Posts Tagged ‘pen and ink’

To Have Ambition

Wednesday, December 6th, 2017

To Have Ambition, word art by Amy Crook

To Have Ambition, 7″x5″ ink and pencil on paper

Who would have thought that cheesy ’80s pop music would spawn further art? The Gang of Four song I Love a Man in a Uniform has always held this little gem that, on some tired days, feels like my life motto.

To have ambition is my ambition

This word art piece uses beautiful sparkling inks and has elaborate decorations in varying stages of doneness to represent the unfulfilled ambitions — from fully realized illumunation around the capital to the barely-sketched design beneath the final word, process becomes product.

To Have Ambition, detail, by Amy Crook

To Have Ambition, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the shiny embedded in pretty much all of the ink used in this piece. Below, you can see how it looks in a frame, a gorgeous example of artistic hopefulness.

To Have Ambition, framed art by Amy Crook

To Have Ambition, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Pretty Words, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: , , , , ,


Hermione and Luna

Friday, November 24th, 2017

Hermione and Luna chibi parody art by Amy Crook

Hermione and Luna, 7″x5″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper

The second of Disco’s commissions, and I even got to make Hermione black, which is awesome.

The flowers in both crown and bouquet are flax blossoms, lavender, and azaleas, chosen for their meaning and also the pink-blue-purple color scheme. The ladies are sporting House-themed robes, and are generally looking pretty adorable together.

These are drawn as close to a square aspect ratio as possible, so that they work as emoji on Slack. Their adorable 2-head-high chibi style conveys a lot of personality in a tiny space.

Hermione emoji by Amy Crook Luna emoji by Amy Crook

Categories: Card Design, Completed Commissions, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,


Disco Chibi Portrait

Tuesday, November 21st, 2017

Disco chibi parody portrait by Amy Crook

Disco chibi, 7″x5″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper

More commissions! Yes, my queue continues to be full, and yes, it’s awesome.

One of my wonderful online friends wanted a portrait of her sparkly nerd lesbian self with her fancy new mermaid hair and cute yellow short-shorts, front and back to make the most awesome silly chibi thing yet – pillows! Plush Disco for all!

And of course we made them into Slack emoji, since that’s where we primarily hang out, and what is chat without a disco-dancing Disco?

These are drawn as close to a square aspect ratio as possible, so that they work as emoji on Slack (and pillows!). Their adorable 2-head-high chibi style conveys a lot of personality in a tiny space.

Disco emoji by Amy Crook Disco emoji by Amy Crook

Categories: Completed Commissions, People, Figures and Faces, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: , , , , , , , ,


Growth 9

Wednesday, November 8th, 2017

Growth 9, abstract art by Amy Crook

Growth 9, 5″x7″ ink on paper

One person who saw this said, “This looks like my soul before coffee.”

Sometimes you’ve got darkness swirling inside with the golden good bits, and you just need to send those little pieces of yourself out into the world to try to find more lightness.

This Growth painting is for everyone who has a hard time with wanting to remain invisible, even when they also want to reach out and connect.

Growth 9, detail, by Amy Crook

Growth 9, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the subtle gradations of color and shadow, the play of light in the golden-flecked center. Below, this piece is contained in a frame, trying to outgrow the confines of its page.

Growth 9, framed art by Amy Crook

Growth 9, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
Tags: , , , ,


Hurtling Through the Void

Saturday, November 4th, 2017

Hurtling Through the Void, abstract art by Amy Crook

Hurtling Through the Void, 7″x5″ pen & ink and watercolor on Arches cover black paper

A pockmarked planetoid hurtles through the nothingness of space in this subtle, fascinating mixed media work. Reds and golds ride on the velvety charcoal background, and a subtle debossing effect makes the corona and tail of this coment seem to disappear.

This painting is perfect for someone who likes to be surprised, to find the hidden details in a seemingly simple image, to imagine their own narrative in abstract art.

Who do you know like that in your life?

Hurtling Through the Void, detail, by Amy Crook

Hurtling Through the Void, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the divots left by the ink pen and the way the red ink catches the light in chameleon colors. Below, the frame makes a portal to some outer space where you can watch asteroids go by at your leisure.

Hurtling Through the Void, framed art by Amy Crook

Hurtling Through the Void, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery
Tags: , , , , ,


The Fading Year

Thursday, November 2nd, 2017

The Fading Year, ink art by Amy Crook

The Fading Year, 5″x7″ ink on paper

A dormant tree twisting up through the fog. A single leaf floating down on the swirling currents, the final breath of the old year. Winter is crisp in the air, breathing down your neck, hiding in the muffling mist.

The season of hot cocoa, warm sweaters, cloudy skies, and chilly nights is upon us, and I’m thrilled! I know other people love the spring and summer, but I’m definitely one for autumn and winter. This painting celebrates that quiet time where one season turns into the other, and the last of the color fades from the world for awhile.

The Fading Year, detail, by Amy Crook

The Fading Year, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a close-up of the swirling fog and the single red-brown leaf drifting down through it. Below, the painting is framed and sitting in my writing desk, waiting to inspire some introspective spookiness.

The Fading Year, framed art by Amy Crook

The Fading Year, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes
Tags: , , , , ,


Inktober 2017, day 24-31

Tuesday, October 31st, 2017

Happy Halloween!

I can’t believe it’s already NaNoWriMo time. Here’s the final eclectic mix of commissions, Patron sketches, and spoopiness — next month I’ll be locked in a closet writing solarpunk, haha.

Inktober day 24: Dancing Disco

Inktober day 24: Dancing Disco

Inktober day 17: Inspiration Island

Inktober day 25: Inspiration Island

Inktober day 26: Otter Blep

Inktober day 26: Otter Blep

Inktober day 27: Poison Apple

Inktober day 27: Poison Apple

Inktober day 28: Spoopy Crow

Inktober day 28: Spoopy Crow

Inktober day 29: Zero

Inktober day 29: Zero

Inktober day 30: The Good Candy

Inktober day 30: The Good Candy

Inktober day 31: Knucklebones

Inktober day 31: Knucklebones

Categories: Completed Commissions, Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Pretty Words, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


« Or Head Back That Way Drip divider More Art This Way »