Posts Tagged ‘pen and ink’

Old Friends Who’ve Just Met

Tuesday, August 6th, 2013

Old Friends Who've Just Met, Muppets fan art by Amy Crook

Old Friends Who’ve Just Met, Muppets fan art by Amy Crook

I was watching The Muppet Movie the other day, and if there was every a Muppet to get himself in a friendly situation with a tentacle monster, it’s Gonzo. The title comes from Gonzo’s big song, where he sings, “There’s not a word yet, for old friends who’ve just met.” Given his penchant for putting starfish in his pants in Muppet Treasure Island, I think Gonzo and the tentacle monster are going to get along just fine.

Old Friends Who’ve Just Met, 5″x7″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper.

Old Friends Who've Just Met, detail, by Amy Crook

Old Friends Who’ve Just Met, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see Gonzo up close, along with the spot where my inks smeared, ironically while I was specifically trying not to smear them with my hand and so I put a pencil board over them. I’m just having a bad week with inks, man. Below, you can see it in a frame, just waiting to go back there someday. I feel I should point out that I had my choice of tentacle monsters and Muppet action figures, Pez dispensers and plushies to choose from for this photo. Gonzo in his cannon won because he was closest.

Old Friends Who've Just Met, framed art by Amy Crook

Old Friends Who’ve Just Met, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Tentacles, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
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Sunday Round-Up & Shudde M’el Sketch

Sunday, August 4th, 2013

art, art everywhere!

art, art everywhere!

Another busy week, whew! Monday I did a long-overdue sequel to Growth, and Tuesday I finished an actual painting on canvas. Wednesday I updated you on the State of the Artist. Thursday another Uncanny Fear came out to haunt us, and Friday I switched gears with some silly clip art dingbats. Saturday John was grateful, if a bit reluctantly.

For today’s sketch, we have someone’s weird coloring book addition, and one of the Lovecraft Mythos critters that kicked our butts one of the last times we played Arkham Horror, Shudde M’el.

He's kind of like a sandworm that just sits on you until you die.

He’s kind of like a sandworm that just sits on you until you die.

Categories: Daily Art, Sunday Round-Up
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Say Thanks, John

Saturday, August 3rd, 2013

Say Thanks, John, parody Sherlock comic by Amy Crook

Say Thanks, John,
parody Sherlock comic by Amy Crook

Another Saturday, another card! I decided I needed a trio of Sherlock thank-you cards, so you’ll see another next week just to round out the set. This time it’s John who’s rather begrudging the social niceties, which means it’s probably all Sherlock’s fault, somehow.

Say Thanks, John, 5″x7″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper, nfs (sold).

Say Thanks, John, detail, by Amy Crook

Say Thanks, John, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a close-up of the rather detailed cables on John’s sweater, and his grumpy pose. Below, you can see it in a frame, hanging out with a skull, a hedgehog, and my iPhone. And you thought you kept weird company.

Say Thanks, John, framed art by Amy Crook

Say Thanks, John, framed art by Amy Crook

PS – If it ever frustrates you that certain sorts of fan art are always sold when they go up, you can always commission your own.

Categories: Card Design, Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
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Dingbats 1

Friday, August 2nd, 2013

Free color dingbats by Amy Crook

Free color dingbats by Amy Crook

When I got the idea to make you guys some free little clip art type dingbats to use as you will, I really didn’t plan out what I wanted to make. So, this is why you have a dozen weird little drawings, from gothy to silly, which you may feel free to use however you like. I’d love a link back, but just this once it’s not required.

I think they’d make fun “drop caps” at the start of a post, or little bits of art to emphasize quotes or other little bits of blogging you want people to notice.

I haven’t cut these up into individual pieces, but you should be able to do that easily enough with any simple online image editing software. I’ve even included the black and white versions below, I particularly like the gothy ones in b&w. Though the skull is better in color, clearly.

If you want a high-res one to do something fun with, email me and I’ll send it over. Just tell me what you want it for, and it’s yours!

Free black and white dingbats by Amy Crook

Free black and white dingbats by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, Tentacles, Whimsical and Strange, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
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A Series of Uncanny Fears: Under the Bed

Thursday, August 1st, 2013

A Series of Uncanny Fears: Under the Bed, by Amy Crook

A Series of Uncanny Fears: Under the Bed
by Amy Crook

My Series of Uncanny Fears is actually a series now, yay! I found it extra challenging to draw the pattern on the duvet with the monster glaring at me from under the bed all the while. Not that there is a monster, mind you, I’m sure it’s just shadows, and reflections. Nothing to fear. Nothing at all.

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

A Series of Uncanny Fears: Under the Bed, detail, by Amy Crook

A Series of Uncanny Fears: Under the Bed, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can get a closer look at that space under the bed and the inexplicable shadows that are totally not reaching toward you now. Not at all. Below, it’s safely behind glass in a frame, just waiting to find the perfect owner.

A Series of Uncanny Fears: Under the Bed, framed art by Amy Crook

A Series of Uncanny Fears: Under the Bed, 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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Growth 2

Monday, July 29th, 2013

Growth 2 by Amy Crook

Growth 2 by Amy Crook

I was playing around with my watercolors, and the deep green circle reminded me of the blue-black center of Growth. Before I knew it, I’d grabbed my dark green fountain pen and started making two rows of circles this time, inside and out, and then filling in the inner set while the watercolor was still slightly damp, before moving to the outside. This paper is very absorbent, which gives a softness to the pen lines even on the white.

I had to resist the urge to try to create randomness, and instead just stick with something that was interestingly varied to me. Humans do randomness terribly, and I always have to remember that. I found it interesting that the growths came out differently shaped than the original, more towers and less floaters, no long strands of growth reaching out or in.

Growth 2, 5″x5″ pen & ink and watercolor on paper.

Growth 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Growth 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the paired-up circles of growth going in and outward from the double row at the border. Below, you can see both pieces together in their frames, making a diptych with endless visual interest.

Growth and Growth 2, framed art by Amy Crook

Growth and Growth 2, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Series and Books
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Lunch With a View

Saturday, July 27th, 2013

Lunch With a View, Doctor Who fan comic by Amy Crook

Lunch With a View, Doctor Who fan comic by Amy Crook

I rewatched “Dinosaurs on a Spaceship” recently, and I just couldn’t resist the idea of drawing this peaceful moment with Rory’s Dad sitting on the edge of the TARDIS, suspended over Earth, eating his little packed lunch and looking content. He was kind of hard to draw without his very characteristic nose to help me out, but in the end I’m pretty happy with him. The stars are tiny painted dots of silver watercolor, which is the one thing I have that won’t absorb the black marker pigment and turn grey.

Lunch With a View, 5″x7″ pen & ink, Copic marker, and metallic watercolor on paper. On a whim, I also made him available as a blank card on Etsy.

Lunch With a View, detail, by Amy Crook

Lunch With a View, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a silly little bottoms-up view of Mr. Williams’ feet dangling off the edge of the TARDIS and over the distant Earth. Below, you can see it in a frame, with my iPhone and my Sonic Screwdriver.

Lunch With a View, framed art by Amy Crook

Lunch With a View, framed art by Amy Crook

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