Posts Tagged ‘octopus’

Deep Ultraviolet

Friday, April 6th, 2018

watercolor painting of tentacles, baby octopuses, and jellyfish on a deep violet backgroudn by Amy Crook

Deep Ultraviolet, 12″x6″ watercolor and white ink on Fluid watercolor paper

In the violet depths of some mysterious sea, light filters down to find shining octopuses, waving tentacle fronds, and frolicking jellyfish.

Ultraviolet is the Pantone color of the year, and somehow the word seemed to fit this mix of vivid purples and shining metallics. There’s a sense of more going on than the eye can see, life just around the corner of vision.

What lies deep in these oceans?

Deep Ultraviolet, detail, by Amy Crook

Deep Ultraviolet, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the iridescent blue and duochrome mauve highlights on the floating jellies. Below, this art is in a temporary frame, waiting to bring its gorgeous mystery into your beautiful home.

Deep Ultraviolet, framed art by Amy Crook

Deep Ultraviolet, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Tentacles, Whimsical and Strange
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You Made Me Ink

Friday, November 3rd, 2017

You Made Me Ink, octopus art by Amy Crook

You Made Me Ink, 5″x7″ ink on paper

An octopus swims upward from a cloud of ink, the murky water obscuring its form as it rises toward the bright surface above.

This ink painting has beautiful sparkle and shine, and amazing color variation despite being done in only two colors of ink. The deep teal has gold flecks in it, and turns red where it’s dried thickly on the page; the soft grey of the octopus chases it away and brings back the lightness of the paper, adding its own warmer hues in the process.

You Made Me Ink, detail, by Amy Crook

You Made Me Ink, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the glittering gold, mysterious red, and soft, watery grey of the in on the page, settling into the grooves as it will. Below, this octopus is grooving in a frame, like your own little still tank of exotic waters.

You Made Me Ink, framed art by Amy Crook

You Made Me Ink, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Tentacles
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Inktober 2017, day 10-16

Tuesday, October 17th, 2017

October marches on, and so do my pens and brushes. Enjoy this week’s mix of commissions, Patron sketches, and weird doodles!

Inktober day 10: I've Got the Keys to Your Horse, for Jeff

Inktober day 10: I’ve Got the Keys to Your Horse, for Jeff

Inktober day 11: Ink Spirals

Inktober day 11: Ink Spirals

Inktober day 12: Autumn Ghost

Inktober day 12: Autumn Ghost

Inktober day 13: You Made Me Ink

Inktober day 13: You Made Me Ink

Inktober day 14: To Have Ambition is My Ambition

Inktober day 14: To Have Ambition is My Ambition

Inktober day 15: Hmm? First Doctor for Ian

Inktober day 15: Hmm? First Doctor for Ian

Inktober day 16: Needs More Caffeine

Inktober day 16: Needs More Caffeine

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Completed Commissions, Daily Art, 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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Octopus Ink

Monday, November 2nd, 2015

Octopus Ink by Amy Crook

Octopus Ink by Amy Crook

Emerald of Chivor. Poussiere de Lune. Gris Nuage. These beautiful inks have intriguing names that just ask to be brought out of their bottles and onto the page.

This octopus looks like he’s reciting something equally eloquent, perhaps a Shakespearean soliloquy or Poe poem. He’s drifting through the brilliant blue waters, thinking deep thoughts.

Or craving fish.

One of those.

Octopus Ink, 8″x8″ ink wash on Fluid watercolor paper.

Octopus Ink, detail, by Amy Crook

Octopus Ink, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the rich interplay of colors, and the pop of gold in the octopus’ eye. Below, he’s hanging out in a frame, waiting to swim to his new home.

Octopus Ink, framed art by Amy Crook

Octopus Ink, framed art by Amy Crook

Alas, poor Nemo! I knew him, Doratio.

Categories: Floating Gallery, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Tentacles
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Commission: Paul and Balances

Wednesday, November 19th, 2014

Paul the Octopus, Balance the Force, and Gru Coins by Amy Crook for Mathlords

Paul the Octopus, Balance the Force, & Gru Coins
by Amy Crook for Mathlords

This odd little trio is for the same awesome client who got the Continuations art a while back. He wanted something to represent the way some systems worked within his larger project. We named the octopus Paul after the late Paul the Octopus who predicted the world cup results back in 2010. I asked Zack to explain them for you, and this is what he had to say:

“In a marketing illustration for an industrial automation system, our hardworking cephalapod Paul keeps the monies and goods flowing to the highly trained minions and lizard monkeys. Complex processes? No problem. Send down more worms and coins, Paul! These eager minions and rainbow-hued lizard monkeys handle it all with flair and elan. Any rumors that the system’s creator is a somewhat unstable polymath with limited social skills are greatly exaggerated and he asks that this fact not be weighted heavily in purchasing decisions during any ERP downselect process.”

-Zack Galler, Mathlords

We wanted some extra color, so the Hutt got greened up, and the Kowakian Monkey-Lizards were colored rather like Fraggles, plus of course Paul himself is a lovely mottling of ocean green and violet. Gru refused to be dressed up for mere commerce however.

Paul the Octopus, Balance the Force, and Gru Coins, all 7″x5″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper.

To get a commission of your own, for work or for play, check out my Commissions pages!

Categories: Completed Commissions, People, Figures and Faces, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Whimsical and Strange
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Shrimp-Crossed Lovers

Saturday, January 11th, 2014

Shrimp-Crossed Lovers, comic by Amy Crook

Shrimp-Crossed Lovers, comic by Amy Crook

The fates are conspiring to keep these two lovers apart, but they’ve used their shrimp treats to express their devotion. Will someone buy them both and put them in the same tank, or are they doomed to live forever alone?

You can get a Valentine at Etsy to show that long-distance love how much you miss them. With shrimp.

Shrimp-Crossed Lovers, 7″x5″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper.

Shrimp-Crossed Lovers Valentine at Etsy by Amy Crook

Shrimp-Crossed Lovers Valentine at Etsy by Amy Crook

Categories: Card Design, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Tentacles, Whimsical and Strange
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Another Man’s Octopus

Tuesday, May 7th, 2013

Another Man's Octopus, a Sherlock Holmes comic by Amy Crook

Another Man’s Octopus, a Sherlock Holmes comic by Amy Crook

When I was contemplating ideas for today’s Tentacle Tuesday, this idea came to me (undoubtedly influenced by the steampunk novel I’m reading) to draw the original Holmes and Watson. I borrowed the fashions from one of the old Paget illustrations, so blame him for Holmes’ weird little jabot, and then added in our random steampunky science nerd and of course Biffy, the friendly octopus. He just really likes Watson’s moustache, I feel. It’s quite dashing.

I decided to shade it all in warm greys to give it the feel of an old Victorian daguerreotype or something, which always runs into the question of whether I should color the skin of the people or leave them white as the paper. I compromised by making Holmes very pale indeed, and giving Watson and the scientist a bit more robust warmth. This kind of coloring takes a bit less time than proper color, as the limited palette simplifies things.

Another Man’s Octopus, 7″x5″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper.

Another Man's Octopus, detail, by Amy Crook

Another Man’s Octopus, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the line that made me decide I absolutely had to draw the comic, along with an unimpressed Holmes uttering it. Below, they’ve made it into a frame with my bored 5-armed plushie and one of the original books.

Another Man's Octopus, framed comic by Amy Crook

Another Man’s Octopus, framed comic by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Tentacles, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
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