disapproved of the result
Deinvati asked for Cavill and got a leonine Geralt
the silver and black abstract was just my inner goth playing around
and Rebecca asked for “space” and got a whole galaxy

ACEO sketch cards by Amy Crook

Kim asked for an itchy hedgehog and got this silly thing
Jeff wanted Captain Christopher Pike and I liked his giant grey bouffant
Grace asked for a rainbow & is a Virgo, so she got the constellation hiding in this textured rainbow-flag-ish bit of canvas paper
sekrit patron Rey asked for FREEDOM! in reference to finally leaving his terrible contract job, and I was late but it’s very shiny
sekrit patron Amber asked for Goosfraba and then had to explain it, lol

ACEO sketch cards by Amy Crook

Eric asked for “not so sekrit” now that he’s an official patron, and got spideybutt
Corinne asked for Raccoon (her cat), and after sending me 17 pics I ended up using one out of my txts from 2 months ago heh

Jealous? Get your own next month!

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Completed Commissions, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Pretty Words, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: brush and ink, brush lettering, cat, copic marker, duochrome, gay pride, hedgehog, kim, mcu, metallic, patreon, pen and ink, primatek, space, spiderman, star trek, the witcher

Feb & March 2020 Patreon sketches

Thursday, May 14th, 2020

Back in Feb & March, in the before times and the between times, some Patreon patrons gave me sketch requests! I’ve been slowly filling these as the months go along (they normally get filled the month after they’re requested), but forgetting to share them here.

And so, a lot of art with very little explanation!

ACEO sketch cards by Amy Crook

ACEO sketch cards & bookmark by Amy Crook

ACEO sketch cards by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Completed Commissions, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Pretty Words, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
Tags: copic marker, corinne, doctor who, duochrome, glitter gel pen, hockey, ink wash, iridescent, james bond, jefferson, kim, nfs, patreon, pen and ink, pokemon, primatek, sherlock, skull, sold, star wars, tank girl, watercolor, word art

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
Tags: crow, duochrome, nfs, primatek, sky, sold, watercolor

Three Crows 2

Friday, March 6th, 2020

three crows with shining eyes flying past a setting sun, and a twisted, spooky tree, watercolor by Amy Crook

Three Crows 2, 6″x4″ watercolor on paper

Sometimes original, amazing titles come to me, and sometimes you get Three Crows 2.

The art that goes with the uninspired title, however, has a gorgeous sky full of hidden shimmer in the sunset-painted clouds. The tree twists out into the middle ground with gorgeously shaded branches, and the three crows have just enough spook and shimmer to them to stand out beautifully against both. Their eyes are painted with a dot of one of my favorite weird paints that shimmers from red to green like a scarab.

Where do you need a little bit of spookiness in your spring?

Three Crows 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see two of the crows flying past the shimmering clouds, their eyes reflecting unknown secrets. Below, this deceptively small painting is waiting in its frame to be whisked away to a new environment, with new secrets to be learned.

Three Crows 2, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: crow, duochrome, nfs, primatek, sold, sunset, tree, watercolor

The Skies of Unknown Kadath

Thursday, March 5th, 2020

dreamy abstract art featuring clouds of iridescent color on black paper, by Amy Crook

The Skies of Unknown Kadath, 6″x8″ watercolor on black paper

In this month’s lone abstract painting, shiny paints layer over black paper to get this dreamlike effect.

“The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath” is a novella by horror writer HP Lovecraft, best known for creating Cthulhu and also being hugely bigoted (even for 100 years ago). It’s a fascinating trip into dreams and obsession and madness, like so many of his works, and the painting’s title is a nod to the surreal descriptions that keep his work in our collective memory.

There’s a lot hiding in this painting, full of pigments that shine at different angles, in different colors, that peek through the less-glittery mineral paints and stand out against the black background.

The Skies of Unknown Kadath, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see some of the shining paints at a close up and oblique angle, the pigments catching sunlight and showing the layers of texture and detail. Below, it’s in a temporary frame, just waiting for the right dreamer.

The Skies of Unknown Kadath, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery
Tags: black paper, duochrome, interference, iridescent, metallic, nfs, primatek, sold, watercolor

Stirring Up the Sky

Friday, September 6th, 2019

Stirring Up the Sky, 8″x8″ watercolor on paper

More skies, more sparkles, more moon, more bird!

This one’s got a lovely shimmery background, both moon and sky, which the wings of our crow pick up beautifully. There is some matte black in its head and body and along the arches of its bones, but mostly this crow is like a dream of motion, stirring up the sky. The crow blots out the shine of the moon like the only solid piece of reality in a shining, swirling night.

Where would this beauty fit into your reality?

Stirring Up the Sky, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the deep black of the crow going blurred and sparkly against the turquoise glitter of the moon. Below, the painting is shining out of a frame, waiting to go home with you. Yes, you.