Posts Tagged ‘nfs’

A Series of Uncanny Fears: Mirrors

Thursday, June 20th, 2013

A Series of Uncanny Fears: Mirrors, by Amy Crook

A Series of Uncanny Fears: Mirrors, by Amy Crook

I’ve had a note to start this series on my whiteboard for ages, but I finally sat down and worked on this first installment. A Series of Uncanny Fears will visually explore those things that we, as adults, know we shouldn’t be afraid of. It’s an echo of being a kid, feeling a shiver despite our grown-up logic.

Mirrors have been thoroughly demystified by science and yet hold a certain creepy fascination, especially in the dark. Fiction explores mirror worlds, mirror traps, things lurking behind mirrors or traveling through them, impressions left on them or even messages written.

In my bathroom I have a blue canary in the outlet by the light switch to watch over me (no, really!), but I still sometimes turn the lights on properly at 3am when it’s dark and creepy, because of reasons. Mirror reasons.

How about you, what’s your uncanny fear?

A Series of Uncanny Fears: Mirrors, 5″x7″ pen & ink on paper.

A Series of Uncanny Fears: Mirrors, detail, by Amy Crook

A Series of Uncanny Fears: Mirrors, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see that I did go out of my way to make the mirror extra creepy with a skull motif as well as the built-in candleholders. Below, you can see the piece in a frame, with my quill pen and ink bottle for ambiance.

A Series of Uncanny Fears: Mirrors, framed art by Amy Crook

A Series of Uncanny Fears: Mirrors, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Series and Books, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
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A Trio of Dancing Squid

Tuesday, June 18th, 2013

A Trio of Dancing Squid by Amy Crook

A Trio of Dancing Squid by Amy Crook

I had originally thought of doing fatter, cuter, cartoony squid on this lusciously bright green background, but then when googling around for inspiration I found some pictures of swimming squid that were sleek and small with big golden eyes. And so we have this little trio, swimming past some big, mossy rock or perhaps a wall in some ruins somewhere. They’re painted in a shimmery turquoise with green-yellow eyes, and a scribble-painted dark teal for shadows and outlines. I imagine them cheerfully unaware of their audience, just twirling and dancing around as they swim on by.

A Trio of Dancing Squid, 7″x5″ watercolor, Japanese watercolor, and duochrome watercolor on Arches cover black paper.

A Trio of Dancing Squid, detail, by Amy Crook

A Trio of Dancing Squid, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the sun shining off the iridescent paint. Below, you can see them in their frame, hanging out with some aquatic friends.

A Trio of Dancing Squid, framed art by Amy Crook

A Trio of Dancing Squid, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Tentacles, Whimsical and Strange
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Sunday Round-Up & Doctor Who Sketch

Sunday, June 16th, 2013

art things for an art week

art things for an art week

I hope you’re having a lovely Sunday! In case you missed it or just want to revisit, there was art this week. Shocking, I know. Monday started the week off morbidly with a crowned skull, but Tuesday the tentacles were cheerful enough to make up for it. Thursday there was mysterious dark matter, and Friday a spirally drunk lizard came to hang out. Saturday John and Sherlock were late for your birthday, and of course there’s a sketch for today.

The Tenth Doctor went along with someone’s packet of cards to make sure there was no nonsense with them, and they arrived in plenty of time for the festivities.

 

It's even got a TARDIS moo sticker!

It’s even got a TARDIS moo sticker!

Categories: Daily Art, Sunday Round-Up
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He Means He Forgot

Saturday, June 15th, 2013

He Means He Forgot, a Sherlock fan cartoon by Amy Crook

He Means He Forgot,
a Sherlock fan cartoon by Amy Crook

I’m slowly continuing to flesh out my actual purpose-made greeting cards, and this time it’s John who’s got belated birthday wishes for you. He’s already embarrassed to be bringing the card so late, and then of course Sherlock has to pipe up with his own two cents.

He Means He Forgot, 5″x7″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper, nfs (sold). Get them on a card instead!

He Means He Forgot, detail, by Amy Crook

He Means He Forgot, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a close-up of John’s blushing face. Below, you can see the art hanging out in a frame, reflecting on life in the surface of my phone.

He Means He Forgot, framed art by Amy Crook

He Means He Forgot, framed art by Amy Crook

 

Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
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Daffodils Bookmark

Wednesday, June 5th, 2013

Daffodils Bookmark by Amy Crook

Daffodils Bookmark
by Amy Crook

Have a bit of sunshine for you Wednesday! This cheerful little bookmark is done entirely with Japanese colored fountain pens on a coated archival inkjet paper. I used a waterbrush to add just a tiny bit of blue shading to the sky, green to the leaves and gold to the flowers by blurring out the ink, but as you can see the coating keeps it from being anything but a very soft, subtle background glow. This cheerful little bookmark is quite small, perfect for a paperback.

Daffodils Bookmark, 1″x4″ pen & ink on paper, nfs (sold).

Daffodils bookmark, detail, by Amy Crook

Daffodils bookmark, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the cute little ladybug adding a bit of delight to this bookmark. Below, you can see it atop a hardcover book, for scale.

Daffodils Bookmark, with book, by Amy Crook

Daffodils Bookmark, with book, by Amy Crook
(book not included, grow your own)

Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
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Sunday Round-Up & Sherlock Brush Sketch

Sunday, June 2nd, 2013

this week started sketchy and then went all meticulous

this week started sketchy and then went all meticulous

I hope you all are having a lovely Sunday, it’s warm and sunny here (well, all right, when this posts it’ll be 3am and totally dark, but you get the idea). This week we started out on Monday with a sketchy crow, and then Tuesday a differently sketchy goldfish swum onto the scene. Wednesday I totally failed to tell you how to paint a goldfish but did show some nice shots of my background making process. Thursday I reminded you of the age-old internet adage: the orange ones are poison. Friday’s art was morbidly meticulous, and Saturday cheered us up with a somewhat belated eleventh Doctor.

Finally, we go back around to a brush-and-ink sketch of my favorite consulting detective and his cheekbones.

Sherlock brush and ink sketch by Amy Crook

Sherlock brush and ink sketch by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, Sunday Round-Up
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Not That Late, Really

Saturday, June 1st, 2013

Not That Late, Really, Doctor Who fan art by Amy Crook

Not That Late, Really, Doctor Who fan art by Amy Crook

Since I already had a few birthday cards for Doctor Who, I thought I’d go with Eleven’s seeming inability to do anything on time and do a belated one as well. I got the inks all done a couple of weeks ago, and then had to wait until my refill of TARDIS blue ink (I use a B18 Lazuli Copic marker for it) came in the mail. Those big blue boxes take a lot of coloring!

I find it rather fitting, anyway, that it took an extra week to get the art done, all things considered.

Not That Late, Really, 5″x7″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper, nfs (sold).

Not That Late, Really, detail, by Amy Crook

Not That Late, Really, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a close-up of the Doctor’s little sheepish face, along with his spiffy new jacket. Below, you can see him in a frame, peeking out of his TARDIS and up at you.

Not That Late, Really, framed Doctor Who art by Amy Crook

Not That Late, Really, framed Doctor Who art by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
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