Posts Tagged ‘glitter gel pen’
O is for Origami
Thursday, November 8th, 2012

O is for Origami, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook
I believe this pattern is actually for an origami fried egg, when done with yellow paper and the colors reversed, but I wanted a big, bold shape for my O. The four corners created little points when folded back, so I actually drew the gold pattern on the entire 3″x3″ square background and then glued just the points on the back of the O down. The O floats above the background serenely, and it has to be framed with no glass in order to make room.
This was the first non-flat letter I made, though there’s a few more coming, including the ampersand (&). I’m nearly done with the series, half a dozen letters to go, so if you are curious about one we haven’t seen yet (perhaps for a holiday gift!), just drop me a line and I’ll give you a sneak preview.
O is for Origami, 5″x5″ Origami paper, watercolor and glitter gel pen on paper.

O is for Origami, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the way the origami floats on its background, letting the gold glow beneath it as it sits serenely above, the whole thing surrounded by a simple red border. Below, M is for Majuscule and Miniscule is hanging out with my O to make OM!

O is for Origami and M is for Majuscule & Miniscule, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Illuminated Alphabet, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: alphabet, calligraphy, for sale, glitter gel pen, gold, illumination, orange, origami, watercolor
N is for Negative Space
Thursday, November 1st, 2012

N is for Negative Space, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook
The texture on this one is really subtle; with the red watercolor a very dense and intense tone, the red glitter gel pen nearly vanishes unless it’s at the right angle. I really enjoy the big red shark-fin shape at the bottom, and the deceptive simplicity of this particular letter. Perfect for a Nelson or Natalie or Norbert!
N is for Negative Space, 5″x5″ watercolor stick and glitter gel pen on paper.

N is for Negative Space, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the shining glitter catching the sunlight, giving the whole image a bit of a bluish tint to it. Below, the N is hanging out with next week’s O to spell out every toddler’s favorite word – NO.

N is for Negative Space & O is for Origami, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Illuminated Alphabet, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: alphabet, calligraphy, for sale, glitter gel pen, illumination, pen and ink, red, watercolor
Spiral Bookmark 5
Thursday, October 25th, 2012

Spiral
Bookmark 5
by Amy Crook
Spirals are a bit of a theme this bookmark week, but then, they’re a bit of a theme for this entire year for me, so I’m sure you’re not surprised. This one combines bright cheerful colors with a subtly iridescent background. There’s a bit of glitter in the purple center of the droplets or flamelets, however you choose to interpret the turquoise shapes.
Spiral Bookmark 5, 0.875″x5″ mixed media on paper.

Spiral Bookmark 5, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can really see the reddish interference paint and sparkly purple glitter gel pen that add depth and surprising shine to this little bookmark. Below, it’s hanging out with the book for your size comparison pleasure.

Spiral Bookmark 5, with book, by Amy Crook
(Book not by Amy Crook. Also not included.)
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Series and Books
Tags: bookmark, buy a bookmark, for sale, glitter gel pen, iridescent, japanese watercolor, pen and ink, spirals
M is for Majuscule and Miniscule
Thursday, October 18th, 2012

M is for Majuscule & Miniscule, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook
I like to think of the little m as snuggling up to the big M, miniscule trustingly at the feet of the majuscule. The background on this one seems simple, but the crosshatching like that is always quite time-consuming, especially with a glitter gel pen.
M is for Majuscule & Miniscule, 5″x5″ mixed media on paper, nfs (sold). If you’d like an M of your own, you can find out how to commission one here.

M is for Majuscule & Miniscule, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the green pen shining against the soft periwinkle blue background, with the rich purple and green of the two Ms surrounded by glitter. Below, a shot of the background in progress, to see the way the texture really changed the whole look of the piece.

M is for Majuscule & Miniscule, work in progress by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Illuminated Alphabet, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: alphabet, blue, calligraphy, glitter gel pen, illumination, nfs, pen and ink, periwinkle, purple, sold, watercolor
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Silver Lining
Monday, October 15th, 2012

Silver Lining by Amy Crook
This piece combines elements from several of my series: whimsical clouds from the Fairytale Sky paintings, a blue filigree moon, and salt-pool stars. The shining blue of the clouds is matched by the swirls of blue in the filigree on the moon, where the silver of the filigree is echoed in the clouds.
Silver Lining, 10″x8″ iridescent and Japanese watercolor, salt, and glitter gel pen on Arches cover black paper.

Silver Lining, detail 1, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the various elements all catching the sunlight, shining against the black paper background. Below is the moon itself, a soft periwinkle blue with shimmering silver and blue filigree giving it an otherworldly feel.

Silver Lining, detail 2, by Amy Crook
Finally, the piece is hanging out on my desk with my iPhone, though I think it would look gorgeous on a wall as well.

Silver Lining, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes
Tags: black paper, blue, fairytale sky, filigree, for sale, glitter gel pen, iridescent, moon, periwinkle, salt, silver, spirals, watercolor
The Stars Are Right 6
Friday, October 12th, 2012

The Stars Are Right 6 by Amy Crook
The brain-pink planet has deep red fissures in its surface, and radiates a subtle evil message of Cthulhu’s advent. The stars are most definitely right for anyone unfortunate enough to get too close.
The Stars Are Right 6, 7″x5″ Japanese watercolor and glitter gel pen on Arches cover black paper.

The Stars Are Right 6, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see a close up of the sliver stars shining out amongst the glittering purple runes, with the planet hovering malevolently in the background. Below, the piece is sitting with deceptive restfulness in a frame, just waiting to invade your home and your mind.

The Stars Are Right 6, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: black paper, cthulhu, for sale, glitter gel pen, japanese watercolor, planet, stars, stars are right
L is for Layers
Thursday, October 11th, 2012

L is for Layers, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook
One of the things I love about this series is the physicality of it, the way the glitter encourages the viewer to try to catch the light, to pick the piece up and move it around. In this one, I went a step farther and added a physical dimension to it by building up layers of cut and painted paper. The gold at the edges helps each layer stand out, even more than just the cascading autumnal colors.
L is for Layers, 5″x5″ Japanese watercolor and glitter gel pen on collaged paper.

L is for Layers, detail, by Amy Crook
Above you can see a close-up of the overlapping corners, the glued paper growing tall as it builds layer upon layer. Below, the L is hanging out with a preview of the N in my little writing desk.

L is for Layers and N is for Negative Space, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Illuminated Alphabet, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: alphabet, brown, calligraphy, for sale, glitter gel pen, gold, illumination, watercolor
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